Despite dated menus, pop-ups, Greek distro based on Slackware excels on many fronts
By Larry Cafiero
We have a couple of notable firsts here at Distro of the Week: First and foremost, we are trying out our first Greek distro of our relatively short existence, but more importantly we are testing our first Slackware-based distro ever.
No small feat there.
Today we’re putting Slackel 9.0 MATE through its paces to see if it passes muster. As previously mentioned, the distro is based on Slackware with advanced administration tools borrowed from Salix Linux, and comes with the MATE desktop environment as its default. The latest version became available in late June.
In its release notes, the Slackel folks want to make one thing clear regarding who this distro is aimed at: “This release serves as an ideal platform for Linux enthusiasts who appreciate the historic speed and cleanliness of Slackware but prefer a user-friendly installer, automated dependency resolution, and a fully structured, traditional desktop experience.”
Let’s see if they are right.
Installing Slackel 9.0 MATE
The ISO for Slackel 9.0 MATE is a relatively sane 4.0 GB, which we put on to a USB key after it finished downloading in around 10 minutes. From rhere, we live-booted the USB drive, which came up with some interesting menus before starting as a live USB.
Undaunted at that particular – and proverbial – curveball, we nevertheless were greeted eventually with the MATE desktop environment and a bay view with a bridge in the background as the default desktop background. Once we established a WiFi connection, we clicked the installation icon on the desktop.
Typing the password “one” to establish superuser status on the live USB (go figure), the installer is rather unique. Unlike the popular Calamares installer used by other distros, Slackel depends on its own installer which, interestingly, is only one window where you choose pretty much everything by checking boxes and choosing from drop-down menus. You install a root password, user name, and user password, estahlish a time-zone location, keyboard, language, file system, and other items all in one window before clicking on the “Install live system” button.
This in and of itself was a surprise, but a pleasant one once we got the hang of it.
Taking Slackel 9.0 MATE for a spin
Before we start, it would behoove us to mention that Slackel 9.0 MATE can be used by both 32- and 64-bit hardware, and the distro is generally designed to be lightweight, making it suitable for a wide range of systems. The minimum system reqirements are a i686 or x86_64 CPU, a minimum of 1 GB of RAM for smooth operation, sufficient disk space for installation, and a graphics card compatible with the MATE desktop environment.
Once we rebooted into our new system, we updated it, which was an interesting endeavor. Not only was the Gslapt Package Manager gathering updates when asked, but it gave us an explanation of each update in a window-sized morsel as it went along. That was a nice touch.
Then once that was done, it was time to check what we had in the way of software. Slackel is generous in offering software in its initial install, as the usual suspects were present – like Firefox and the Thunderbird email client – as well as a few treats in store for those who have to get actual work done. The LibreOffice suite was available in the initial install, which was a huge plus, as well as the GNU Image Manipulation Program, more widely known as GIMP.
Using Gslapt, we added the VLC media player – a personal preference – and we were on our way.
Although we changed the desktop background to something a little more straightforward, the MATE desktop was clean although a little dated, with a top panel that provided menus and icons on both the left and right of the panel. Conversely, the bottom panel showed which programs were running, in true MATE fashion.
But with MATE showing its clean lines on the surface of Slackel 9.0 MATE, the Slackware base lived up to its legendary status of quick and nimble performance under the hood. In fact, using a multiplicity of software programs simultaneously caused the system to hardly break a sweat, getting the System Monitor to only reach 1.6 GB of RAM use.
This, of course, speaks highly of Slackel 9.0 MATE’s multitasking abilities, which were phenomenal. In addition, the distro’s ability to work with web-based programs like Google Docs and Google Drive were seamless.
The final word
Despite Slackel 9.0 MATE’s desktop presence could arguably be seen as outdated by most users’ standards – menus and pop-up messages are a bit of a throwback, to be sure, and the old-fashioned look lacks a modern cohesion that users may be used to today – the Slackware base provides a performance boost that clearly launches and carries this distro.
The current installer could throw some less-than-experienced users for a proverbial loop, however attacking it logically overcomes any fear one may have in using it. Still, while it’s nice that everything is in one window, it would also have been nice to have a Calamares-style installer to install the distro itself.
But never mind: Slackel 9.0 MATE checks all the boxes in performance, appearance, and style for a modern distro. And again, Slackware rumbling under the MATE hood is a definite – and pleasant – plus.
Is it good for beginners? For those coming directly from Windows, I would suggest another distro. However, for those who have been around the block a few times in the Linux neighborhood – or more than a few times – Slackel 9.0 MATE would be a welcome distro to try, if for no other reason that finally – finally! – there’s a Slackware-based distro that does not cause a user to rend their garments in installing.
Give Slackel 9.0 MATE a shot. You can down the ISO from the Slackel download page.
Do you have a distro you think would make a great feature for Distro of the Week? Don’t be shy—let me know! Email me at larry.cafiero@gmail.com and I’ll make an effort to make your choice available to the wider public … No suggestion is too mainstream!