Author: Eric Hameleers

Slackware is the oldest actively maintained Linux distribution. Yet, it is not considered to be a "mainstream" distribution like Ubuntu, RedHat or SuSE. This
follows from it's minimalist approach to what makes a Linux distribution.

Slackware makes no concessions. It packages software with a minimum of patching, allowing for a user experience which is in line with the intentions of the program's developer. It assumes the user is smart enough to know what he does, and makes no assumptions about what the user wants. This approach has led to heated debates between Slackware users and those more familiar with the other distributions.

The presentation tries to give a rational view on Slackware's development and design philosophy. By looking back at its conception in 1993 and following the time-line up to the release of an official 64bit port in the summer of 2009, hopefully the audience will get a better understanding of why Slackware is still going strong after 16 years even though it is the product of one man's vision and effort.