Slamd64 FAQ
What is Slamd64?
Slamd64 is an unofficial port of Slackware to x86_64.
Is Slamd64 just for AMD64 systems?
No, Slamd64 is compiled for generic x86_64; this means it should work on both AMD64 and EM64T.
Do I need all 7 CDs?
Usually the disc 1 is all you need to download. If you want the packages included on the 2nd, 3rd or 4th discs such as KDE, you can download them after you have installed Slamd64. The 5th, 6th, and 7th discs contain sources and are not needed by most users.
If you have only the first disc, you still don't need to worry when selecting the packages to be installed. If you happen to select packs that are not on the first disc and the installer prompts you for the disc 2, simply press skip. There are no packs on the second or third discs that would be critical for a working system. You can install them later.
You can find out what's on them by looking at the scripts used to create them, which are in extra/scripts/
Is there SATA support?
Yes! I've no idea where the misconception that there isn't came from; my development system uses SATA drives.
Can I use normal Slackware packages?
Mostly yes, as long as they don't use Qt/KDE. Libraries can be complicated.
How do I use these ".jigdo" files?
Firstly, you need to install jigdo; a slamd64 package can be found on files.fredemmott.co.uk. You will then need to download the tarball of .jigdo, .template, and other files from the "Get Slamd64" page. Extract the tarball somewhere, and open a terminal, and 'cd' into the created directory.
If you want to use a mirror other than ftp.heanet.ie, change the following lines in the .jigdo files:
Mirror=ftp://ftp.heanet.ie/pub/slamd64/slamd64-current/ Mirror=ftp://ftp.heanet.ie/pub/slamd64/slamd64-10.2/tree/
If you keep a copy of the tree locally, you can use a "file:/" url, like the following (assuming you have your tree in /home/ftp/pub/slamd64/):
Mirror=file://home/ftp/pub/slamd64/slamd64-current/ Mirror=file://home/ftp/pub/slamd64/slamd64-10.2/tree/
Then simply run "jigdo-lite filename.jigdo" for each disk you want - for example, if you want disks 1 and 2, non-us:
jigdo-lite slamd64-10.2-disk1.jigdo jigdo-lite slamd64-10.2-nonus-disk2.jigdo
Is there a DVD version?
Yes.
Is there flash support?
Not out-of-the-box, but there's a work-around to get Konqueror to use 32-bit plugins instead of 64-bit; see the post on the gentoo forums.
You can also use a 32-bit web-browser, such as Opera, or a version of Firefox from mozilla.org. (The package included in Slamd64 is a 64-bit package)
Is GNOME included?
Not out-of-the-box, but GSB: Gnome SlackBuild has a port available.
There is also a port of Dropline GNOME 2.14.1 desktop available, for download a bittorrent link is provided.
Also
I use the NVidia drivers, I updated/reinstalled 32x11, and now I don't have 3D-acceleration in 32-bit applications. How do I fix this?
Reinstall the nvidia drivers. 32x11 contains generic 32-bit OpenGL libraries, which overwrite the NVidia drivers.
I have an ATi card, how do I get the fglrx drivers to build?
fglrx requires 64bit GCC 3.3 C++ libraries to build (cxxlibs-6.0.3-x86_64-1) and the 32 bit c/ compatibility packages.
Install those libraries, and then get fglrx64 (not fglrx) from ATi's website. You may also need the 32bit compatibility packages in Slamd64, and the driver may require further patching if you want to use it on the latest kernel.
How can I help?
Firstly, look at the bug list, and see if you can provide a fix; also, just using Slamd64 and reporting any bugs you find (after checking that they're not already reported) on that page is useful.
Financial assistance is also always appreciated; please use the PayPal link on the Slamd64 website.