Slackware 12.2 is released!

Again! slackware's developer team announce new release of slackware. according to ANNOUNCE.12_2's file that come from slackware 12.2 release directory, here is some features that available on slackware 12.2 (grab from that file):

- Runs the 2.6.27.7 version of the Linux kernel from ftp.kernel.org. Also included is a kernel patched with Speakup to support speech
synthesizers providing access to Linux for the visually impaired community.

- Some packages were upgraded from slackware/x directory

- Installs gcc-4.2.4 as the default C, C++, Objective-C, Fortran-77/95, and Ada 95 compiler.

- Apache (httpd) 2.2.10 web server with Dynamic Shared Object support, SSL, and PHP 5.2.8.

- New development tools, including Perl 5.10.0, Python 2.5.2, Ruby 1.8.7-p72, Subversion 1.5.4, git-1.6.0.3, mercurial-1.0.2, graphical tools like Qt designer and KDevelop, and much more.

- Updated versions of the Slackware package management tools make it easy to add, remove, upgrade, and make your own Slackware packages. Package tracking makes it easy to upgrade from Slackware 12.1 to Slackware 12.2 (see CHANGES_AND_HINTS.TXT). The slackpkg tool can also help update from an older version of Slackware to a newer one, and keep your Slackware system up to date. In addition, the slacktrack utility (in extra/) will help you build and maintain your own packages.

- Web browsers galore! Includes KDE's Konqueror 3.5.10, SeaMonkey 1.1.13 (this is the replacement for the Mozilla Suite), and the immensely popular Firefox 3.0.4, as well as the Thunderbird 2.0.0.18 email and news client with advanced junk mail filtering.

- The complete K Desktop Environment (KDE) version 3.5.10, including the KOffice productivity suite, networking tools, GUI development with KDevelop, multimedia tools (including the amazing Amarok music player and K3B disc burning software), the Konqueror web browser and file manager, dozens of games and utilities, international language support, and more.

- using xfce 4.4.3 for a fast and lightweight but visually appealing and easy to use desktop environment. upgrade from 4.4.2 release.

- A collection of GTK+ based applications including pidgin-2.5.2, gimp-2.4.7, gkrellm-2.3.2, gxine-0.5.903, xchat-2.8.6, xsane-0.996, and pan-0.133.

- Using Java(TM) 2 Software Development Kit Standard Edition release 6 update 11 on extra directory. Upgrade from jdk-6u6.

for people who try to upgrade from previous release, don't forget to read CHANGES_AND_HINTS.TXT file before. There are some notable changes and hints that you must apply to get your slackware working properly.

And also based from CHANGES_AND_HINTS.TXT file, here are package additions since release 12.1:
a/kernel-firmware: Added. This is architecture-independent firmware for devices (mostly sound cards), which was previously embedded into the kernel image.
ap/gphoto2: Added.
ap/libx86: Added.
ap/pm-utils: Added.
ap/radeontool: Added.
ap/slackpkg: Added (moved from /extra).
ap/sqlite: Added.
ap/vbetool: Added.
d/dev86: Added. Replaces d/bin86.
l/beecrypt: Added.
l/enchant: Added (moved from /testing/packages/kde4/deps/).
l/gtkspell: Added.
l/gstreamer: Added.
l/gst-plugins-base: Added.
l/intltool: Added.
l/libcap: Added.
l/libgphoto2: Added.
l/liboil: Added.
l/libraw1394: Added (moved from /testing/packages/kde4/deps/).
l/libvisual-plugins: Added.
l/parted. Moved from /extra.
n/alpine: Added. Replaces n/pine.
n/iwlwifi-5000-ucode: Added.
x/dri2proto: Added.
x/xdg-utils: Added.
x/xf86-input-acecad: Added.
x/xf86-input-dmc: Added.
x/xf86-input-synaptics: Added. See note below.
x/xf86-input-void: Added.
x/xf86-video-mach64: Added.
x/xf86-video-openchrome: Added.
x/xf86-video-r128: Added.
xap/xmms: Added (again) :-)
/extra/wicd: Added.

and package removals since release 12.1:
d/bin86: Removed. Replaced by d/dev86.
n/pine: Removed. Replaced by n/alpine.
extra/parted: Moved to l/ series.
extra/slackpkg: Moved to ap/ series.

and many others upgraded packages. For more info just upgrade or install it! ;-)

Slackware 12.1 with KDE 4.1 and Amarok 2 alpha

Based from latest news on slackware official site, developer team has announced that slackware package for kde 4.1 already ported in /testing directory which part of slackware current. Not only developer was happily use it, this euphoria wouldn't complete if I'm not trying it too. Now, here is my slackware desktop's screenshot using kde 4.1 and also with amarok 2 (alpha release) inside.

desktop spesification:
- Cover switch mode ( an alternative alt+tab window switcher ) for desktop effect
- using elegance theme for desktop with field of peace's wallpaper
- amarok 2 alpha release with video applet
- firefox 3.0.1 using KDE 4 theme

What I get that this version is still slower than KDE 3 which is an official version for slackware 12.1 by default. Beside that, there are several problems still appear. some icons on menu applet doesn't show up. Dolphin file manager doesn't do well when handling movie filetype if thumbnail applet enabled. It will break up when I put mouse over that filetype and dolphin will close by itself.

Maybe this major version isn't a stable phase yet and still buggy. The problems also come with amarok 2. Video applet that come with this alpha release sometime can cause amarok hang and not responsible. I think this is not the right time to use it now.

fun with gnu make utility

This idea is inspired from gnu's humor collections. there is a quote looks like this on that site:
%make love
Make: Don't no how to make `love'. Stop.

It's only a joke and doesn't implemented on every linux distro as far as I now. You wouldn't get a message like that when you type a command 'make love' on a console. But in forum, my friend post a message which almost as same as that joke when he type the command 'make love' in freebsd version 7.0. A message looks like this:

$ make love
Not war.

Because I don't have freebsd 7.0 installed on my lovely pc to see the fact, I start a challenge which mean It should be adopted too in slackware 12.1 that already installed. I check into source file of GNU Make utility on slackware installation dvd, which version is 3.81 as same as the last sources package in its official site. And also, it's the same version that included in freebsd 7.0 when I check on freebsd site repositories.

I'm curious which part of this utility has been modified by freebsd developer. Instead of trying to find out in freebsd version of gnu make, I try to find it from scratch which means from its original source. After consume so much time, I found it in 'remake.c' file. Exactly in complain function from that file. Here's a full modified source from that function:

/* Show a message stating the target failed to build. */
static void complain (const struct file *file)
{
const char *msg_noparent
= _("%sNo rule to make target `%s'%s");
const char *msg_parent
= _("%sNo rule to make target `%s', needed by `%s'%s");

if (!keep_going_flag)
{
if (file->parent == 0)
{
if (strcmp(file->name,"love")==0)
{
fprintf (stdout,"Have fun! :^)\n");
exit(1);
}
else
fatal (NILF, msg_noparent, "", file->name, "");
}
fatal (NILF, msg_parent, "", file->name, file->parent->name, "");
}

if (file->parent == 0)
error (NILF, msg_noparent, "*** ", file->name, ".");
else
error (NILF, msg_parent, "*** ", file->name, file->parent->name, ".");
}

What I modify is just to generate an output like this:
mine@unique:~$ make love
Have fun! :^)

I think this is not the only one trick to generate a message like that, but it work as I want. Now, FreeBSD 7.0 not the only one which can do it. Slackware 12.1 too! ;-)

-Simplicity is yours-

Slackware 12.1 Released

Long live for Slackware!
another new version has released this year. It's time to upgrade my system. As usual, more packages has been upgraded by developer team. But it still looks like an old-fashioned style, because I have see no new appearance inside instead a lot of upgraded packages.

Quoted from release announcement file:

This first Slackware edition of the year combines Slackware's legendary simplicity (and close tracking of original sources), stability, and security with some of the latest advances in Linux technology. Expect no less than the best Slackware yet.

Want to know more, read the official announcement's page.