Title: How to use Slackware community slackbuilds Author: Solène Date: 13 November 2020 Tags: slackware Description: In today article I will explain how to use [Slackbuilds](https://slackbuilds.org/) repository on a [Slackware](https://www.slackware.com) current system. You can read the [Documentation](https://slackbuilds.org/howto/) of slackbuilds for more information. We will first install **sbotools** package which make the use of slackbuilds a lot easier: like a proper ports tree. As it's preferable to let the tools create the repository, we will install them without downloading the whole slackbuild repository. Download the slackbuild [from this page](https://slackbuilds.org/repository/14.2/system/sbotools/), extract it and cd into the new directory. $ tar xzvf sbotools.tar.gz $ cd sbotools $ . ./sbotools.info $ wget $DOWNLOAD $ md5sum $(basename $DOWNLOAD) $ echo $MD5SUM The two md5 string should match. Now, run the build as root $ sudo sh sbotools.SlackBuild [lot of text] Slackware package /tmp/sbotools-2.7-noarch-1_SBo.tgz created. Now you can install the created package using $ sudo /sbin/installpkg /tmp/sbotools-2.7-noarch-1_SBo.tgz We now have a few programs to use the slackbuilds repository, they all have their own man page: + sbocheck + sboclean + sboconfig + sbofind + sboinstall + sboremove + sbosnap + sboupgrade # Creating the repository As root, run the following command: # sbosnap fetch Pulling SlackBuilds tree... Cloning into '/usr/sbo/repo'... remote: Enumerating objects: 59, done. remote: Counting objects: 100% (59/59), done. remote: Compressing objects: 100% (59/59), done. remote: Total 485454 (delta 31), reused 14 (delta 0), pack-reused 485395 Receiving objects: 100% (485454/485454), 134.37 MiB | 1.20 MiB/s, done. Resolving deltas: 100% (337079/337079), done. Updating files: 100% (39863/39863), done. The slackbuilds tree is now installed under `/usr/sbo/repo`. This could be configured before using `sboconfig -s /home/solene` which would create a `/home/solene/repo`. # Searching a port One can use the command `sbofind` to look for a port: # sbofind nethack SBo: nethack 3.6.6 Path: /usr/sbo/repo/games/nethack Path: /usr/sbo/repo/games/unnethack # Install a port We will install the previously searched port: *nethack* # sboinstall nethack Nethack is a single-player dungeon exploration game. The emphasis is on discovering the detail of the dungeon. Each game presents a different landscape - the random number generator provides an essentially unlimited number of variations of the dungeon and its denizens to be discovered by the player in one of a number of characters: you can pick your race, your role, and your gender. group. nethack added to install queue. Install queue: nethack Are you sure you wish to continue? [y] y [... compilation ... ] +====================================================================== ======== | Installing new package /tmp/nethack-3.6.6-x86_64-1_SBo.tgz +====================================================================== ======== Installing package nethack-3.6.6-x86_64-1_SBo.tgz: PACKAGE DESCRIPTION: # nethack (roguelike game) # # Nethack is a single-player dungeon exploration game. The emphasis is # on discovering the detail of the dungeon. Each game presents a # different landscape - the random number generator provides an # essentially unlimited number of variations of the dungeon and its # denizens to be discovered by the player in one of a number of # characters: you can pick your race, your role, and your gender. # # http://nethack.org # Package nethack-3.6.6-x86_64-1_SBo.tgz installed. Cleaning for nethack-3.6.6... Done, nethack is installed! *sboinstall* manages dependencies and if required will ask you for every required other slackbuilds to install to add to the queue before starting compiling. # Example: getting flatpak [Flatpak](https://www.flatpak.org) is a software distribution system for linux distributions, mainly to provide desktop software that could be complicated to package like Libreoffice, GIMP, Microsoft Teams etc... Using Slackware, this can be a good source of software. To use flatpak and the official *flathub* repository, we need to install flatpak first. It's now as easy as: # sboinstall flatpak And answer yes to questions (you will be asked to agree for every dependency required, there are a few of them), if you don't want to answer, you can use `-r` flag to automatically accept. We need to add the official repository **flathub** using the following command: # flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo And now you can browse flatpak programs on [flathub](https://flathub.org/home) For example, if you want to install [VLC](https://flathub.org/apps/details/org.videolan.VLC) # flatpak install flathub org.videolan.VLC You will be prompted about all the dependencies required in order to get VLC installed, those dependencies are some system parts that will be shared across all the flatpak software in order to efficiently use disk space. For VLC, some kde components will be required and also Xorg GL/VAAPI/openh264 environments, flatpak manage all this and you don't have to worry about this. **The file `/usr/sbo/repo/desktop/flatpak/README` explains quirks of flatpak on Slackware, like pulseaudio instructions or the polkit policy on slackware not allowing your user to use the global flatpak install command.** I found the following `~/.xinitrc` to enable dbus and pulseaudio for me, so flatpak programs work. start-pulseaudio-x11 eval $(pax11publish -i) dbus-run-session fvwm2 |