Slackware 12.1 Released, New Stable Version Available

Patrick J. Volkerding announced the new stable version of Slackware 12.1. It comes with kernel 2.6.24.5 and the general feeling is of a more solid system, the way Slackware users usually expect.

On desktop the choice remains simple. You can install Xfce 4.4.2 when the idea is lightness and speed or stick with KDE 3.5.9 to have a complete interface full of features. Both options are well maintained and work well on older and newer machines.

There are improvements that show up in daily use. USB devices are now automatically recognized and ready for use, without needing to mount manually. In the package set, X11 is updated to the 7.3 series, and well-known tools arrive in recent versions like PHP 5.2.5, Apache 2.2.8 and GCC 4.2.3.

The testing work paid off. This edition passes security in system stability, compatibility with current hardware and performance. No revolution, just that polishing that makes everything predictable and reliable.

The philosophy follows the same that brought Slackware this far. Design simplicity, minimal dependencies, control in the user’s hands and a clean system, easy to understand and maintain. For those who like to know exactly what’s running, it continues to be a direct choice.

The complete package list is here: ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-12.1/PACKAGES.TXT Distribution download is at this address: ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-12.1/