Software update: Slackware 15.0

Version 15.0 of the Linux distribution Slackware has been released, some six years after 14.2, the previous stable release. Slackware dates back to 1993, when Patrick Volkerding wanted to merge his many tweaks to a standard SLS Linux installation into a ready-to-use Linux distribution. Version 15 includes Linux kernel 5.15.19, Xfce 4.12.1, KDE Plasma 5.23.5, SeaMonkey 2.53 and Firefox ESR 91.5.1. New in this issue include PAM† elogind and PipeWire. Also notable is that it still supports a 32bit architecture. The announcement on Slackware’s website looks like this:

Slackware 15.0 has been released!

Hey folks! It’s been a long time, but as usual we had to get everything just exactly perfect, and you just can’t rush that. We are very happy to announce the availability of the new Slackware 15.0 stable release. There have been way too many changes to even begin to cover them here, but for our dedicated user base suffice to say that you’ll find things modern but also familiar. We’ve gone with the 5.15.19 Linux kernel (part of the 5.15.x kernel series that will be getting long-term support from the kernel developers). You’ll also enjoy a refreshed desktop experience including the KDE Plasma 25th Anniversary Edition with support for Wayland sessions.

For additional information, see the official announcement and the release notes† For a complete list of included packages, see the package list† Build scripts for all kinds of additional software for Slackware 15.0 can be found on the slackbuilds.org website.

Want to give Slackware 15.0 a test drive without modifying your disk drive? Then check out Slackware Live Edition! This is a complete Slackware installation that can run from a DVD or USB stick. Thanks to Eric Hameleers for the great work on this! Here’s where to find it: https://download.liveslak.org/† Need help? Check out our documentation site, docs.slackware.com† Stop by and share your knowledge!

Thanks to the Slackware team for all the hard work on getting Slackware 15.0 ready. And of course, thanks to all the open source developers upstream, and to the Slackware community on linuxquestions.org for all the help with bug reports, suggestions, and patches. We couldn’t have done it without you.

Enjoy the new stable release!

Pat and the Slackware crew