The modular approach provides the ability to include any other software application in Slax simply. If you miss a certain text editor, networking tool, or game, simply download a module with the software program and copy it to Slax, you d not have to install or configure it.
Slax is a Live operating system based on Debian, which provides you with the ability to profit from its entire ecosystem. Live means it runs from an external media without any need for permanent installation. Tens of 1000’s prebuilt packages with programs, all inside reach due to apt command.
Slax boots from USB mass storage devices similar to Flash Drive keys in addition to from regular hard drives and CD/DVDs. Simply plug your device in and boot from it. The entire Slax operating system resides in a single directory /Slax/ in your device, making it simpler to organize together with your other data.
Slax provides FluxBox window manager already preconfigured for the commonest tasks. Included is a Web browser chromium, Terminal emulator xterm, and easy text editor leafpad and calculator calculate. You can put Slax on a wide range of different filesystems, together with EXT (ext2, ext3, ext4), btrfs, and even FAT and NTFS.
When Slax begins from a read-only media similar to CD/DVD, it keeps all system modifications in memory only, and all of the modifications are misplaced whenever you reboot. On the other hand, when you run Slax from a writable device similar to USB Flash Drive, it could store all modifications there. So all of your configurations and modifications are restored the next time you boot, even if it is on a different computer. This feature is named Persistent Changes and you may read more about it in a separate chapter.
- Archival utilities: comparable to gzip, bz2, cpio, tar, ARJ, ZIP, LHA, LZO, XZ
- Disk utilities: as fdisk, gptdisk, parted, hdparm, param, lvm2, mdadm
- Hardware monitoring tools: like dmidecode, lm_sensors, smartctl, powertop
- File system utilities: for ext2/3/4, btrfs, fats, ntfs, reiserfs, xfs, jfs
- CD ripping/ burning software: comparable to paranoia, cdrdao, mkisofs
- Utilities for CPU overclocking: like cpufreq-info and cpufreq-set
- Data restoration tools: comparable to rescue, xfsdump, sync, bpe
- Networking tools: comparable to tcpdump, iptraf, iftop, mt, NC, FTP, netwatch
- Support Windows shares: by mounting with mount -t CIFS
- Wireless tools: comparable to iw, rfkill, wpa_supplicant
- Other tools: like OpenSSH ssh server and client, screen, Midnight commander, and more…
You most likely noticed that Slax is available for 32-bit and 64-bit processor architectures. The 32-bit version can run on very outdated computer systems (as outdated as Intel 686; which dates back to 1995). It will run correctly on brand new computer systems too, however, it’s someway a much bigger download. Furthermore, it has a limitation that single application software can address only 4GB of RAM.
On the other hand, the 64-bit version is smaller, doesn’t have such limitations, and it will run on most computer systems available these days. So typically, when you plan to use Slax on very outdated archaic computer systems, then select 32-bit. If you plan to use Slax on machines made in this century, you better go for 64bit. And when you don’t know what your goal hardware is, go for 64bit too, as a result of the chance you’ll ever see a 32-bit computer these days is almost zero.
- Updated to Debian 11.3.0 base
- Updated application launcher to read config from a temporary configuration file rather than stdin
32bit version
- Processor: i686 or newer CPU, all Intel processors and AMD processors will work
- Memory: 128 MB of RAM for desktop, 512 MB of RAM to run a Web browser
- Peripherals: CD or USB drive to boot from
- Optionally: network card, sound card
64bit version
- Processor: An x86_64 CPU, like AMD Athlon 64, Opteron, Sempron, Intel Core 2/i3/i5/i7, and others
- Memory: 128 MB of RAM for desktop, 512 MB of RAM to run a Web browser
- Peripherals: CD or USB drive to boot from
- Optionally: network card, sound card