Repo Usage/Installation

To use these packages, it’s recommended you install slackpkg+ to manage 3rd party Slackware repositories on your systems. slackpkg+ has no arch requirements, as it’s all script based, so all systems can install and use it. My packages are all signed with my GPG Key and slackpkg+ will check and verify that for you during installs/updates.

I have included a generic slackpkgplus.conf file set to update from my GNOME repositories.
Here is the slackpkgplus.conf if you choose this to manage your GNOME DE. This file gets downloaded to /etc/slackpkg as the root user.

If you plan on using slackpkg+ you will need to set the PKGS_PRIORITY=( gnome ) to gnome so that any packages in this repository do not get overwritten by Slackware's packages. Granted there is only 1 to 3 packages that would get overwritten. Those packages would be: gjs, gtk4,and pango or libsoup3 ( if it is included within the repositories .)

# use this to keep the GNOME packages updated to the latest stable release for 42.x
#MIRRORPLUS['gnome']=https://reddoglinux.ddns.net/linux/gnome/42.x/x86_64

# use this to keep the GNOME packages updated to the latest stable release for 43.x
#MIRRORPLUS['gnome']=https://reddoglinux.ddns.net/linux/gnome/43.x/x86_64
You will need to edit this file and uncomment out which version of GNOME you would like on your system.
After uncommenting out which version you would like please follow these commands.

If you choose to install packages manually, without slackpkg+, that’s always an option, but keep in mind many of these packages are included in Slackware already, but we are going to be updating them. To that end you’ll need to ensure when installing them, you use “upgradepkg –install-new *.txz” or “upgradepkg –reinstall –install-new *.txz” on your package directory.

After choosing to either use slackpkg+ or to download all packages and use “upgradepkg –reinstall –install-new *.txz” there will be a need to edit the rc scripts. The avahi package needs it’s rc scripts started locally upon boot, but you’ll need to add them to your /etc/rc.d/rc.local:
if [ -x /etc/rc.d/rc.avahidaemon ]; then
/etc/rc.d/rc.avahidaemon start
fi

if [ -x /etc/rc.d/rc.avahidnsconfd ]; then
/etc/rc.d/rc.avahidnsconfd start
fi
and also in /etc/rc.d/rc.local.shutdown: (if one doesn’t exist, you will need to create it)
if [ -x /etc/rc.d/rc.avahidaemon ]; then
/etc/rc.d/rc.avahidaemon stop
fi

if [ -x /etc/rc.d/rc.avahidnsconfd ]; then
/etc/rc.d/rc.avahidnsconfd stop
fi
Ensure all four of those files are chmod +x as well so the daemon starts upon boot.

In order for GNOME to run using X11 or Wayland, it must be loaded through gdm. You can boot to a console and run “telinit 4” as root to start gdm after booting or edit /etc/inittab and change the run level from 3 to 4, and upon your next boot, gdm will load automatically.

The only other bit of work required is adding a status bar to GNOME. After your first login to the session, open the Extensions application and enable the appIndicator status bar. If you do this fast enough the first login, the HP Printer Agent should load and be visible in your title bar. If you manage to do it after you get an error message and close it, have no fear, it will start on your next session.

That should be enough to get you going with GNOME on Slackware.