
          ##################################################
          #------  Slackware ARM on a Raspberry Pi 4 ------#
          ##################################################

SARPi Project: https://sarpi.penthux.net

SARPi4.README - 17 March 2026

Build Ref: S64P426076152200


#################################################
#---------------- SARPi4.README ----------------#
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The SARPi Project
-----------------

The SARPi Project is a community project by individuals supporting Slackware 
Linux on the Raspberry Pi devices and has been active since October 2012. The 
SARPi Project is not officially supported or endorsed by Slackware Linux, Inc. 
or Raspberry Pi Ltd. or any of their respective members, trustees, partners, 
or associates.

  SARPi Project Homepage: https://sarpi.penthux.net


SARPi4 installer image:
-----------------------------------

This is the Slackware ARM installer on the Raspberry Pi 4, by the SARPi 
Project. This image allows users to install the Slackware ARM operating 
system from a local network, FTP/HTTP server, or USB storage device plugged 
into your Raspberry Pi 4.

This SARPi4 installer image, and its contents, was created specifically
for installing Slackware ARM on a Raspberry Pi 4. The installer and 
packages were built on a Raspberry Pi 4 Model B running Slackware ARM, 
using a modified Slackware installer build script and the latest official 
Raspberry Pi GitHub repository sources. The initramfs has been modified to 
include kernel_sarpi4, kernel-headers-sarpi4, kernel-modules-sarpi4, 
sarpi4-boot-firmware, and sarpi4-hacks-4.0 packages. The running 
kernel modules, and this README file are also included in the initramfs.

Slackware ARM installer images and packages for the Raspberry Pi 4
are available from:

  https://sarpi.penthux.net/index.php?p=downloads

The SARPi Project downloads repository is kindly hosted by Slackware.UK:

  https://slackware.uk/sarpi


Storage device considerations:
------------------------------

You're able to use microSD cards with an adapter (i.e. like a standard full 
size SD card) to write the SARPi4 installer to it. You can then use the 
microSD card to install and run Slackware ARM on it. You may find that 
some SD cards are problematic while others work flawlessly, because SD cards 
will vary in design, quality, and performance. Testing with a few different 
cards may be prudent to see which ones offer the most favourable results. Be
aware that SD cards have a much shorter life expectancy than a lot of other 
digital media alternatives, such as HHDs and SSDs.

NB: A 16Gb SD card is recommended for a minimal installation. A 32Gb SD card
is recommended for a full installation of Slackware ARM.

Installing onto a USB storage device, such as a HDD/SSD or USB memory stick, 
instead of a SD card, is relatively straightforward on a Raspberry Pi 4. On
other models it might be easier, if not required, to use a SD card as the 
/boot device and a USB storage device for /swap and / root partitions. It's 
entirely up to you how the system is configured, for the most part. Slackware 
ARM is very versatile and configurable. 


######

Slackware ARM installation:
-------------------------------

Please follow these steps to perform a Slackware ARM installation. For
more detailed instructions see the SARPi end-to-end 'How To' tutorial on:

    https://sarpi.penthux.net/?p=installer


1.  On a host Linux system, copy the installer image to a microSD card:

    xzcat sarpi4-installer_slack15.0_17Mar26_sp1.img.xz | dd of=/dev/sdX

    * where /dev/sdX is the storage device ID. Example: /dev/sda

    If you are installing manually then you should create a /boot partition
    of at least 250MB and format it as a W95 FAT32 file system. 
    Using 'fdisk' this would be type: 0b     W95 FAT32 (LBA)
    Using 'gdisk' this would be type: 0700   Microsoft basic data

    You can then mount the partition and extract the .ZIP installer image 
    files onto it. For example, if '/dev/sda1' is the device name of your 
    boot partition:

      mount /dev/sda1 /path/to/mountpoint
      unzip sarpi4-installer-boot_slack15.0_17Mar26_sp1.zip \
      -d /path/to/mountpoint


1a. On a Windows system, extract the installer image from the .xz archive 
    with '7zip' and then write it to a microSD card using 'balenaEtcher',
    or whichever software you prefer to use for these tasks.

    Download 7zip: https://www.7-zip.org/
    Download balenaEtcher: https://www.balena.io/etcher/

    * balenaEtcher can also handle compressed disk images, sometimes.


1b. On a macOS system, in the terminal type 'diskutil list' to find the
    diskX (value) identifier associated with the storage device you're 
    writing the installer image to. Then type the following command to 
    extract the contents of the compressed .xz file:	

      tar xJvf sarpi4-installer_slack15.0_17Mar26_sp1.img.xz

    Then you can write the installer image to your storage device using 
    the following command:

      dd if=sarpi4-installer_slack15.0_17Mar26_sp1.img of=/dev/diskX

    * where diskX is the disk identifier value. Example: /dev/disk4


2.  Download the latest Slackware ARM source and copy it to the root of 
    a USB stick. This can de done via FTP, etc. For example:

      http://slackware.uk/slackwarearm/slackwarearm-15.0/

    You can also achieve this in Linux via the command prompt with 'rsync':

      rsync -Pavz slackware.uk::slackwarearm/slackwarearm-15.0 \
      /PATH/TO/LOCAL/SOURCE/DIR


3.  Put the microSD card in your Raspberry Pi 4 and power it on. Log in 
    as 'root' and just hit enter when asked for a password. 

    !!! IMPORTANT !!! : _BEFORE_ you run 'setup', do this:

    * Set the date and time, using the command 'date MMDDHHmmYYYY' (with 
    leading zeros where applicable and always in 24hr clock format). 
    MM = month | DD = date | HH = hour | mm = minute | YYYY = year
    Example: 9:05pm on the 7th of January 2017 would be set like this:

      date 010721052017

    ** NB: If you do not set the correct time and date your Slackware system 
    will use the default of 00:00 on 01 January 1970, the date of the UNIX 
    epoch. If the time is not set relatively accurately it will undoubtably 
    cause many problems as you try to use the system.

    Next you should create swap and rootfs partitions on your SD card 
    with 'fdisk' or 'gdisk'. Example: 

      cfdisk /dev/mmcblk0

    Note that a SD card in the Raspberry Pi microSD slot is identified as 
    /dev/mmcblk0 (not /dev/sda or /dev/sdb) and the partitions are set as 
    /dev/mmcblk0p1, /dev/mmcblk0p2, etc. The SD card will already have a 
    /boot (/dev/mmcblk0p1) partition. You need to create a swap partition
    (/dev/mmcblk0p2) and a root partition (/dev/mmcblk0p3). There's no 
    need to prepare the swap partition or make a filesystem on the root 
    partition as the Slackware installer will offer to do it for you. 
    Make sure your swap partition is type: '82 Linux swap' with
    'fdisk' or type: '8300 Linux swap' when using 'gdisk'.

    Example partition layout from 'fdisk -l' (on a 16GB SD card):

      Device         Boot  Start      End  Sectors   Size Id Type
      /dev/mmcblk0p1 *        32   205055   205024 100.1M  c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
      /dev/mmcblk0p2      205056   729087   524032 255.9M 82 Linux swap
      /dev/mmcblk0p3      729088 30703615 29974528  14.3G 83 Linux

    * A USB storage device will be identified as /dev/sda or /dev/sdb, etc.

    Plug in your USB stick/storage device containing the Slackware ARM
    source files - if you are not planning to install from the network, or 
    use a FTP/HTTP server as your source.

    * It's now possible to 'auto-mount' a USB storage device containing 
    the Slackware source. (i.e. 'Install from USB stick' is an option.)

    * You're able to install over a network or from a FTP/HTTP server if 
      you don't have a suitable USB storage device available. For example,
      a typical FTP server address/path would be something like this:

      http://slackware.uk/ \
      slackwarearm/slackwarearm-15.0/slackware


4.  Run 'setup' as usual and go through the install procedure. System
    parameters and package selection is entirely up to you and your
    requirements. If required, follow the SARPi setup tutorial:  

      https://sarpi.penthux.net/index.php?p=slacksetup


5.  During the install process you may already be familiar with the 
    Slackware installer. You are able to do a minimal customised or 
    full install of Slackware ARM 15.0 on the Raspberry Pi 4 and 
    tailor it to suit your own needs and requirements. More details 
    on the Slackware installer and setup process, if required:
    http://www.slackware.com/install/setup.php


6.  !!! IMPORTANT !!! When you have finished setup, choose 'No' to EXIT 
    setup (DO NOT REBOOT!!!) and drop to the command prompt. 

    [ DO _NOT_ REBOOT!!! ]


7.  If you've installed kernel packages (i.e. in a 'full' install) you  
    should remove them by using the following commands:

      ROOT=/mnt removepkg kernel_armv7* kernel-modules-armv7*


8.  Mount the boot partition, remove the initramfs file, and install new  
    SARPi4 kernel and firmware packages for the Raspberry Pi 4.
    For example, if the /boot device is '/dev/mmcblk0p1' then:
 
      mount -t vfat /dev/mmcblk0p1 /mnt/boot
      rm /boot/initramfs.xz
      ROOT=/mnt installpkg /rpi-extra/kernel* /rpi-extra/sarpi*


9.  Now you can type 'reboot [-f]' to start your new system! :-)

      reboot -f

    * if 'reboot' doesn't work then 'reboot -f' forces a reboot.


9a. When logging in for the first time, and even at other times, it's good
    policy to:

    * Check the date/time on your system to ensure it's relatively accurate.

      date

    * Set the date/time, using the 'date MMDDHHmmYYYY' command, especially
      after re-booting from installation. For example, if the date/time was
      25 January 2024 09:44pm then it would be set like this:

      date 012521442024


9b. If you have an Internet connection you can use the 'ntpdate' command to 
    set the time accurately by a NTP server. You can also add a line into 
    rc.local to set the correct time on every system (re)boot:

      echo "/usr/sbin/ntpdate pool.ntp.org &> /dev/null" >> /etc/rc.d/rc.local


9c. Alternatively, you could achieve this easily and automatically with a real
    time clock [RTC]. See this SARPi mini-project guide if your Raspberry Pi 
    doesn't already have a RTC installed:

      https://sarpi.penthux.net/index.php?p=chronodot-rtc


10. Before doing anything else, you should create a normal user account so 
    you are not using 'root' all the time. You add a user to your Slackware 
    system like this:

      adduser <name>

    * where '<name>' is the username of your choice ( e.g. dave, user1337 )

    Go through the process and set a password. Whenever you log-in use this 
    account and not 'root'. Only use 'root' when you specifically need it!


######

Once you've installed and setup a fully operational Slackware ARM system 
it may be a good time to investigate some highly recommended Slackware Linux 
resources:

    # The Revised Slackware Book Project:
    https://www.slackbook.org/

    # Slackware Documentation Project:
    http://docs.slackware.com/howtos:hardware:arm:start

    # Slackware ARM [linuxquestions.org] forum:
    http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/slackware-arm-108/

    # Slackware ARM YouTube channel:
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCabC1NZDGA3FZXf2hQ-6uyA

For official information about Slackware ARM please visit:

    http://arm.slackware.com/	


######

SARPi4 README

    This README file is included in the SARPi4 installer disk image
    software and created for use with the Raspberry Pi 4.

SARPi Project Software Acceptable Use Policy:

    https://sarpi.penthux.net/index.php?p=sarpi#aup

SARPi Project Software Redistribution Policy:

    https://sarpi.penthux.net/index.php?p=sarpi#redist


######

Copyright and licensing information:

    The SARPi Project uses software and trademarks that are owned by third 
    parties. All ownership and intellectual property rights of any material
    is acknowledged, along with any terms and conditions accompanying their 
    respective software license(s) and agreements.

    Read the COPYRIGHT.TXT file included within the SARPi installer 
    software. Or view it on the SARPi website: 

    https://sarpi.penthux.net/files/extra/COPYRIGHT.TXT


######

DISCLAIMER NOTICE:

    THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE AUTHOR AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND 
    ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE 
    IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR 
    PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR OR CONTRIBUTORS BE 
    LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR 
    CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF 
    SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS 
    INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN 
    CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) 
    ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF 
    THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.


######

Every effort has been made by the SARPi project to provide complete software
and information. However, mistakes do happen and it's possible that something 
may have been overlooked and is incomplete, and/or incorrect, and/or causing 
errors. If you find something is missing, or is inaccurate, or not working as 
expected (e.g. in the software or on the website), please contact the SARPi 
Project with any relevant details.

  https://sarpi.penthux.net/index.php?p=contact

SARPi Project - Slacking on a Raspberry Pi 

Copyright (c) 2012-2026 SARPi Project 


######

SARPi4 Build Synergy
-----------------------
SARPi4 Project eng....: v5.6.01

Slackware ARM initial RAM disk image [initrd-armv7.img]
For Slackware version : 15.0
Build date............: Tue Mar 17 15:32:39 UTC 2026

Build details:
--------------
Installer arch target : armv7l
Build host............: Linux endo.penthux.net 6.18.18-v7l-sarpi4 #1 SMP Tue Mar 17 06:27:42 GMT 2026 armv7l BCM2711 GNU/Linux


SARPi4 installer image and packages
Version details:
----------------

SARPi4 kernel........: 6.18.18-v7l-sarpi4
SARPi4 release.......: 17Mar26 
SARPi4 BuildLog......: S64P426076152200 
Taget hardware.......: Raspberry Pi 4
Target ARM ARCH......: armv7l
Slackware repository.: https://slackware.uk/slackwarearm/slackwarearm-15.0
RPi repository.......: https://github.com/raspberrypi
Linux kernel git rev.: f02621a96
RPi boot-fw git rev..: 2403740

Host details:
-------------
SARPi4 Build host.: Linux endo 6.18.18-v7l-sarpi4 #1 SMP Tue Mar 17 06:27:42 GMT 2026 armv7l BCM2711 GNU/Linux
Host OS..............: Slackware 15.0 arm
Hardware.............: Raspberry Pi 4 Model B Rev 1.4
Hardware rev.........: b03114
CPU serial...........: 1000000095b0df70
README Timestamp.....: Tue 17 Mar 2026 15:37:20


SARPi Project - Slacking on a Raspberry Pi
https://sarpi.penthux.net

#EOF<*>

