Slackermedia is a distro from text. There is not now, nor will there ever be, an .iso to download for Slackermedia.
Linux distros are a dime a dozen, which in part was the motivation for Slackermedia. While pre-packaged Linux distributions are good for some things, some times what you really need is a customized environment suited exactly to your needs. Slackermedia can be this for you!
The Slackermedia philosophy is simple: Start with a stable and powerful distribution like Slackware, install it the way you want it, configure it to your liking, add stable builds of proven applications with the config options you need, and you end up with an unbeatable multimedia studio.
To get started building your own Slackermedia distro, read the slackermedia tutorials, and optionally download the source code and Slackbuilds for the applications you want to feature in your studio. We also encourage you to create your own Slackbuilds if there are applications you frequently use but are missing from Slackbuilds.org, and then (after much bug testing) submit them to Slackbuilds.org for other people to use.
Have fun and be creative!
Yes.
Well, no, but familiarity with Linux is necessary; otherwise, the culture-shock and mind-shift will just be too much for you. That said, if you're serious about independent art, independence from companies dictating what will work and won't work on your own computer system, and you want to experience true computing efficiency and comprehension, it's worth trying. So spend some time with Slackware, get to know it, and then delve into Slackermedia.
Slackermedia has been known to do consultancy work in the past, but currently the people involved are mostly busy with other projects and jobs. However, if you wish to contact us to see if something can be arranged, please do, and we'll do our best.
Slackermedia is not officially sanctioned, sponsored, or supported by Slackware Linux, Slackbuilds.org, or Slackbook.org, although we do shamelessly build upon their fantastic work, and rip off their look and feel for our website. Don't let us fool you.
Studioware and Slackermedia are not related. Both projects share the same goal: multimedia production on Slackware Linux; they each have a different way of achieving it. Since Studioware maintains their own custom slackbuilds, you can use Studioware packages in conjunction with Slackermedia, or you're welcome to read Slackermedia while building your Studioware system. We don't mind :^)
Because I paid $10 for this domain name and I'm going to get my money's worth out of it.
Also, there is no reason for them to merge. They don't actually overlap as much as it seems; Slackermedia is, at the end of the day, a book that explains how to make multimedia on Linux work. Studioware is a set of downloadable build scripts and packages built by some very talented Linux users and artists that will make those apps shine. Whenever you read in Slackermedia to download foo.tar.gz, you may want to check Studioware.org to see if they have it.
Open Source Musicians Podcast is an audio show about making music with free or open source software. They have no affiliation with Slackermedia and don't use it (although some are no stranger to Slackware and have helped beta-test Slackermedia), but the information that they provide is priceless, and they deal directly with programmers of many of the audio applications you will want to use if you're a musician or sound mixer or producer. In other words, it's just a really good show to know about.
GNU is a movement in software to create free applications that everyone can use, regardless of social status, wealth, gender, religion, and all that stuff. They protect their software with a license that prevents corporations or really greedy people from taking other people's code, building upon it, and then capitalizing on it without giving anything back. They also promote free culture, progressive technology, and will probably end up saving the world in some epic robot battle.
If that sounds appealing to you, consider visiting the Free Software Foundation and joining up. You level up on computer skills and get a secret decoder ring.