Editing Slackware (section)

==Development model==
There is no formal [[issue tracking system]] and no official procedure to become a code contributor or developer. The project does not maintain a public code repository. Bug reports and contributions, while being essential to the project, are managed in an informal way. All the final decisions about what is going to be included in a Slackware release strictly remain with Slackware's [[benevolent dictator for life]], Patrick Volkerding.<ref name="tdose2009" /><ref name=Alum>{{cite web|title=Slackware Alumni|url=http://www.slackware.com/about/|website=Slackware.com|access-date=September 20, 2014|archive-date=May 30, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180530063845/http://www.slackware.com/about/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=linux.com>{{cite web|title=Stories of Linux: A Look at Slackware Linux|url=http://www.linux.com/component/content/article/197-stories-of-linux/441699-the-story-of-linux-a-look-at-slackware-linux|website=[[Linux.com]]|access-date=September 20, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141030093841/http://www.linux.com/component/content/article/197-stories-of-linux/441699-the-story-of-linux-a-look-at-slackware-linux|archive-date=October 30, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The first versions of Slackware were developed by Patrick Volkerding alone. Beginning with version 4.0, the official Slackware announce files list David Cantrell and Logan Johnson as part of the "Slackware team".<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://ftp.slackware-brasil.com.br/slackware-4.0/ANNOUNCE.TXT |title=Announcement of Slackware 4.0 |access-date=August 11, 2011 |archive-date=June 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160603160133/http://ftp.slackware-brasil.com.br/slackware-4.0/ANNOUNCE.TXT |url-status=live }}</ref> Later announce statements, up to release version 8.1, include Chris Lumens.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://ftp.slackware-brasil.com.br/slackware-8.1/ANNOUNCE.8_1 |title=Announcement of Slackware 8.1 |access-date=August 11, 2011 |archive-date=May 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160519132129/http://ftp.slackware-brasil.com.br/slackware-8.1/ANNOUNCE.8_1 |url-status=live }}</ref> Lumens, Johnson and Cantrell are also the authors of the first edition of "Slackware Linux Essentials", the official guide to Slackware Linux.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.slackbook.org/|title=The Revised Slackware Book Project|website=Slackbook.org|access-date=May 26, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080915002405/http://www.slackbook.org/|archive-date=September 15, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Slackware website mentions Chris Lumens and David Cantrell as being "Slackware Alumni", who "worked full-time on the Slackware project for several years."<ref name=Alum /> In his release notes for Slackware 10.0 and 10.1 Volkerding thanks Eric Hameleers for "his work on supporting USB, PCI, and Cardbus wireless cards".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://mirrors.slackware.com/slackware/slackware-10.0/RELEASE_NOTES |title=Archived copy |access-date=August 12, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://mirrors.slackware.com/slackware/slackware-10.1/RELEASE_NOTES |title=Archived copy |access-date=August 12, 2011 }}</ref> Starting with version 12.0 there is, for a second time, a team building around Volkerding. According to the release notes of 12.2, the development team consists of seven people. Future versions added people.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://mirrors.slackware.com/slackware/slackware-12.0/RELEASE_NOTES |title=Slackware 12.0 release notes. |format=TXT |access-date=August 31, 2024 |archive-date=December 2, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202224634/http://mirrors.slackware.com/slackware/slackware-12.0/RELEASE_NOTES |url-status=live }}</ref> Since version 13.0, the Slackware team seems to have core members. Eric Hameleers gives an insight into the core team with his essay on the "History of Slackware Development", written on October 3–4, 2009 (shortly after the release of version 13.0).<ref name="tdose2009" />