Porteus

Hi Porteus developers,

I am curious, why Porteus doesn't use txz, the default packaging format of Slackware? Mind to share reasons on why we end up with xzm?

this was my answer to "why is it called a module", there is some relevence here..

my take on it is: module alludes to the modular nature of the frugal installed, loop mounted, layered, live filesystem..
.xzm = xz compressed module , which is a package or packages are installed to a fakeroot and xz compressed using squashfs.
in slax they're called software bundles(.sb) and puppy, the standard .sfs (squash file system?)
any amount of configuration can be added and things can removed(binarys,libs,headers,locales,man etc) in the process..

so.. we do use slackware packaging format within xzm modules(squashfs) (which may also contain multiple packages and additional configs)
why? so we can have a frugal installed(compressed), loop mounted, layered(AUFS), live filesystem.(small and fast)
sure, you can(if using the changes cheatcode in a POSIX(eg ext) partition) just install packages into that uncompressed directory..(which is then layered on with AUFS)(with modules(save.dat is also a module by another name) you're not restricted to POSIX filesystems)
but then i start to think why not just use a full slackware(or whatever) install?

Good answer