I-Slackware iwukusabalalisa kwe-Linux okudalwe ngu-Patrick Volkerding ngo-1993. Ekuqaleni isekelwe ku-Softlanding Linux System, i-Slackware ibe yisisekelo sokunye ukusatshalaliswa kwe-Linux, ikakhulukazi izinguqulo zokuqala zokusatshalaliswa kwe-SUSE Linux, futhi iwukusabalalisa okudala kakhulu okusagcinwa. I-Slackware ihlose ukuzinza nokulula kwe-design kanye nokuba ukusatshalaliswa kwe-Linux “okufana ne-Unix” kakhulu. Yenza izinguquko ezimbalwa ngangokunokwenzeka kumaphakheji esofthiwe kusuka phezulu nomfula futhi izama ukungalindeli izimo zokusetshenziswa noma ukuvimbela izinqumo zomsebenzisi. Ngokungafani nokusatshalaliswa kweLinux kwesimanje, iSlackware ayihlinzeki ngenqubo yokufaka eyisithombe futhi akukho sinqumo esizenzakalelayo sokuncika kwamaphakheji esoftware. Isebenzisa amafayela ombhalo angenalutho kanye nesethi encane kuphela yemibhalo yegobolondo yokumisa nokuphatha. Ngaphandle kokuguqulwa okwengeziwe iqalisa endaweni yokusebenzelana yomugqa womyalo. Ngenxa yezici zayo eziningi ezilondolozayo nezilula, iSlackware ivame ukubhekwa njengefaneleka kakhulu kubasebenzisi beLinux abathuthukile nabathambekele kobuchwepheshe.