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View Full Version : Those of you wanting to try the new Mepis..



TrailerTrash
April 11th, 2006, 03:44 AM
You need to try the new Mepis based on Ubuntu.....Its nice....It dose look a little like Kubuntu.

http://distrowatch.com/?newsid=03351#0

briancurtin
April 11th, 2006, 04:07 AM
it looks like kubuntu? KDE is KDE - it looks like KDE.

awakatanka
April 11th, 2006, 06:04 AM
it looks like kubuntu? KDE is KDE - it looks like KDE.
Thanks will try it out for sure, and if its smoother then kubuntu i switch.

dermotti
April 11th, 2006, 03:50 PM
Some reason i feel Mepis will be the death of Kubuntu. Mepis KDE has always been much more polished then Kubuntu.

ComplexNumber
April 11th, 2006, 03:55 PM
i don't know why kubuntu was even started in the first place :confused:.

earobinson
April 11th, 2006, 04:15 PM
Mepis based on Ubuntu HUH Mepis was around before ubuntu no?

mstlyevil
April 11th, 2006, 04:18 PM
HUH Mepis was around before ubuntu no?

This Alpha and all new versions of Mepis are being based on Ubuntu. It really does not matter who has been around longer. The fact is that Mephis will just be a repackaged and redressed version of Kubuntu.

helpme
April 11th, 2006, 04:22 PM
why was kubuntu started in the first place? :confused:.
- There was demand
- There were and are people willing to work on it
- It makes sense, as Ubuntu would have to support a lot of KDE apps anyway to be a complete distro
- What on earth could be so terrible about the mere existence of Kubuntu? Does it take anything away from you?

earobinson
April 11th, 2006, 04:24 PM
This Alpha and all new versions of Mepis are being based on Ubuntu. It really does not matter who has been around longer. The fact is that Mephis will just be a repackaged and redressed version of Kubuntu.
Maybe im just being picky, but I understood that both mepis and ubuntu are baised of debian, true mepis uses a lot of debian code but thats the nature of the open source world, suse and mandriva (mandrake) also use a lot of ubuntu code but they are not based of ubuntu.

Maybe im wrong now and the general view of the community is that mepis is based of ubuntu now, but all I could find on the subject was a Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MEPIS#Differences_with_Debian)doc saying its based of debian.

mstlyevil
April 11th, 2006, 04:28 PM
Maybe im just being picky, but I understood that both mepis and ubuntu are baised of debian, true mepis uses a lot of debian code but thats the nature of the open source world, suse and mandriva (mandrake) also use a lot of ubuntu code but they are not based of ubuntu.

Maybe im wrong now and the general view of the community is that mepis is based of ubuntu now, but all I could find on the subject was a Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MEPIS#Differences_with_Debian)doc saying its based of debian.

Here goes the press release from Mepis themselves.

http://www.mepis.org/node/9601

http://www.mepis.org/node/9454

ComplexNumber
April 11th, 2006, 04:29 PM
- There was demand demand for what?

awakatanka
April 11th, 2006, 04:32 PM
I have it installed now.

I must say the 1st impression is good and its faster then kubuntu.

You install it from a sort of livecd, the installer is very nice to see its in a config center, if everything is installed you can change things in there. Only problem i had at install was that i needed to format my /home dir, probably overlooked something.

It installs without many questions and install is between 15 to 45 min.

Installed you see a very nice looking grub version, and a loading splash that is very very nice, kubuntu needs something like that to.

The kicker menu has many many programs in it, to my feeling to many, but you can uninstall them ;).

They use kubuntu's system settings, with a different networkin config, that one is working much better then kubuntu. I installed it on a laptop and i had to tweak my pcmcia wirelesscard to get it working, but it seems like they have many firmware preinstalled for other cards like bmc43xx. Couldn't test it so not sure about it. Need to test wep an wpa still, so no info about that yet.

It comes with the option to install a firewall and it has a viruskiller installed, i think its a must have even if linux is save, but you never know and if you have a windows partition its easy to scan it to.

The kde is better tweaked with little things like the kicker bar its much better filled but somethings are to much like that fish thing, the system button has many option under it and its better then the kubuntu version.

So my first impression is good only thing i dislike is that it has to many programs installed.

If they could filter this it can be a pro kde distro better then kubuntu is atm. Maybe i update this post when i have used it more then 1 day.

When both go live i will choose the winner that stay's on my laptop.

edit, with some more info

earobinson
April 11th, 2006, 04:34 PM
Here goes the press release from Mepis themselves.

http://www.mepis.org/node/9601

http://www.mepis.org/node/9454
kk, I understand how a person could say it is based off ubuntu, however I feel it is important to note that they only praise the ubuntu source code (mark puts a lot of time and effort into making it easy for other people to use his code) They dont say that they are now basing the OS off ubuntu.

If im being to picky and forking the thread off topic Ill stop, Im just intrested in the debate.

I dont think that just because they use a lot of our source code that they are basing there distro off ours, but thats just how I feel.

mstlyevil
April 11th, 2006, 04:44 PM
It will still be Mepis there is no doubt about that. While the base may be Ubuntu and they plan to use the Ubuntu repos, there are specific things that Warren will add and change to make it a completely different distro. I don't totally disagree with you, because you are right that the whole thing will not be Ubuntu.

I might have to download it and see what the differences are.

Edit: I don't think a discussion of what Mepis is based off of is entirely off topic. It may get more people to try it out which is the intent of the OP.

earobinson
April 11th, 2006, 04:53 PM
I guess its the way that I define "based off" I feel that ubuntu is based off debian because every 6 months we
As Ubuntu prepares for release, we "freeze" a snapshot of Debian's development archive. We start from the development version in order to give ourselves the freedom to make our own decisions with regard to release management, independent of Debian's release-in-preparation. This is necessary because our release criteria are very different from Debian's. http://www.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/relationship

So ubuntu takes debian code every 6 months and builds upon it, to me this makes us debian based, If we find a problem with that debain code we will borrow code from any other open source project If that fixes the problem.

The diference I see with mepis is that they just used our code to fix a some problems and they dont make a practice of every 6 months or so, taking a snapshot of our code and building upon it, they just use our code whenever it suits them.


Debian is "the rock upon which Ubuntu is built". http://www.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/relationship

ps mstlyevil I love the sig.

mstlyevil
April 11th, 2006, 05:01 PM
I can see your point about Ubuntu being a snapshot of Debian. I think it is brilliant for other distros to take the work of Ubuntu and use the code for a more unified and stable release cycle. The Debian development cycle takes way too long if you want to keep packages up to date.

It would be interesting to see how much of Mepis code is Ubuntu and how much of it is Debian or it's very own. (I need to learn how to code darnit.)

earobinson
April 11th, 2006, 05:28 PM
There was a video some time ago and mark explaned the dev process, every 6 months we revert back to a be 100% debian compatable then branch off from there.

A lot of the code probaly 60% + will be the same in all distros (or mostly the same) because programs like firefox, gaim, gnome, kde are all the same on every system just slightly tweaked sometimes.

mstlyevil
April 11th, 2006, 07:15 PM
I downloaded and played with the live cd of Mepis 6. You can see Ubuntu's influence a little but it is still definitely Mepis. I might resize my home partition later and install it to my hard drive and play around with it some more.

It works very fast for a live cd. I was thoroughly impressed with how quick it was to boot and how fast the apps ran just from the live cd.

bonzodog
April 11th, 2006, 07:34 PM
/me wonders if we will now see an appearance by Warren in these forums....

Stormy Eyes
April 11th, 2006, 07:37 PM
i don't know why kubuntu was even started in the first place :confused:.

Because a bunch of people couldn't bear to see Ubuntu be a GNOME-centric distro.

oblio
April 11th, 2006, 07:59 PM
Thanks will try it out for sure, and if its smoother then kubuntu i switch.

The Mepis 6.0 alpha1 public testversion is real good.

Regards, Ko

oblio
April 11th, 2006, 08:23 PM
[.............]The fact is that Mephis will just be a repackaged and redressed version of Kubuntu.

I'm quite sure you know that just using the same repositories does not make another distro 'a repackaged and redressed version'. Mepis is NOT a repackaged Kubuntu; it's better configured and far more complete - right out of the box. It does not look or act like Kubuntu. The installer and hw-detection tools used in Mepis are quite different; the Mepis kernel used is not the same as the one in Dapper - it's modified to suit Mepis users.

Anyway - I like them both - Mepis and Kubuntu.

Regards, Ko

awakatanka
April 11th, 2006, 08:24 PM
The Mepis 6.0 alpha1 public testversion is real good.

Regards, Ko
I have it installed on my laptop and its looking good for a alpha.

oblio
April 11th, 2006, 08:34 PM
I have it installed now.

I must say the 1st impression is good and its faster then kubuntu.

You install it from a sort of livecd, the installer is very nice to see its in a config center, if everything is installed you can change things in there. Only problem i had at install was that i needed to format my /home dir, probably overlooked something.

It installs without many questions and install is between 15 to 45 min.


You did overlook something indeed....:-) There's no need to format your existing /home. Just select custom installation and pick whatever / and /home you need. You will then also see that a mark must to be placed to preserve userdata in an existing /home partition or /home directory. Install time on my system was 12 minutes.

Regards, Ko

oblio
April 11th, 2006, 08:41 PM
/me wonders if we will now see an appearance by Warren in these forums....

Don't count on it.........:-) He hardly appears in his own Mepis-Forum and Mepislovers.org Forum. He doesn't have the time for it. But he does 'listen' to his 'customers' - that I know for a fact.

Regards, Ko

oblio
April 11th, 2006, 08:55 PM
Because a bunch of people couldn't bear to see Ubuntu be a GNOME-centric distro.

Is that a fact? Starting a Kubuntu project -which must have started from within Ubuntu- does not alter that fact for Ubuntu, now does it? So, what's the point in your remark?
I don't understand, nor appreciate, this type of 'Gnome/KDE animosity-promotion'. It seems to pervade everything in these Ubuntu-forums. One certainly doesn't see that (to the same degree as here) in "KDE-centric" distro-forums.

Regards, Ko

ComplexNumber
April 11th, 2006, 08:59 PM
Because a bunch of people couldn't bear to see Ubuntu be a GNOME-centric distro. that wouldn't surprise anyone at all 8). "i have an idea, lets whinge and moan and set up loads of polls stating that for every gnome user there are 560 billion trillion kde users, until unbuntu and every other distro are kde-only distro's". "canonical promised us the earth, so why does gnome still exist?". "the only way is the kde way". fortunately, most kde users aren't like that, but a rather large hard core proportion of them are.
as someone has already mentioned, i didn't hear the gnome folk kicking up a stink about mandriva and suse or any other current or previous kde centric distro.

awakatanka
April 11th, 2006, 09:14 PM
that wouldn't surprise anyone at all 8). "i have an idea, lets whinge and moan and set up loads of polls stating that for every gnome user there are 560 billion trillion kde users, until unbuntu and every other distro are kde-only distro's". "canonical promised us the earth, so why does gnome still exist?". "the only way is the kde way". fortunately, most kde users aren't like that, but a rather large hard core proportion of them are.
as someone has already mentioned, i didn't hear the gnome folk kicking up a stink about mandriva and suse or any other current or previous kde centric distro.
You born without brain our just acting like that? Please act normal and don't be the cool fanboy. Every opertunity you have to bash kde you do it.

ComplexNumber
April 11th, 2006, 09:18 PM
You born without brain our just acting like that? Please act normal and don't be the cool fanboy. Every opertunity you have to bash kde you do it. there's no need to be like that. its quite true, though, about the stance of some people in the kde camp.....whether you like it or not.

helpme
April 11th, 2006, 09:22 PM
there's no need to be like that. its quite true, though, about the stance of some people in the kde camp.....whether you like it or not.
Jesus H. Christ, there are no freaking camps, this is not a war, they are simply to great free desktop environments.

And when it comes to people whining, I'll take those who think Ubuntu is great and also want it to have a good KDE desktop and are even putting work and money into making this happen, over jerks who throw hissy fits because who want to can now install Ubuntu with KDE as a desktop.

awakatanka
April 11th, 2006, 09:23 PM
there's no need to be like that. its quite true, though, about the stance of some people in the kde camp.....whether you like it or not.
Looks like you can fit in then, you acting the same way as they do.](*,)

ComplexNumber
April 11th, 2006, 09:25 PM
Looks like you can fit in then, you acting the same way as they do.](*,)
yeah, whatever.

helpme
you still haven't answered my question in post 11 in this thread.

helpme
April 11th, 2006, 09:28 PM
yeah, whatever.

helpme
you still haven't answered my question in post 11 in this thread.
Yes, because I found the question quite embarrassing.
Why is there something like Kubuntu?
Because there was a demand for it.
For what?

All I can say, take a guess...

ComplexNumber
April 11th, 2006, 09:34 PM
For what?

All I can say, take a guess... its not for me to guess. i'm asking you. you stated there is a demand. demand for what?

helpme
April 11th, 2006, 09:43 PM
its not for me to guess. i'm asking you. you stated there is a demand. demand for what?
Let me recap our little conversation again:
You: Why does something like Kubuntu exist?
Me: Because there was demand for it.
You: Demand for what?

If you still can't guess the correct answer, it's......
















.....something like Kubuntu. (Who would have guessed?)

ComplexNumber
April 11th, 2006, 09:51 PM
sigh. so in other words, you don't know what you're talking about. maybe its best if you think things through before stating them in future.

helpme
April 11th, 2006, 09:52 PM
sigh. just as i thought....you don't know.
Huh?

GeneralZod
April 11th, 2006, 09:54 PM
.....something like Kubuntu. (Who would have guessed?)

To be specific:

- A debian based distro that;
- Is committed to a 6-monthly released cycle and which;
- Works great on laptops!; and
- Will always be free and Free; and
- Will be supported for 3 years; and
- Has big money behind it; and
- Has a philosophy of "if it doesn't Just Work, it's a bug"; and
- Has "Humanity to Others" as its motto and, last but not least:
- Is focussed on the other popular desktop, KDE.

ComplexNumber: If you're wondering just who on Earth could want such a thing, well, I'd be the first in line :)

ComplexNumber
April 11th, 2006, 10:07 PM
GeneralZod
thank you :). thats all i wanted - the reasons why there is a demand for kubuntu that isn't provided by any other distro.

hoarythehedgehog2009
April 12th, 2006, 01:03 AM
i don't know why kubuntu was even started in the first place :confused:.
HEY DON'T GO THERE:evil:

ComplexNumber
April 12th, 2006, 01:13 AM
HEY DON'T GO THERE:evil:
too late, pal. been there, done that, and come back with the extra large t-shirt :cool:

mstlyevil
April 12th, 2006, 06:50 AM
I got Mepis 6 installed with XGL/Compiz. I also installed the current Ubuntu Gnome desktop because I needed to replace KDM with GDM to get compiz going since KDM refused to load xgl. Here are some screenshots.

Mepis KDE Screenshot (http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=913693&postcount=200)

Mepis/Ubuntu Gnome Screenshot (http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=913680&postcount=199)

purdy hate machine
April 12th, 2006, 08:15 AM
I installed Mepis 6 last night and was relieved to find that everything worked just as well as the Debian based Mepis. The whole installation was complete in just over 15 minutes. Hardware detection was excellent, all the usual suspects like USB, WI-FI and even Bluetooth worked out of the box. There’s an interesting collection of applications preinstalled, all of the most wanted are there such as Firefox, Gaim, Amarok, Open Office and Gimp. Plus some that you may not expect to see on a default installation.. Skype, KlamAV, Jbidwatcher? I’m sure that that Mepis lovers will be very happy with this distro as it most defiantly retains its Mepis identity and is not just another flavour of (K)ubuntu.
Well done Warren, like we ever doubted you. :-\"

awakatanka
April 12th, 2006, 10:23 AM
It suprised me that i didn't needed a working network to get everything installed, this all was on 1 livecd. Where kubuntu needs a network for far less of programs.

oblio
April 12th, 2006, 10:49 AM
It suprised me that i didn't needed a working network to get everything installed, this all was on 1 livecd. Where kubuntu needs a network for far less of programs.

The fact that the (K)ubuntu install-CD covers a lot of install-languages and their supporting files (and Mepis only in english) explains why it cannot/doesnot contain as much programs as Mepis. Still, I believe that the choice made about '1 app for 1 basic task' in (K)ubuntu shouldn't be a dogma.... Why not supply Synaptic or Kpackage next to the buggy adept implementation in Dapper (while its bugs aren't resolved yet) ?

A 'rather off-topic' note: Some Mepis users also use Ubuntu, then prefer to install kde (NOT kde-desktop), just like mstlyevil replaced kde for gnome in Mepis 6.0-alpha1.....:-).

Regards, Ko

TrailerTrash
April 12th, 2006, 12:11 PM
I got Mepis 6 installed with XGL/Compiz. I also installed the current Ubuntu Gnome desktop because I needed to replace KDM with GDM to get compiz going since KDM refused to load xgl. Here are some screenshots.

Mepis KDE Screenshot (http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=913693&postcount=200)

Mepis/Ubuntu Gnome Screenshot (http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=913680&postcount=199)


Yes post those on the www.mepislovers.org website!

Sushi
April 12th, 2006, 01:24 PM
Because a bunch of people couldn't bear to see Ubuntu be a GNOME-centric distro.

Last time I checked, Ubuntu is still a GNOME-centric distro, and people are not whining because of it. And why does it bother you if some people (Mark Shuttleworth among them) wants to create a sister-distro for Ubuntu? One that uses KDE instead of GNOME?

mstlyevil
April 12th, 2006, 08:23 PM
I created a how to on installing XGL/Compiz in Mepis 6 Alpha1. Here is the link to the guide for those who want to check it out.

XGL/Compiz How To Compiz Forums (http://compiz.ed3n.com/viewtopic.php?id=256)

oblio
April 12th, 2006, 08:44 PM
I created a how to on installing XGL/Compiz in Mepis 6 Alpha1. Here is the link to the guide for those who want to check it out.

XGL/Compiz How To Compiz Forums (http://compiz.ed3n.com/viewtopic.php?id=256)

I am sure the Mepisguys and -girls will appreciate this howto, mstlyevil....!

Regards, Ko

Al3xanR0
April 13th, 2006, 07:27 PM
Thanks will try it out for sure, and if its smoother then kubuntu i switch.

If you have used SImply MEPIS before you'll see why it will be worth the switch --I've been using it since 3.3 it Simply ROCKS!!

awakatanka
April 13th, 2006, 08:34 PM
If you have used SImply MEPIS before you'll see why it will be worth the switch --I've been using it since 3.3 it Simply ROCKS!!
I wiped kubuntu for now from my laptop, laptop is now mepis only. Probably will try next flight again.

The desktop is a quad boot , windows,kubuntu,pcbsd and the test partition is mepis but can be something else tommorow ;).

aysiu
April 13th, 2006, 08:41 PM
If you have used SImply MEPIS before you'll see why it will be worth the switch --I've been using it since 3.3 it Simply ROCKS!! If Mepis uses Ubuntu and doesn't modify it too much, it may actually be worth a switch--seeing as how the major plus for Ubuntu (the support here at these forums) would then apply to Mepis, too.

Mepis includes a lot of stuff that's popular with new users--proprietary codecs and GUI frontends for configuration (reinstalling Grub, for example).

Burgresso
April 13th, 2006, 08:53 PM
Stay away from it! MEPIS ruined my harddrive!!!](*,)

:mrgreen:Yes, I can never prove this and it does not make any sense, but I'll always think its true. :mrgreen:

aysiu
April 13th, 2006, 08:55 PM
Stay away from it! MEPIS ruined my harddrive!!!](*,)

Yes, I can never prove this and it does not make any sense, but I'll always think its true. :mrgreen: Mepis may have actually ruined your hard drive, but it doesn't ruin everybody's hard drive or even the hard drives of most people who use it.

Burgresso
April 13th, 2006, 09:33 PM
Thanks aysiu

For anyone interested, I'm reffering to what I explain in this thread
http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=159450

oblio
April 13th, 2006, 09:55 PM
If Mepis uses Ubuntu and doesn't modify it too much, it may actually be worth a switch--seeing as how the major plus for Ubuntu (the support here at these forums) would then apply to Mepis, too.

Mepis includes a lot of stuff that's popular with new users--proprietary codecs and GUI frontends for configuration (reinstalling Grub, for example).

The MAIN reason why Warren 'shifted' from using Debian snapshots to the Ubuntu-repos is the fairly recent shoddy state of affairs in Debian 'etch' (and before that in 'unstable') and the stability that the 6-month freeze cycle for (K)ubuntu offers.
This 'move' did not come completely unexpected. The "repo freeze" stability will provide the same level of 'reliability' for Mepis users.
Warren won't change Ubuntu-programs. Just the kernel itself, add some Mepis-specifics and do some/a lot of 'fine tuning' to fit Mepis. I think it's a win-win situation.

Regards, Ko

benplaut
April 14th, 2006, 01:33 AM
what i want is to be able to take my current ubuntu, and turn it into mepis.

Complete interoperability

nickle
April 14th, 2006, 02:16 AM
I started to read this thread because I wanted to learn something about the new MEPIS. There are some good comments in there, but man this forum is simply going to the dogs. What is this anal fixation that some forum members have on the Gnome/KDE question?
If half of every thread degenerates into this kind of mindless drivel, I am beginning to ask myself is it worth it here any longer. The only thing that keeps me still is that there ARE some intellegent, enlightening or funny contributions, but the are slowly sinking in the morass....

Get a life guys....

mstlyevil
April 14th, 2006, 02:47 AM
I updated my Compiz/Xgl guide for Mepis at the compiz forums. I figured out how to get Compiz to work with KDM without installing Gnome. Afterwards, I reinstalled, tested the guide, and made some adjustments. It is here for you Mepis 6 users to look at and try. (If you have the nerve. :mrgreen: )

How to install XGL/Compiz on Mepis 6 for Nvidia (http://compiz.ed3n.com/viewtopic.php?id=256)

harisund
April 14th, 2006, 07:16 AM
Some reason i feel Mepis will be the death of Kubuntu. Mepis KDE has always been much more polished then Kubuntu.

You know, I tend to agree with you there.

Distrowatch can't be wrong too, after all Mepis is ranked by Distrowatch as the second best Debian based distro.

I would have really used Mepis if it weren't for KDE, which in turn brings me to the point that people who want Gnome can stick with Ubuntu, and people who want KDE can simply go for the Ubuntu based Mepis. Everybody gets the best of all worlds, right?

Mepis has always been awesome, and in fact was the only OS that could automatically enable DMA for my laptop. Of course that was prior to Breezy but if you have tried out SimplyMepis, you will realize that there is absolutely nothing wrong with that distro, and being Debian based gives it the power of apt-get and synaptic too.

I am not your typical OS basher, and am not going to say something along the lines of "MS sucks, Mepis sucks, Ubuntu rocks." With Kubuntu developers I think going through some tense times, I would really suggest Mepis take control of the KDE market, while at all times maintaining its allegiance to Ubuntu,.

awakatanka
April 14th, 2006, 09:20 AM
I updated my Compiz/Xgl guide for Mepis at the compiz forums. I figured out how to get Compiz to work with KDM without installing Gnome. Afterwards, I reinstalled, tested the guide, and made some adjustments. It is here for you Mepis 6 users to look at and try. (If you have the nerve. :mrgreen: )

How to install XGL/Compiz on Mepis 6 for Nvidia (http://compiz.ed3n.com/viewtopic.php?id=256)
Going to try youre howto with my desktop, got all the time of the world today.

oblio
April 14th, 2006, 11:32 AM
[...............]....Mepis.........while at all times maintaining its allegiance to Ubuntu,.

Warren stated his intentions regarding feeding back into Ubuntu very clearly.

Regards, Ko