MEPIS

SimplyMEPIS

SimplyMEPIS 11.0 default desktop
Developer Warren Woodford
OS family Unix-like
Working state Current
Initial release May 2003 (2003-05)
Latest release 11.9.90 / July 29, 2013 (2013-07-29)
Update method APT
Package manager dpkg
Platforms IA-32, x86-64
Kernel type Monolithic
Default user interface KDE Plasma Desktop
License Various
Official website www.mepis.org

MEPIS /ˈmɛpᵻs/ is a set of Linux distributions, distributed as Live CDs or DVDs that can be installed onto a hard disk drive. MEPIS was started by Warren Woodford and the eponymous company MEPIS LLC.

The most popular MEPIS distribution is SimplyMEPIS, which is based primarily on Debian stable. It can either be installed onto a hard drive or used as a Live DVD, which makes it externally bootable for troubleshooting and repairing many operating systems. It includes the KDE desktop environment.

MEPIS LLC offers senior consulting services for product strategy, architecture design, business and systems analysis, and cross-platform software development.

History

MEPIS was designed as an alternative to SUSE Linux, Red Hat Linux, and Mandriva Linux (formerly Mandrake) which, in the creator Warren Woodford's opinion, were too difficult for the average user. MEPIS's first official release was on May 10, 2003.

In 2006, MEPIS made a transition from using Debian packages to using Ubuntu packages.[1] SimplyMEPIS 6.0, released in July 2006, was the first version of MEPIS to incorporate the Ubuntu packages and repositories.

SimplyMEPIS 7.0 discontinued the use of Ubuntu binary packages in favor of a combination of MEPIS packaged binaries based on Debian and Ubuntu source code, combined with a Debian stable OS core and extra packages from Debian package pools.[2]

Major releases occur about six months to one year apart, based mostly on Warren's availability to produce the next version.

Current variants

SimplyMEPIS, designed for everyday desktop and laptop computing. The default desktop environment is KDE-based, although Gnome and/or other GUI-environments can be installed. SimplyMEPIS 11.0 is based on Debian 6 and includes Linux 2.6.36.4, KDE 4.5.1 and LibreOffice 3.3.2, with other applications available from Debian and the MEPIS Community. It was released on May 5, 2011.[3] Development halted during beta testing of Mepis 12.

antiX, a fast and lightweight[4] distribution, was originally based on SimplyMEPIS for x86 systems in an environment suitable for old computers. It is now a true 'rolling-release-cycle' Linux distribution based on Debian Testing, and thus continues to remain current.

Name

According to Warren Woodford, the name MEPIS is pronounced like "Memphis", with the extra letters removed. Originally, the word "MEPIS" didn't mean anything in particular; it came about by mistake. When Woodford misunderstood a friend over the telephone, he decided to use the name because it was a simple five-letter word and there were no other companies or products with that name.

References

  1. ↑ Lehrbaum, Rick (2007-02-17). "MEPIS founder clarifies MEPIS/Ubuntu relationship". DesktopLinux.com. Retrieved 2008-07-06.
  2. ↑ "MEPIS Begins a Return to Debian With Version 6.9.51prebeta". 2007-08-02. Archived from the original on 2007-12-11. Retrieved 2007-12-23.
  3. ↑ "SimplyMEPIS 11.0 Production Release". 2011-05-05. Retrieved 2011-05-07.
  4. ↑ "DistroWatch.com: antiX".

Reviews

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