Fourth MEPIS 6.0 beta steps up to a 2.6.17 kernel

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Jan. 29, 2007

Analysis -- The MEPIS project has released the fourth beta release of version 6.0 of its KDE- and Ubuntu-based SimplyMEPIS-32 and SimplyMEPIS-64 Linux distributions. Beta 4 introduces the 2.6.17-20 kernel, WiFi support improvements, and the ability to run MEPIS live from a USB key.

According to distro founder and chief maintainer Warren Woodford, migrating the MEPIS distro up to Linux 2.6.17 is a big change. "Updating to 2.6.17-20 is a lot more difficult than it sounds," he said. "MEPIS is meant for everybody, not just the Linux users on the bleeding edge. The fact is, kernels after 2.6.16 have introduced many changes that are good for some, but that break the system for others. We've stuck with 2.6.15 because it's stable and works with the packages already in the MEPIS and Dapper package pools."

The problem with the 2.6.17 kernel, according to Woodford, is that "we had reports of problems with wireless support, especially with Centrino wireless chips. So we've updated the Intel drivers and improved some of the network configuration options." Now, however, Woodford says he's "happy to report that we are getting feedback from users that wireless, especially with wpa, is working the best ever."

As for the USB key support, the MEPIS System Assistant reportedly can now install either the 32 or 64-bit version from a CD to a USB key. According to Woodford, "it will also reformat the key so it will be properly recognized on any machine that can boot from USB key. This should only be done with a high-speed key. Unfortunately the key is incompatible with MacTel firmware, so this will only work on a PC."

In this latest beta, Woodford has also added the NXclient thin client as a preinstalled application to MEPIS. The kernel drivers for fuse, rt61, and alsa have also been updated to the latest version. A driver for the alt1 gigabit LAN chip has also been added.

The distribution is also being improved by renaming the MEPIS utilities to Assistants, to make it clearer that their purpose is to help users easily setup and configure the system. In addition, the distribution has had its automatic configuration for Intel graphics improved. Plus, the foomatic printer database has also been stripped of a large number of non-existent drivers, which had a tendency to confuse users during the installation of a printer. The latest versions of Opera and xvidcap have also been backported to the package pools, but they're not preinstalled on the CD ISO.

The SimplyMEPIS-32 and SimplyMEPIS-64 version 6.0 beta 4 ISO images are available for download in the "testing" subdirectory at the MEPIS subscriber's site, as well as on various MEPIS public mirrors. Satisfied users are encouraged to make a contribution or make a purchase at the MEPIS store.

Because of all these changes, the final release date has been pushed back to approximately February 10, Woodford said.

-- Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

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