SimplyMEPIS-1.5G_11.9.70_32.iso (12.0 Alpha 2)

SimplyMEPIS-1.5G_11.9.70_32.iso is available now; I found a public download location at ftp://ftp.linux.org.tr/pub/mepis/released/
Not all of the MEPIS mirror sites contain this image, but this Linux.org Turkey site has it, and the download speed is decent.

This is the Alpha 2 build of the eventual SimplyMEPIS next release; whether it is "12" or "13" depends on whether Warren Woodford decides to release it while Debian Wheezy is still in Testing, fixing the repo at Wheezy, so that when Debian Wheezy is finally released at Version 7.0, it will become the Stable release.

These Alpha releases are intended to sort out primarily hardware related issues, so it is a great time for interested people to get involved, report issues so they can be fixed, and in so doing, you ensure that the software works on your equipment, and helps others with similar equipment.

I am running SimplyMEPIS 12.0 Alpha 2 right now, and it works GREAT on my Gateway 2000 Model PA6A 17" portable. It handles wireless correctly right out of the box, and all I had to was set up wireless authentication and that was it.

This release uses KDE 4.8.4, and it's set up to resemble the "traditional" KDE style; you can set up "Activities" and all of the "newer" features, if you want them, but those who are more familiar with the traditional, stable desktop environment will appreciate this one - and yet it is only at Alpha 2.

So if you want to contribute to the process and try it out with your hardware, I really recommend that you do so at an early stage. It's just as easy as a released version of MEPIS to install. Should you run into hardware issues, NOW is the BEST TIME to get those documented, understood, and FIXED. For me, I have NONE of those issues, because I always specify my hardware, and it is well supported.

Downloading as we speak. We shall see what we shall see!

Alpha 2 is good and more than able to match what Wheezy is doing right now. I recommend it. Very stable already.

First impressions of M 11.9.70 are over on the Mepis Forum site. Look for a thread in General Development/Testing. If it would be useful I can also post here.

I've seen your report and it is a good one. Hope someone asks for it here, though; feel free to share it here anyway; I'd read it again! lol

Mas would you happen to know how close Mepis is to going beta on this version?

Release-wise, CrazyPenguin, the next test release is likely to be the Beta 1 release, having now released two Alpha releases. However, with 1. The uncertain future and timeframe of the Debian 7.0 release (quite likely to go into early 2013), there is no rush with SimplyMEPIS 12; in fact, more than likely, it will be SimplyMEPIS 13.
2. The EFI and UEFI (long overdue replacements for BIOS) have not been resolved and therefore Warren has been focusing on figuring that out, rather than working on anything else. The two builds, especially the 70 (Alpha 2) build, minus EFI/UEFI, is actually pretty good; I've had it a while now and it is as solid as a rock.

But to guess much activity before end of year is fairly unlikely unless the Debian project itself has a breakthrough with EFI/UEFI, in which case MEPIS would get it too and that would solve the concern; that's looking like the way it may go too.

I am running this again today:

inxi -F
System:    Host: SimplyMEPIS Kernel: 3.5-1-mepis i686 (32 bit) Desktop: KDE 4.8.4 Distro: MEPIS 12.0 wheezy
Machine:   System: Gateway product: MX8738 version: 3408450R
           Mobo: Gateway model: N/A version: 72.15 Bios: Phoenix version: 72.15 date: 04/16/2007
CPU:       Dual core Intel CPU T2080 (-MCP-) cache: 1024 KB flags: (nx sse sse2 sse3) 
           Clock Speeds: 1: 800.00 MHz 2: 800.00 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Intel Mobile 945GM/GMS 943/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller 
           X.Org: 1.12.4 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa) Resolution: 1440x900@60.0hz 
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel 945GM x86/MMX/SSE2 GLX Version: 1.4 Mesa 8.0.5
Audio:     Card: Intel NM10/ICH7 Family High Definition Audio Controller driver: snd_hda_intel Sound: ALSA ver: 1.0.25
Network:   Card-1: Intel PRO/100 VE Network Connection driver: e100 
           IF: eth0 state: down mac: 00:e0:b8:d8:13:be
           Card-2: Broadcom BCM4311 802.11b/g WLAN driver: b43-pci-bridge 
           IF: wlan0 state: up mac: 00:16:ce:45:4c:a0
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 160.0GB (-) 1: id: /dev/sda model: WDC_WD1600BEVS size: 160.0GB 
Partition: ID: / size: 19G used: 5.5G (31%) fs: ext4 
RAID:      No RAID devices detected - /proc/mdstat and md_mod kernel raid module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 40.0C mobo: N/A 
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A 
Info:      Processes: 119 Uptime: 5:47 Memory: 387.5/2014.4MB Client: Shell inxi: 1.8.17

This release never made the light of day. Nevertheless the code made it up to a 11.9.92 update (at least). Warren Woodford seemed to disappear after that.

Fortunately the last build, coupled with MEPIS CR (Community Repository) and Debian Wheezy repositories, including backports, work very well together.

I still have this MEPIS 11.9.92 working, and in fact, on my Gateway portable I use it when I want to use something simple and stable.

Another really good distribution I use that may ultimately replace MEPIS is the antis - MEPIS Community collaboration called MX-14. It uses Xfce instead of KDE, but like MEPIS it is stable and I have it on my Lenovo and highly recommend it as an alternative to MEPIS or Debian Stable.