Mepis, new install

[DVOM]

MEPIS 3.3.2, this is a really nice distro, auto detected all my hardware (except radeon 7500, well actually auto detected it but can't dual monitor with it) including wireless and all my windows partitions.

I've got a 64bit abit board with a 2800 7xx? amd cpu. however dual monitors still not possible due to no drivers for radeon 7500. need another vid card. This has been an ongoing problem with linux,

That behavior was the live CD, so I installed it.

Other than that, i like this distro. real sweet

Edit: and it 's a live CD so you don't have to deal with an install.

[Tuttle]

however dual monitors still not possible due to no drivers for radeon 7500. need another vid card. This has been an ongoing problem with linux

If you're building a box for Linux, go Nvidia. ATI's drivers just aren't up to scratch yet unfortunately.

[mhl]

I have been using Mepis for just over a year now and fully endorse DVOM's opinion - it is a very good distro. And a very good community support forum at mepislovers. A previous experience with Mandrake - rather flaky - had put me off Linux for a while.

Mepis may not be cutting edge, like Ubuntu say, but it is very solid, and it is sticking to its Debian roots - Ubuntu is definitely now a fork.

Also concur with Tuttle's comments about Nvidia being the better choice for graphics cards with Linux.

[DVOM]

Hey Tuttle, it's inexpensive but what do ya think about this card?

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Produc...uctCode=323256

mhl, "Mepis may not be cutting edge, like Ubuntu"

I don't know what other people consider "cutting edge" but I like linux OS's that "auto-detect" the hardware. And all the windows partitions.

Ubuntu didn't detect any windows partitions. And it didn't detect my wireless card. I don't want to have to edit the fstab? file to be able to see the other partitions. If any flavor of linux wants to compete with microsoft they have to auto detect nearly everything. And deal with it.

So basically, I think Mepis is more cutting edge than Ubuntu.

[mhl]

DVOM

I agree with you that, if a linux distro wants to compete with M$, then it has to auto-detect hardware. I don't know that (m)any distros really see themselves "competing" with Uncle Bill though.

In my case, I found Mepis detected everything first time and required no configuration apart from time-zone and UK keyboard. All in 15 minutes - including all the apps I could want. How long would that have taken with Windo$e? And all its service packs and security patches?

Personally I don't rate Ubuntu as cutting edge, nor do I understand all the hype about it. But in another forum where I visit regularly, the linux section users almost inevitably recommend Ubuntu, and Mepis is never mentioned. I tried the liveCD of Ubuntu's latest release - it looks very slick, but it wasn't coping very well with my Nvidia graphics card (a very modest 5700 series), something which is fairly basic. And I personally don't like Gnome as a WM/desktop.

But at the end of the day it's 'horses for courses' and personal preference .. what linux is all about really.

[DVOM]

Got another vic card coming, i'll let you know

Edit: that would be "vid card" as in "video"

[Tuttle]

Not sure about the NVidia 5xxx series, I was kinda tuned out of new hardware around then. Didn't want to regret my then-recently-purchased ATI 9800 Pro.

Driver support for it should be fine, as with any NVidia card. Can't offer an opinion on performance though.