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SimplyMEPIS Changelog

What's new in SimplyMEPIS 12.0 Beta

May 13, 2013
  • A new test release of MEPIS 12, version 11.9.86, is available for testing. It may take up to 24 hours for the ISOs to appear at the mirrors.
  • After extensive experiments, and feedback from the community, it was decided to defer the support for EFI BIOS and GPT drives support. Unfortunately each hardware vendor is implementing the "standard" differently.
  • This release is believed to be of Beta quality. Please report you test results at mepiscommunity.org

New in SimplyMEPIS 11.04 (May 6, 2011)

  • MEPIS has always been easy to install. 8 years ago, MEPIS created the first fully functional (what you see, is what you install) live CD and graphical installer. You only need to answer a few simple questions and within minutes you'll be ready to start using your new system. It doesn't get any simpler.
  • Using your new system is a breeze too, since you'll have all the apps you'll need to get started, right out of the box. There's Libre Office for all your office productivity needs, K3B for CD and DVD authoring and burning, Kdenlive for video editing, Gimp for graphics editing, Digikam and Gwenview for your photos, the new Firefox 4 for web browsing, Dolphin for file management, the list goes on and on. No need to download app after app before your system is usable -- you can get started immediately.
  • Making it your own is simple, too. The KDE4 desktop is endlessly configurable to match your personal preferences, and the additional software available from the Debian repositories assures you that the right tools for the job are at your fingertips with a few clicks in the Synaptic Package Manager. And don't forget the MEPIS Community Repos, a Community based repository of the latest and greatest applications and updates, specifically packaged by MEPIS power users for the benefit of all MEPIS users. They even take requests!

New in SimplyMEPIS 11.0 RC1 (Mar 29, 2011)

  • MEPIS 11.0 RC1 is build from a Debian Squeeze stable foundation with the following major differences: a MEPIS configured 2.6.36.4 kernel, NVIDIA driver 260.19.21, KDE 4.5.1, Firefox 4.0, Libreoffice 3.3.2, and the usual MEPIS tweaks that make it ready to use out-of-the-box.

New in SimplyMEPIS 11.0 Beta 1 (Jan 7, 2011)

  • This beta includes a 2.6.36 kernel. We are using an early Debianized build of KDE 4.5 but we're hoping the excellent Debian KDE Team will have a newer version available in the Debian pools before MEPIS 11.0 goes final.
  • We were fortunate that Firefox 4.0b8 became available in time to be included in the Beta. That seemed to be an important addition, so 11.0 will be more compatible with HTML5 based web content.

New in SimplyMEPIS 11.0 Alpha 3 (Nov 22, 2010)

  • 11.0 Alpha 3 contains changes that are hoped to fix CD boot problems that have been identified by the MEPIS Testers--or at least to provide a better test environment for identifying any remaining boot problems. It also addresses some library dependency issues that were present in Alpha 1 and 2

New in SimplyMEPIS 11.0 Alpha 2 (Nov 22, 2010)

  • 11.0 continues to track with Debian Squeeze but with a 2.6.36 kernel. In this release, MEPIS has backported the Galbraith latency patch, which improves desktop performance.
  • A number of bugs have been fixed which affected installation and booting from USB key. One of the fixes was to discontinue using gfxboot with isolinux, at least for the time being.
  • For this release, isolinux has a new splash wallpaper. Users are encouraged to comment on the new wallpaper at the mepislovers.org forum site.

New in SimplyMEPIS 8.5.01 (Mar 31, 2010)

  • the Network Assistant, to configure and test a wired or wireless network
  • the System Assistant, to create a live USB thumbdrive, repair a partition, etc.
  • the User Assistant, to easily manage user accounts
  • the X-Windows Assistant, to install graphics card drivers, set monitor models, etc.
  • the Welcome Center, to guide the new user through the first steps
  • the NDisWrapper Manager, to make it easy to use legacy drivers for wireless access

New in SimplyMEPIS 8.5 RC2 (Mar 5, 2010)

  • In the past week, we've fixed some bugs reported by the community and updated the MEPIS Assistants. And we've updated some packages containing bug fixes: digikam 1.1.0, ghostscript 8.71, kdebase-workspace 4.3.4-5 and wl-modules 5.60.48.36. The community is hard at work on translations, updated manual, and a couple of new utilities. I expect RC3 to be ready in a week or so. It should be the last RC before we go final with 8.5.

New in SimplyMEPIS 8.5 Beta 5 (Feb 17, 2010)

  • We are coming down the home stretch on the development of SimplyMEPIS version 8.5. There is some work to be done on MEPIS components, but the major packages are locked in to what may be their final versions. We've been asked to make more package updates, but we can't go much further without switching to a Debian Squeeze base.
  • Currently, we have kernel 2.6.32.8, KDE 4.3.4, gtk 2.18.3-1, OpenOffice 3.1.1-12, Firefox 3.5.6-2, K3b 1.70.0-b1, Kdenlive 0.7.6, Synaptic 0.63.1, Gdebi 0.5.9, and bind9 9.6.1-P3. Available in the MEPIS pool, but not preloaded on the beta CD, we have Amarok 2.2.2-1, Shorewall 4.4.6, and quite a few updated specialty packages.

New in SimplyMEPIS 8.0.15 (Jan 13, 2010)

  • This release includes recent Debian Lenny security updates as well as MEPIS updates that are compatible between MEPIS versions 8.0 and 8.5. The MEPIS updates include: kernel 2.6.27.43, openoffice.org 3.1.1-12, firefox 3.5.6-1, flashplugin-nonfree 2.8, and bind9 9.6.1P2-1. Also available are: skype 2.1.0.47. mono 2.4.2.3
  • Compatibility and reliability have been improved with: nvidia 185.18.36-2, nvidia-legacy 96.43.13, wl-modules 5.10.91.9.3, acpi-support 0.132, klibc 1.5.1.5, initramfs-tools 0.93.4, hwinfo 16.0-2, and hwdata 0.225-1.
  • The MEPIS installer was updated to fix a recently discovered bug that sometimes interfered with installing MEPIS as the only OS a hard drive. There were minor tweaks to mepis-init, mepis-xconfig, and mepis-config.

New in SimplyMEPIS 8.5 Beta 4 (Jan 6, 2010)

  • Even though the past 2 weeks were a holiday time, we have been busy. In this Beta I did a lot work on the look and feel of the KDE4 desktop. There have been many suggestions and contributions from the community, but in the end, someone had to make some decisions and integrate it all together. This took a lot of time. It isn't final, but I think it's very close.
  • Otherwise, Firefox was updated to version 3.5.6-1 and OpenOffice was updated to version 3.1.1-12. The KDE compatibility module for OpenOffice was built for both KDE4 in the 8.5 pool, and KDE3 in the 8.0 pool. Initramfs-tool, grub-gfxboot, and klibc were updated to support booting from the ext4 filesystem, and installation on ext4 is supported in the latest mepis-installer, but for now this support is experimental.

New in SimplyMEPIS 8.5 Beta 1 (Dec 8, 2009)

  • This beta includes a 2.6.32 kernel that is one patch short of the final. The next beta will probably contain kernel 2.6.32.1. We still use KDE 4.3.2 but we're hoping we can leverage the dedicated efforts of the Debian KDE Team to update to a newer version soon

New in SimplyMEPIS 8.0.10 (Aug 26, 2009)

  • The updated components on the SimplyMEPIS ISOs include recent updates from the Debian Lenny pool and also the security patched Linux kernel 2.6.27.30, rt2860 driver 2.1.2.0, Firefox 3.5.2, Google Gadgets 0.11.0, Alsa 1.0.20, Bind 9.6.1P1, and Knetworkmanager 0.7. In addition some minor tweaks have been applied to the MEPIS Installer and the MEPIS utilities
  • Recently the MEPIS package pool has received new updates for Thunderbird 2.0.0.22, Mono 2.4.2.3, Strongswan 4.3.2, kvm 85, and nvidia driver 185.18.14.
  • Soon MEPIS will begin development of version 8.5, which will be based on the KDE 4.3 desktop. Since support for KDE 3.5 is ending, further updates for MEPIS 8.0 be less frequent.

New in SimplyMEPIS 8.0.06 (Apr 27, 2009)

  • SimplyMEPIS 8.0 utilizes a Debian Lenny stable foundation enhanced with a Long Term Support kernel, key package upgrades, and the MEPIS Assistant applications to create an up-to-date, ready to use desktop computer system.
  • The updated components on the SimplyMEPIS ISOs include recent updates from the Debian Lenny pool and also Linux kernel 2.6.27.21, Firefox 3.0.9, jbidwatcher 2.0.1, and gutenprint 5.2.3. In addition some minor tweaks have been applied to the MEPIS Installer and the MEPIS utilities
  • Recently the MEPIS package pool has received new updates for Thunderbird 2.0.0.19, shorewall 4.2.6, thightvncserver 1.3.9, openswan 2.6.20, libvirt 0.6.2 virtinst 0.400.3, virt-manager 0.7.0, qemu 0.10.2 and webmin 1.460.

New in SimplyMEPIS 8.0 (Feb 23, 2009)

  • SimplyMEPIS 8.0 uses a Debian 'Lenny stable' foundation enhanced with a long-term support kernel, key package upgrades, and the MEPIS Assistant applications to create an up-to-date, ready-to-use desktop computer system. In addition to Linux kernel 2.6.27.18, MEPIS 8.0 includes many desktop applications, for example KDE 3.5.10, OpenOffice.org 3.0, and Firefox 3.0.6. To support US Government deployment of DNSsec and IPv6, MEPIS 8.0 includes BIND 0.9.6 and IPv6 is enabled out of the box. Virtualization is easily supported by downloading KVM 84 and libvirt 0.6.0 from the MEPIS 8.0 package pool.

New in SimplyMEPIS 8.0 RC2 (Jan 31, 2009)

  • For RC2, the kernel has been updated to upstream version 2.6.27.12. Kvm 83 is available from the MEPIS pool to better match the virtualization configuration of the MEPIS kernel. GRUB has been updated to fix a 'stage 2' error that was encountered in some rare circumstances. The MEPIS Assistants were updated to work with virtio drivers. BIND was updated to 9.6.0-P1 to support NSEC3 for DNSsec. SimplyMEPIS developer, Warren Woodford, reports: 'I apologize to anyone who was expecting 8.0 to be final by now. It's taking longer than I had hoped but I think we are very close to a final release.

New in SimplyMEPIS 8.0 RC1 (Dec 27, 2008)

  • The kernel in RC1 has been updated to upstream version 2.6.27.10 and the wl wireless driver has been updated to improve reliability. Some minor changes have taken place "under the hood" to address issues that were reported by individual testers. Warren Woodford, the builder of SimplyMEPIS, says: 'There have been lots of good updates from the upstream Debian developers. I know they are working very hard to finalize the release of Lenny, which is the foundation for SimplyMEPIS 8.0.

New in SimplyMEPIS 8.0 Beta 6 (Dec 9, 2008)

  • In beta 6, the kernel has been updated to upstream version 2.6.27.7 and the extra drivers have been rebuilt for the new kernel. This kernel release fixes an error in the last release that resulted in the tg3 driver being disabled. An 'Alternate' CD boot selection has been added in response to feedback that this provides a workaround for a problem that some users have had when trying to boot from CD. Flash has been updated to version 10 and there have been several updates to the MEPIS Assistant applications in response to suggestions from the community.

New in SimplyMEPIS 8.0 Beta 5 (Nov 11, 2008)

  • SimplyMEPIS 8.0 beta 5 updates several packages. ISO files of the fifth beta of SimplyMEPIS 8.0 are available for 32-bit and 64-bit processors. In this release the kernel has been updated to upstream version 2.6.27.5 and the extra drivers have been rebuilt for the new kernel. GRUB has been updated to 0.97. It is hoped that this will resolve the problems a few users have reported with not being able to access a bootable CD. The core of MEPIS is being kept in sync with the upcoming Debian stable release, Lenny. Recently, NSPluginWrapper 1.0.0, VirtualBox-OSE 2.0.4, OpenOffice.org 3.0.0, and Firefox 3.0.3 were updated in SimplyMEPIS and in the MEPIS 8.0 pool.

New in SimplyMEPIS 8.0 Beta 4 (Oct 28, 2008)

  • ISO files of the fourth beta of SimplyMEPIS 8.0 are available for 32-bit and 64-bit processors. In this release the kernel has been updated to the upstream version 2.6.27.3 and the Broadcom wl driver is now available for wireless network cards. The MEPIS Network Assistant has been updated to address the incompatibility between the open source b4x drivers and the wl or NDISwrapper drivers.

New in SimplyMEPIS 8.0 Beta 3 (Oct 21, 2008)

  • The third beta of SimplyMEPIS 8.0 has been released for 32-bit and 64-bit processors. The only major change for this release is a switch to the recently released 2.6.27 kernel. Warren Woodford of MEPIS explains this unexpected move, 'In general, the 2.6.26 kernel was working well, but we knew of a couple of problems. The Intel e01000 series drivers needed to be updated and Aufs seemed to be a bit unstable. In 2.6.27 the Intel and kernel teams have addressed several Intel driver issues and, in my personal experience, Aufs seems to be stable again. As a bonus, 2.6.27 enhances support for IPv6, which we think will become more and more important during the life cycle of the 8.0 release.

New in SimplyMEPIS 7.0 / 8.0 Beta 2 (Sep 30, 2008)

  • SimplyMEPIS 8.0 offers up-to-date user applications delivered on top of a Debian 'Lenny' core. Important package changes in this beta include Linux kernel 2.6.26.5, OpenOffice 3.0rc2 and OpenJDK 6. The new kernel supports VirtualBox 2.0.2, which is available for installation from the SimplyMEPIS 8.0 pool. Pluggable NTFS devices are once again handled automatically with NTFS-3G. At this time, permanent NTFS devices must be mounted manually with NTFS-3G. An automatic solution is being investigated. This release introduces a striking new desktop theme developed by MEPIS community members.

New in SimplyMEPIS 8.0 Beta 1 (Aug 27, 2008)

  • First beta of SimplyMEPIS 8.0 available for testing. Warren announces the first SimplyMEPIS Beta, version 7.9.70. The MEPIS beta offers up-to-date user applications delivered on top of the new Debian 'Lenny' core. Some of the important packages included with the beta are: Linux kernel 2.6.26.2, X.Org 7.3, KDE 3.5.9, OpenOffice.org 3.0beta2, Firefox 3.0.1, Sun Java 6.0, Amarok 1.4.10, MPlayer 1.0.rc2, GTK 2.12.11, and Qt 4.4.0.

New in SimplyMEPIS 7.0 (Aug 27, 2008)

  • Some of the important packages included with the 7.0 release are: an updated and security patched 2.6.22.14 kernel, Xorg 7.1.0, KDE 3.5.8, OpenOffice 2.3.0, Firefox 2.0.0.11, Thunderbird 2.0.0.6, Digikam 0.9.2, Sun Java 6.00, Amarok 1.4.7, mplayer 1.0.rc1, fuse driver 2.7.0, ntfs-3g 1.710, madwifi-ng Atheros driver 0.9.3.2, wpa-supplicant 0.6.0, ALSA sound drivers 1.0.15, libglib2.0 2.14.0, libgtk2.0 2.10.13, and QT 4.3.1-1.
  • Some of the additional packages in the MEPIS 7.0 pool include: acroread 7.0.9-0, icaclient 10.6-1, evolution 2.10.3, NVIDIA driver 100.14.19-1, NVIDIA legacy drivers 1.0.9639 and 1.0.7185, AMD fglrx driver 8.43.2-1, libgnome2 2.18.0, compiz 0.6.3, and compiz-fusion 0.6.0.
  • This release contains a new desktop theme and a detailed user manual, both developed and contributed by the MEPIS community.