I understand how you feel, I just started using Mepis about 1.5 months ago and this is my first try with Linux. At least with my experience so far, I am no where near as frustrated with having to learn new things to make my computer work with Linux than I was the inability to consistently use my computer with Windows. Once I researched and got my computer working, it has been smooth and I don't regret completely leaving Windows behind.

I am not leaving linux. I cannot afford vista. I will stick with Linux. For the time being I guess I will stay with ubuntu eventhough I prefer KDE. I dont prefer installing KDE in ubuntu. Anyway now I have installed ubuntu and all my hardware is working; graphics(nvidia), wireless(bcm43xx), webcam(logitech quickcam messenger), synaptic touch pad(solved my initial problem; it was a bug and it is yet to be fixed. But there was a way around). So basically now I am happy with ubuntu edgy eft except for KDE. However I guess I can adjust with that, rather than going back to xp. Anyway I have installed my retail copy of xp on vmware server for internet multimedia streaming which is a problem with gstreamer with asx files. I will be back with mepis when the hardware issues are solved. Hence I am planning to install mepis on another virtual machine on my vmware server.

As I have been learning several things with various distributions and with the help of everhelpful linux community, I was able to rectify all my hardware issues. I am back with mepis and confident enough to deal with all the fun which I have been missing.

Thanks to mepis

I noticed you said that you have used Ubuntu. How would you compare / contrast Ubuntu and MEPIS? I have never used Ubuntu but have heard (generally) good things about it.

Which version of MEPIS did you settle on? 6+ ??

Will you please explain how did you resolve the sound problem? I think the problem that you resolved is same for my case too.
Thanks!

For those of you using MEPIS on your laptop with wifi, could you briefly tell about how you establish a secure connection? I have heard of various things (WEP, etc) but would like to hear a user's first hand experience.

Thanks!

I am a newbie to Linux and have installed Mepis 3.4-3 on an Asus M3000N Laptop with no problems what so ever.

Everything initially seems to work smoothly including Skype, except that whilst my web cam works OK, it will not work within Skype as it does with Windows XP. There may be settings that I am not aware of though to make it work. Outside of Skype the web cam works fine with the inbuilt software from Mepis.

Another area where I am having difficulty is using "Synaptic". I don't seem to be able to load software from a CD. Why I don't know yet, hopefully I'll learn. The RW optical drive works OK and the Mepis software appears to be excellent. Other hardware like printer, bluetooth and Centrino I have yet to try out.

I have also tried to install Mepis 6.0 on the same computer, but there seems to be a problem with the hardware so the outcome was a disaster, taking some 3 hours to install and when installed was full of problems making even shuting down impossible via the software installed.

I also have a new Dell Inspiron 6000 laptop, and Mepis 6.0 was installed in 4 minutes and worked like a dream. I was hoping to have the Mepis 6 installed on the Asus and the Windows XP on the Dell. Now though I'll have to have a re-think.
I am not yet experienced enough to know how to overcome the problem of not being able to install Mepis 6 on the Asus, so for the time being it will have to be the 3.4-3 version of Mepis.

Other distros that I have tried on the same Asus laptop are, Xandros, Dam Small linux, Freespire, Ubuntu, Suse 10.1, and Knoppix. The latter not really an installation as it is a 'LiveCD' version only. All of these mentioned had problems that I was not content with, but Mepis seems to fit in with most of my requirements, so far at least until I learn to move around Linux more profiscently.

I hope that this is of use to you.

Hi hebe:

I noticed you have two (2) laptops. How old is the Dell and how old is the Asus? Does the Asus have something that typically causes heartach, such as an ATI card, wifi, etc?

BTW. . .How do you like MEPIS 3.43 compared to MEPIS 6.00?

In answer to your questions:

The Dell Inspiron 6000 was bought around April of this year(2006)

The Asus M3000N was bought about 4 years ago.

The other questions that you ask I don't understand the terminology that you are using.

I bought the Dell because the Asus had a number of problems:

The keyboard is and was faulty.

The computer suffers from an overheating problem that the agent is unable to rectify, especially when a PMCIA card is used. I now use it without any card plugged in and a new keyboard is coming. Otherwise it seems to work OK. I have been advised though by the agent that the computer is liable to pack up at anytime. The coming new keyboard is the second keyboard that has been fitted.

I now use it to experiment and get familiar with Linux. Later I intend to partition the Dell and install Mepis 6 after I have become more familiar with Linux in general. The Mepis 6 Live CD seemed to work well on the Dell, but as I have said before, not on the Asus.

I have a year and a half old toshiba satellite. It's a fine computer and I have no problems with mepis. I believe most toshibas are good this way. I've been told to avoid sony.

Tried to install Mepis 6.0 on 2 different laptops

1) an NEC versa E120 with external USB CD-rom drive, it goes into the boot CD but then gave me an error about not able to read certain files. Could be due to a bad ISO, although I did get the CDs from Linuxformat magazine. Changed back to XP, but will be trying Open Suse next.

So I tried on my next laptop:

2) HP NX9000 with built in CD-rom drive, installed very smoothly, with everything working, EXCEPT, that when it just runs on battries, everything is SLOWED to a crawl and my CPU load jumps to 100%. Switched to PCLinuxOS and has been using it since.

Try the halt -n command. You have to be root to make it work, however.

poji23:

You said you tried Mepis 6 on 2 different laptops. . .did you try the same Mepis disc(s) on both laptops? Or did you use a different set of Mepis disc(s) for each laptop?

I used the same discs for both laptops. Except that on the NEC it was an external USB drive and on the NX9000 it has a built in drive.

poji23:

How old are your laptops, and what version of PClos worked for you?