For SimplyMEPIS 8.5 we started with the stable Debian ‘Lenny’ core and then selectively introduced updated packages that make SimplyMEPIS 8.5 a more timely operating system. Specifically, 8.5 uses a 2.6.32 kernel for up-to-date hardware support. It has the new KDE 4.3.4 desktop, yet retains much of the familiar MEPIS/KDE look and feel, so users can slowly become familiar with the new features in KDE 4.3. The new MEPIS Welcome Center guides users through their first steps with MEPIS including finding documentation, connecting with the community, and optionally installing additional applications and language packs.

MEPIS has released SimplyMEPIS 8.5.00, RC3 of MEPIS 8.5, now available from MEPIS and public mirrors. We’ve updated the kernel to 2.6.32.10. The release notes from the Linux kernel team indicated that they have been hard at work making improvements. We have changed the live media to use isolinux. This gave us the opportunity to add a hardware exploration tool to the boot options. Also we’ve expended the number of languages that can be selected at live boot. Soon we expect to take advantage of this to build a larger international Live media release, that will have appropriate KDE localizations built-in. There have been a number of improvements to the MEPIS Assistants.

Warren Woodford has released SimplyMEPIS 8.4.99, RC2 of MEPIS 8.5, now available from MEPIS and public mirrors. Warren reported: ‘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.’ ISO images of MEPIS community releases are published to the ‘released’ subdirectory at the MEPIS Subscriber’s Site and at MEPIS public mirrors.

SimplyMEPIS 8.4.98, release candidate 1 of MEPIS 8.5, is now available from MEPIS and public mirrors. Major packages have not changed since beta5, but we have made a number of minor tweaks to improve the user experience. We still have work to do on MEPIS components and the community is in the process of finalizing an updated user manual. ISO images of MEPIS community releases are published to the ‘released’ subdirectory at the MEPIS subscriber’s site and at MEPIS public mirrors. To support the ongoing development of MEPIS community editions, users are encouraged to go to become MEPIS subscribers at the MEPIS store.

SimplyMEPIS 8.4.96, the beta4 of MEPIS 8.5, is available from MEPIS and public mirrors. Warren said: ‘Even though the past two weeks were a holiday time, we have been busy. In this beta I did a lot work on the look and feel of the KDE 4 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.’