MEPIS Community Forum

My only experience is with PCLinuxOS. Although its a very easy to use distro and very stable, the rolling updates can cause problems from time to time. Tex (the developer) recommends updating continually. It is highly frowned upon to not keep your system updated. It seems that if you get behind on updates, when you do update you can have issues due to missing updates. They do not have separate repos for security or programs. All repos are mirrors. When you update, everything is updated. All installed programs get updated along with kde and I think even the kernel from time to time. The biggest issue I noticed was the kde updates, as they restored all settings and the desktop to default. So you basically lost your whole desktop and settings. It can be a real pain sometimes to get things back to good.

I don't know about debian based distros as PCLOS is rpm. Maybe debian based releases are different and you can wait with updates until you are ready or only install certain updates. But with PCLinuxOS, all updates are made to work together. Infact, before installing any program you must update your system first. (A practice I continue.) There really is no choice if you want to update or not. You either update continually or you update never. If you choose never, you also don't install new programs or security updates.

Like I said, some distros might be different. But I know at least PCLOS you must continually update or risk messing up your system. Usually its nothing beyond repair. But I want to use my system for work. Not for the entertainment of tinkering with my computer to fix things that went wrong in an update. That is why I will no longer consider a rolling release distro. Mepis has is absolutely correct by basing on stable and providing security updates and program updates through the community repos. I don't know of any other distro that does it this way. Its really what makes Mepis, Mepis, in my eyes.

Well said my friend. In fact, I think I said something very similar in another thread a few days ago. I knew that sounded good for some reason. (lol) :D


(Big blue fan and Hoosier fan agreeing with each other, that might be dangerous.... )

sorry but have to disagree with both of you.... MEPIS is for me since 2004 and I do want the latest and greatest also and so do many other members here. Jerry

That's your right, but there are many of us on both sides, so both sides have to be accounted for. I feel that Mepis does that. It is stable for those of us who want stability, and the newer packages allow us to get at least some of the so called "latest and greatest."

Good points Roadblock and I agree MEPIS does a very good job meeting the needs of both types of users. One of the main reasons I have stuck with MEPIS is it IS user friendly both in a GUI and the konsole and it uses Debian. With average user skills and this great community a person can push MEPIS ahead of the pack of available Debian derivitives. So far I have not been able to achieve the same success in any of the others including pure Debian. Thanks to Warren and this Community for making it possible. Jerry

My current PLCOS installation dates back to August, 2010. That shipped with KDE 4.4.5, I believe. I know that I had to set up my desktop again after they went from 4.5.x to 4.6.x because I wrote about it in my notes. Can't recall if I had to do the same when they went from 4.4.x to 4.5.x, but that was probably the case.

In any case, it was relatively painless; on March 9, 2011, I wrote in this in my notes:



I do updates in PCLOS about once a week. Sometimes once every two weeks or so. And I sorta keep an eye on the announcements at their forums.

I don't know about other rolling-release distros, but PCLOS really seems to do things right. A year and a half after PCLOS KDE 2010.07, I'm on PCLOS KDE 2012.02, with KDE 4.6.5 (so much for "latest and greatest"). I'll probably have to re-do the desktop again when Texstar goes to 4.7.x or (more likely, I think) 4.8, but I'm thinking (and hoping!) it won't be too traumatic.

Yes, I agree that PCLOS does things right. I didn't mean to imply I don't like it. Its still my favorite distro next to Mepis. It was the kde 4.5 to 4.6 update that I didn't like. As you said it wasn't overly difficult to set up again. But when I have it on my wifes computer and my moms computer 4 hours away, its hard to maintain them if the updates are changing the desktop or causing other problems. Especially since my wife and my mom would never update and they would only get updated a couple times a year. After the kde 4.5-4.6 update issues I decided I didn't want my mom having those kind of update issues since I wouldn't be able to get out there to fix them for several months. So I would rather have the stability of a non-rolling release. But for those who are able to keep things updated once a week as you do, and if you don't mind resetting all your settings, a rolling release does give you the most current software. I'd just rather not deal with those potential issues. Which is good for Mepis, otherwise I actually prefer the look and feel of PCLOS. Not that I'm any great asset to the Mepis community or anything. But I do sing its praises. Thats got to be worth something!

Yeah, I see what you mean. I didn't really expect my PCLOS 2010.07 installation to survive this long, actually. I figured updates would eventually break it to the point where I'd have to reinstall, if I chose to. With Mepis (and with Debian Stable), there are never any such concerns here! That's why PCLOS will probably never be my only distro; and I completely understand your preference for Mepis, especially given your situation.

Does anyone know anything new? Is Warren still working on 11.5?

Yup, just not very quickly.