AntiX is out

AntiX (pronounced “antics”), the lightweight rendition of SimplyMepis (which I’ve found to be unusually heavy), has a new release available for download.

I liked the first version of AntiX — it’s based on the Mepis core (which, in turn, now tracks Debian rather than Ubuntu) but uses the Fluxbox window manager rather than Mepis’ KDE. AntiX also features many more lightweight apps that perform better on older, weaker hardware.

In the past, I’ve wondered what Mepis can offer that you can’t get by running Fluxbox in Debian, Slackware, Damn Small Linux, Zenwalk and Vector. I guess you have to try it.

In the past, I’ve had very good things to say about both Vector and Zenwalk (both derivatives of Slackware) with Fluxbox. And I run my 233 MHz, 64 MB laptop with Debian and Fluxbox.

On the other hand, a distro that uses Fluxbox as its main window manager should be set up better than one that uses it as an afterthought.

As always, when it comes to Linux, it’s all about choice and variety.

AntiX is out

AntiX (pronounced “antics”), the lightweight rendition of SimplyMepis (which I’ve found to be unusually heavy), has a new release available for download.

I liked the first version of AntiX — it’s based on the Mepis core (which, in turn, now tracks Debian rather than Ubuntu) but uses the Fluxbox window manager rather than Mepis’ KDE. AntiX also features many more lightweight apps that perform better on older, weaker hardware.

In the past, I’ve wondered what Mepis can offer that you can’t get by running Fluxbox in Debian, Slackware, Damn Small Linux, Zenwalk and Vector. I guess you have to try it.

In the past, I’ve had very good things to say about both Vector and Zenwalk (both derivatives of Slackware) with Fluxbox. And I run my 233 MHz, 64 MB laptop with Debian and Fluxbox.

On the other hand, a distro that uses Fluxbox as its main window manager should be set up better than one that uses it as an afterthought.

As always, when it comes to Linux, it’s all about choice and variety.

AntiX spin on Mepis in ‘pre-final’ stage, should be ‘final’ in early July

AntiX, the Fluxbox-based, 128 MB RAM-friendly version of Mepis is now in its “pre-final” stage, with a final release from its maker anticapitalista expected in early July, according to the developer himself on the Mepis forum.

As I’ve said, AntiX is promising — and will probably leap right over Fluxbuntu in polish, usability and functionality. The only drawback is that it doesn’t run in 64 MB of RAM. But for those with 128 MB or more, AntiX is, thus far, a great Linux distro.

Anticapitalista’s post tells you where to get the “pre-final” ISO (and gives the login and password you need for the FTP site).

I consider AntiX a step up from the other Fluxbox biggie, Damn Small Linux, because AntiX offers the quick desktop environment of Fluxbox while providing the flexibility of apt and Synaptic for adding apps to the system. It won’t run on the low-spec systems that DSL excels on, but for those with mid-level hardware (128 MB and above), AntiX is poised to become quite a player in the distro field.