How to get help

MEPIS Linux offers you excellent support.

Commercial users contract with the developer through www.mepis.com. MEPIS LLC offers a supported Linux product line that can be used to deploy secure server and desktop solutions. It also helps businesses modernize processes, simplify infrastructure, enhance competency and speed development, and consults with technology companies to define market strategies and develop maintainable products.

Individual users rely instead for support on the Community, which develops documentation, maintains a Wiki, and helps solve problems on a user's forum.

Resource sequence for individual support

Here is the recommended sequence of Community resources that individual users should turn to when looking for help:

  1. MEPIS User's Manual
    • Intended to be read like a book from front to back
    • Tightly edited for consistent format and style
    • Accessible through menu in side panel, Table of Contents, or using browser's search function
    • Content provides stable information about common topics
    • Points to outside sources for many details
  2. From Windows to MEPIS (www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php/From_Windows_to_MEPIS)
    • Intended to be read from cover to cover to orient Windows users to MEPIS Linux
    • Single author provides consistent approach to style and content
    • Accessible by following topic structure
    • Content covers a great range of general material
    • Unique document because of its wide view, deep understanding and practical help
  3. MEPIS Wiki (www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php/Main_Page)
    • Intended to be dipped into for particular topics
    • Many contributors produce variable approach to style and content
    • Accessible by following branching structure off Main page, using Wiki or custom Google search link, or exploring the Categories. Has RSS feeds
    • Content provides more changeable and specific information, relies on Community to update
    • Often provides much more detail, especially on less common topics
  4. Community website (www.mepiscommunity.org)
    • Intended as a portal to Community interests and activities
    • Oversight by administrative group of style and content
    • Acessible through top menu and site search. Has RSS feeds
    • Content includes info for beginners, Community projects (artwork, documentation, packaging, scripts, torrent, website), and blogs
    • Best way to follow new developments of all kinds.
  5. MepisLovers forum (www.mepislovers.org)
    • Intended for discussion of individual interests
    • Accessible through forum structure or search engine. Has RSS feeds.
    • Content often very particular, includes opinions as well as facts
    • Supplies most current and detailed information available for particular topics
    • Excellent source of help for unusual problems or environments.

Graphic help

Because some people find it easier to learn from images than from text, Community members have developed some helpful visual aids for beginners:

  • MEPIS Guides (www.mepisguides.com/)-- visual step-by-step guides on topics ranging from using Synaptic to setting autologin. Based on older versions of MEPIS but still very helpful.
  • Introduction to Linux (www.tomlinux.ca/)-- a demonstration video that uses MEPIS to walk new users through the basics of Linux. Also based on an earlier version of MEPIS, and also still helpful.

Caution

Linux in general and MEPIS in particular continue to develop, and much info found from general web search may be at best irrelevant, and can be even worse. For this reason, beginners are urged to seek their information from current MEPIS sources as much as possible, and to be very careful about following any other advice.

Last words

Don't worry about how much seems different at first. You can learn an immense amount by just clicking around and exploring things to see how they work. And if you really mess things up, remember that your LiveCD allows you to repair or reinstall easily, so it's not that big a deal. And if you do get stuck -- please join the forums and ask for help. The community is very friendly and glad to be able to help. On MepisLovers the only bad question is the one you don't ask.

Oh and finally -- welcome to MEPIS -- it's good to have you here!




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