MEPIS Linux
Thanks to an internal post by
Aaron Ownbey, I was checking out an article about Linux installations, and ended up following one of the recommended links to
MEPIS Linux. Michael Barnes' article was so pro-MEPIS, I had to give it a try. After downloading the .iso from
mepis.org, and suffering through two mis-burned CDs (I'd like to thank EZ CD Creator for making me think I'd fried my hard drive for a solid 40 minutes), I had my installation CD.
The MEPIS Linux install CD is a Live CD, meaning that you can boot and run Linux from the CD, a la Knoppix. With OpenOffice's ability to open and save Microsoft format files, this CD can become a great tool for handling emergencies when away from your office.
Not for me though, I went all in and went for the dual install. This can become a daunting task, but MEPIS couldn't have made it any easier. I booted from the CD, ran the 'Install to hard drive' option, created a partition with the pre-installed Partition Magic clone, and the deed was done. After my initial CD issues, I had a dual boot laptop within 20 minutes, with no drowsy side effects. The list of preinstalled programs is impressive, and MEPIS did a great job of finding any necessary drivers & plugins it needed...sweet.
Michael Barnes took me from doubter to believer within 2 hours. Can he manage the Cubbies?
Here's the original article Aaron posted.