MEPIS LLC and MEPIS Linux were founded by industry veteran Warren Woodford in November 2002. Warren had tried several distributions of Linux, but found that they all fell short of his vision for how a Linux desktop should work. Inspired by his experience as a NeXT developer, Warren decided to try his hand at creating a Linux distribution that “just works.” The first version of MEPIS Linux was released to the public in May 2003. By September 2003, MEPIS had jumped to #10 at distrowatch.com.
In January 2004, Joe Barr at NewsForge called MEPIS Linux “the best value for the money of any Linux distribution I've tried yet” and declared it the Debian-based distro that was “most likely to succeed.” Word continued to spread about “the little distro from West Virginia that rocks” (Joe Barr, Newsforge). After the release of SimplyMEPIS in August, MEPIS climbed to #6 at distrowatch.com and eventually hit #1 in January 2005.
In 2006, MEPIS transitioned from using Debian packages to using Ubuntu packages. SimplyMEPIS 6.0, released in July 2006, is the first version of MEPIS to incorporate the Ubuntu packages and repositories. The MEPIS team has plans to begin work on a 64-bit version of SimplyMEPIS, as well as new releases of MEPISLite and ForensicMEPIS.
MEPIS is excited about the progress that has been made, but there is always more to be done. We are striving to take Linux to the next level, developing products that are even easier to use and that work right out of the box. MEPIS is committed to creating innovative features and products that are easy to try, easy to install, and easy to use.
Before founding MEPIS, Warren was instrumental in many projects including:
Abbott Labs
Abbott Park, IL
1993
Analyzed and recommended changes to resolve reliability issues with MAESTRO, a medical diagnostics information system for NeXT computers.
Modified and integrated 5 MAESTRO modules.
Licensed NeXT AppKit compatible complex table view UI object to client.
Catholic Healthcare West
San Francisco, CA
1996
Kaiser Permanente
Soutn San Francisco, CA
1995
Camino Healthcare
Sunnyvale, CA
1995
Designed and built systems for administering and delivering Policy & Procedure and Standards documentation, including the JACHO Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Hospitals.
Designed and delivered a system for managing building and maintenance information including engineering as-builts and maintenance procedures and history.
This was an extension of technology originally developed in TheLibrary. The solution was delivered on Dell PCs running the NeXT OPENSTEP OS for i386.
Borland/Visigenic
Burlingame, CA
1997
Designed and built modules for a Java Integrated Development Environment later incorporated into Borland products.
Built the world's first stable Java debugger, including a CORBA based network wide Java debugger.
Supported the IDE development team in realizing reliable system design and effective GUI design.
Ernst & Young Intl.
Cleveland, OH
1997-1998
webAWS is a web based application for managing, publishing, and archiving worksteps and evidence gathered during financial audit engagements worldwide.
Built a three-tiered application consisting of a web-based client, reusable Java middleware, and a MS-SQL Server database.
Used by audit teams and managers worldwide to define the workflow of a financial audit, gather evidence in support of the audit, track the progress, sign-off on the work done, draft and finalize reports, and archive the entire history of the engagement event.
Showcased by JavaSoft at their Java conference in 1998 as the only example of a suucessful enterprise application based on Java.
Ernst & Young LLC
San Jose, CA
1998-2002
Event/AWS is an extention of webAWS, that provides the ability to manage the process of periodically gathering information from E&Y client locations worldwide.
Built as a plug-in to webAWS. Publishes requests for information, tracks compliance with request, gathers results, and builds reports.
Primarily used by manufacturers like Intel and AMD to conduct monthy inventories at distributor sites.
Ernst & Young LLC
Cleveland, OH
1997-1998
Created an application to mark-to-mark client portfolios.
The application is used to verify the valuation of large client portfolios as part of evidence gathering during E&Y auditing engagements. It is also used to spot check portfolio valuation for clients purchasing periodic oversight services from E&Y.
The application utilizes pricing data captured daily from major feeds such as Reuters, Bridge, and Bloomberg. Portfolios are submitted in csv and Excel files via a 3-tiered application with a web-based client, reusable Java middleware, and a MS-SQL Server.
Ernst & Young LLP
Cleveland, OH
1997-1999
A multi-tiered Java infrastructure used to build applications for data sharing and data warehousing.
Effected technology transfer to Ernst & Young Consulting personnel and provided training in advanced OO techniques for frameworks and infrastructure design.
Kaleida Labs
Mountain View, CA
1994
Designed and built a dynamic interactive catalog title. Performed performance and architectural tests on the ScriptX technology. Evaluated Distributed ScriptX functionality for inclusion in set-top boxes. Designed an IDE for producing Interactive Titles in ScriptX.
Developed new techniques for creating automagical interactive objects, characters, and sprites to enable the creation of fully dynamic and human-interactive virtual environments for entertainment and education.
Collaborated with Marc Canter tp port a Director based educational game title, UnDo Me, to ScriptX for the TED5 conference.
Peter Norton Computing
Santa Monica, CA
1986
Wrote PC-DOS on-line references for various programming languages.
Later sold to Peter Norton and distributed as the Norton Guides.
Established a standard which resulted in language references being built into integrated development environments from major vendors like Microsoft and Borland.
Salomon/Phibro
Westport, CT
1992
Worked with traders and MIS management to successfully redesign a document and workflow management system integrating and automating front, mid, and back office oil and gas commodities trading database applications.
Designed a commercial accounting system for managing the costs of the physical trading of oil and gas commodities.
Performed a stress analysis and test of an object oriented global trading system, identified shortcomings and risks, and recommended design improvements. Lead a team to design and build an unique object relational layer over Sybase SQL Server and integrated it with NeXT IntefaceBuilder.
Designed and built an object layer over CLIPS, so business rules could be automatically applied to all aspects of the trading and accounting operations to prevent errors, generate acknowledgments, and minimize risk.
The system was delivered to run on NeXT Computers. A copy of the system was sold to Mobil Oil for several millions of dollars. The exact amount is confidential.
Sun/JavaSoft
Santa Clara, CA 1997
Reviewed the object class hierarchy design, developed an object test suite, and built demo apps for the original version of Java Foundation Classes.
Systematics General
Fairfax, VA
1981
Designed a WWMCCS graphics workstation to meet Navy and Air Force RFP requirements. The live-test system was praised and recommended by the USAF evaluation team.
Utilized new Intel hardware to provide a multi-tasking system comprised of a CPM/86 system for high-speed number crunching and a MPM/80 system for running off-the-shelf applications. Wrote a very high speed data encryption algorithm in 8086 assembly language for secure battlefield image transmission. This was the first commercial application of the 8087 math co-processor and of the MPM/80 operating system.
This system lost the RFP on price alone and it was reported that the US Navy and the USAF refused to buy off the awarded contract due to their preference for this system.
Creative Group
McLean, VA
1979
Developed TIROS-N satellite acquisition and data capture and processing systems for Belgium, Korea, India, and Singapore.
Controlled a circumpolar satellite acquisition system to acquire a raw datastream during a satellite pass, converted the stream into digital data, filtered the data and produced images in real time, and archived the full data stream for subsequent further analysis. Utilized a custom 8086 front-end processing system with a Data General back-end.
The first commercial application of 8086 processors. The backend of the system utilized Data General Nova computers.
TheLibrary
1991
A program and framework for distributing multimedia information and interactive titles over LANs, WANs, and the Internet.
Enabled the importing of content from many sources into associative collections. Used simple AI techniques to create a natural index for book-like content. Used object wrappers to enable the sharing of content nodes by multiple collections. Developed for NeXT computers.
TheClassroom
1990
A program to author interactive titles incorporating on-line references, full motion video, CD-quality sound, and high resolution graphics.
Maintained associative links between elements and collections automatically as content was edited.
TU International
Falls Church, VA
1980
In response to a RFP, developed a workstation to interface with LEGIS, CMS, JURIS, and other systems used by US Senate Staff. Intended to replace at least 3 seperate terminals and/or workstations in all US Senator's offices.
This custom system utilized state-of-the-art microprocessor hardware and custom software to emulate the systems being replaced.
No other vendor was able to meet the specs of the RFP. So after objections from vendor-constituants, a Senate Committee reversed the award and prohibited the Master at Arms from allowing any similar RFP to be issued until competitive bidding was possible--which never happened.
US Information Agency
Washington, DC
1984
Greatly enhanced the functionality of a data switching system purchased months earlier to route all traffic in the US Embassy data network.
Evaluated and tested the system delivered by the original vendor. Analyzed and emulated IBM3780, Wang3780, and async protocols as used in the USIA Network.
Reused the original system hardware and with the addition of a control IBM-XT PC and custom routing software, enabled the data switch to automagically route traffic from any field site to any other node in the network while transparently translating protocals if necessary.
Met and exceeded the requirements of the original RFP to the satisfation of the USIA Tech Control Center and the GAO.
Willliams Telecommunications
the Woodlands, TX
1991
Worked with key project personnel and management to design the Network Management System for Wiltel's new ATM net.
Reviewed the architecture and object design work of each project team and evaluated their competence for Senior Management based on expertise with AT&T, Objective-C, and NeXT.
WordFinder
Microlytics, Inc.
1984-1986
Wrote a 250,000 word thesaurus with over 30 million copies sold in software and hand-held versions. Developed a new efficient text compression algorithm for thesaurus data. Designed word processing format conversion modules.
Successfully defended WordFinder/SynonymFinder against copyright infringement claims by the Rodale Press. WordFinder was praised by MicroPro, who distributed it, for being 100% bug free.
SynonymFinder
Selfware, Inc.
1983
Wrote a 125,000 word thesaurus for PCs and MACs. The predecessor to WordFinder.
MicroPro
San Rafael, CA
1987
Ported WordStar 4.0 from 8085 to 8086 assembly language for WordStar 5.0.
Wrote device drivers for over 100 printer models for WordStar 5.5.
Designed a highly adaptive Device Driver to facilitate many different types of display devices.
Xerox SIS
Pasadena, CA
1985
Integrated a Dandelion workstation with a Kurzweil page scanner and custom software to create the prototype of the custom workstation type used to import and maintain the US Army Technical Library in the Xerox Star environment for Project Update.
Trained at PARC on Mesa Obect Oriented Pascal and Dandilion 29000 bitslice microcode. Designed a page scanner server based on the Dandilion workstation. Developed high-speed block transfer microcode for the parallel port. Utilized numerous Xerox Hacks for automating OCR, Star document merging, and Interpress printing.
Warren Woodford, Founder and Head Developer
Warren is the founder of MEPIS LLC and MEPIS Linux. He has an incredible history in the high tech industry. Warren was involved in many projects before MEPIS, including developing a battlefield workstation, designing satellite ground stations, writing a 250,000 word electronic thesaurus, and creating the first stable Java debugger. He was also successful as a Java developer and a NeXT developer. Click here to read more about the projects that Warren has been involved with.
Matthew Melbert, Support and Development
Matt has been involved with MEPIS since May 2004. He manages MEPIS Support, and assists in the development of MEPIS products. Matt also maintains the MEPIS server.
Erin Melbert, Products Manager
Erin has been part of the MEPIS team since June 2005. She manages product sales and shipping, and also helps maintain the MEPIS website. Erin also assists with testing MEPIS products, and is currently working on improving language support for MEPIS.
Forum Moderators are volunteers who give up their time to help build a better community. They answer questions from other users, and assist with organizing topics and enforcing forum etiquette and guidelines.
Founder and Developer
Gennaro Stéphane
Co-Administrators
David78
Gio879
Moderator
Jessminder
drlizau is really a doctor who sees sick people, in Australia. She likes to keep her identity very quiet.
Joe hails from the volunteer state, Tennessee. He has been an active member and moderator of the Mepis community for nearly 3 years, but has played with UNIX and Linux for the past 5 years. Joe recently graduated Summa Cum Laude from East Tennessee State University with honors. He was recently inducted into the ETSU Chapter of Upsilon Pi Epsilon Computer Science Honor Society. Joe was recognized at Northeast State Technical Community College as an Outstanding Student in Computer and Information Sciences in the Personal Computer Specialist category. He is a founding member and former President of the NSTCC Chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery. Joe was also recently nominated as a Collegiate Scholar in the 2006 International Scholar Laureate Program Delegation on Technology in China. Joe is currently a graduate student at East Tennessee State University majoring in Information Technology. Joe's interests have been primarily focused on network and system administration, computer forensics, information security, corporate IT techniques, and methods of optimization.
Carl (carlops) is a Dutch guy who has lived in the south of Spain for over 4 years. Having originally studied English Language and Literature in a dim past, he quickly converted to the IT business, and went from system administrator to network consultant to corporate network manager. He is currently trying to earn a living as a web developer. In his quest for an easy yet powerful version of Linux he found out about MEPIS in 2004 and was immediately impressed. Since then, he has learned (and is still learning!) a lot and has actively participated in the MEPIS forums to share that knowledge.
AdrianTM has been a MEPIS user for over 2 years. He has been an active part of the MEPIS online community for just as long, posting both on MEPIS.org and at MEPISlovers.org. He has done a lot of work on the MEPIS Wiki.
Allan (EnigmaOne) was transplanted from the paradise state of New Mexico to California many years ago. While he currently resides in Long Beach, he considers the Coachella Valley (the Palm Springs to Mecca/Thermal region) to be the next-best thing to home. His wife, Annie, four children still at home, two 'children' in college and grad school, cat and irritatingly non-conversant fish give him comfort in his time of geographically-induced angst.
He has been dabbling with Linux since the Red Hat Mother's Day release, finding it to be a nice change of pace from the proprietary Unix flavors of the era, as well as a step-up from DR-DOS; and has wandered the vast cross section of Linux communities that have cropped-up since that time. Allan has a broad-spectrum technical background with a major emphasis upon electrical engineering and systems analysis, and a minor emphasis upon programming. He is principally enamored with the vocation of teaching; and can be found pacing the room with a white board marker in his hand, occasionally scrawling numeric epiphanies on the nearest wall or monitor screen--repeating bad puns to himself and chuckling maniacally.
Jon Du Quesne (jon du quesne) - Jon lives in sunny San Diego, California with his wife, and a very talkative parrot. Jon's early interests were sailing ships and medicine. Ropes, knot work, and seasickness taught him to think in clever ways and be supportive of people in trouble. His first computer was a sliderule and he remembers a time when computers were not "personal" but rather, were only used by governments, universities, and very large companies that had money. He sold some of the first "personal computers" back in the eighties. Jon has been part of the MEPIS community for close to 2 years, but has played with different Linux distributions for almost 10 years and Unix before that. He is a programmer and system administrator by day, and annoys his wife by continuing to work with computers at night. He likes to learn, teach, and help others. When not working with computers he reads classical literature to further confuse his mind.
Site Administrator
carlops
Moderator
polux
Site Mantainers and Forum Moderators
Alessandro Nestola
Franco Fait
Forum moderators
fort alamo
weseven
MEPISLovers Site Administrator
blue_genjutsu
Super Moderators
dgs
Eadwine Rose
Moderators
Acesabe
adamsjw2 (networking forum)
anticapitalista
carlops (Spanish forums)
fortAlamo (Italian forums)
francofait (Italian forums)
ko bros
lucky9
lykwydchykyn
mepnoob2005 (English and French forums)
mos
poluxmx (Spanish forums)
richb
SilverBear
We're currently working to improve language support for MEPIS with our team of hard-working volunteer translators.
Ceti, Brazilian Portuguese
Carlops, Dutch and Spanish
Laurent, French
Jessminder, French
Additionally, Carlops and Jessminder have been taking the lead with their own translation teams to help create a French and a Spanish version of MEPIS.
The following were designed by MEPIS user, Ruud Kuin.
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