AntiX-M8.5 is available at MEPIS mirrors in the antix subdirectory.

Here is anticapitalista’s announcement of antiX-M8.5:

9 months since the release of antiX-M8.2, the antiX-team announce that antiX MEPIS 8.5 ‘Marek Edelman’ – a fast, light, flexible and complete desktop and livecd based on SimplyMEPIS and Debian Testing – is now available in full and base versions (686 and 486 kernel). This release defaults to a fully customised icewm desktop (fluxbox, wmii and dwm are also installed) using a SimplyMEPIS 2.6.32-11 kernel, tweaked MEPIS Assistants for better compatibility in antiX and the usual range of applications for desktop use. Iceape for internet needs, Abiword and gnumeric for office use, xmms and goggles music manager for audio, gxine, mplayer and gnome-mplayer for video, wicd and ceni for network connection, pidgin for chat. Many cli apps are also included such as Alpine for email, moc for audio, links2 for browsing, abcde and ripit for cd ripping and much more. New features include live with persistence, ‘remaster on the fly’, new boot cheatcodes for setting dpi and desktop windows manager, antix2usb to easily install to usb stick. 12 languages are fully supported out of the box with the language chosen at live CD boot carrying over to install.

antiX works on computers with as little as 64 MB RAM, though 128MB RAM is the recommended minimum and the 486 kernel version should work on AMD K5/k6.
antiX is fast and has low RAM usage running live or installed.

Full Release notes for ‘Marek Edelman’ (antiX-M8.5)

Main upgrades from antiX-M8.2

* Persistence live with ‘remaster on the fly then install feature’
* All MEPIS tools updated and adapted for antiX
* MEPIS 2.6.32-11 kernel
* Dependency based booting
* ext4 available as option in installer
* Improved antiX-Control Centre, new script for autologin
* New icewm/fluxbox menu structure
* Improved and extended themes and artwork for icewm and fluxbox
* Localisation of antiX apps extended
* meta-installer to install kde4, xfce, lxde, gnome
* iceape replaces iceweasel
* X.org 7.4
* Rox-filer 2.10
* fluxbox 1.1.1
* wicd 1.7 with wicd-ncurses added
* pidgin 2.6.5
* ceni 2.7
* smxi, inxi scripts upgraded
* Dillo2
* antix2usb gui
* sysv-rc-conf replaces rcconf
* system-config-printer replaces gtklp
* gamix replaces aumix
* asunder replaces gnormalize
* geeqie replaces gqview
* mpd/ncmpcpp/mpdpss added
* gxine added
* apvlv added
* dwm and dmenu added
* wmii added
* imagination slideshow added
* sudoku game added
* smbc included for samba shares
* ttf-sil-gentium font added
* Samba/pyneighborhood added to install-meta
* Extra cheatcodes at boot menu
* cdw removed
* aptitude removed

All apps: apt-get dist-upgrade on 11 April 2010.

Some quick advice:

1. Choose your language before installation by pressing F2 at live boot grub screen or typing lang=XX (XX= your language eg lang=ru).

2. Choose your prefered screen resolution by pressing F3 at live boot grub screen or typing xres=XX (XX= your resolution eg xres=1366×768).

3. Have a read of the cheat options by pressing F1 at live boot grub screen. See cheats below.

4. Use sgfxi (or smxi) to install nvidia/ATI drivers.

5. As antiX is a ‘rolling release’ distro it is advisable to run regular dist-upgrades. Using apt-get or install and use aptitude (but keep to one) from the command line is recommended, as is using the smxi script. Synaptic is best used for installing/upgrading individual packages.

6. You can safely use sidux, liquorix and Debian kernels in antiX (if you wish). Use smxi.

7. You can set the autologin feature of SLiM in antiX Control Centre. You can also toggle F1 at the login screen to choose your desired desktop. Rox desktop (with icons) is available.

8. To install antiX to a usb device use the antix2usb-gui app.

9. Have a read of the antiX FAQ and the ‘How To’ articles at the antiX main site.
http://antix.mepis.com/index.php/Howto_articles

10. Cheatcode options that carry over to install.
desktop=fluxbox (or wmii, dwm for live)
dpi=xx (XX=a number. Default is 96)
Rox (Sets Rox desktop)

11. If you are using the persistence or ‘remaster on the fly then install’ option, do make sure that these are the correct links before installing to hard drive. (if not just rename them)
For antiX-full: /etc/rc0.d/K11ejectcd /etc/rc6.d/K11ejectcd /etc/rcS.d/S25antiX-post.sh
For antiX-base: /etc/rc0.d/K10ejectcd /etc/rc6.d/K10ejectcd /etc/rcS.d/S25antiX-post.sh

Thanks:

* BitJam for modified linuxrc to enable persistence and ‘remaster on the fly’. Brilliant!
* OU812 for new menu structure on antiX-M8.5. And much more.
* secipolla for pt_BR translations. And much more.
* ICE-M for BlackAntiX fluxbox theme. And much more.
* Translators – eselma,wingevil, plvera, Richard, Hannes Worst, Ko, coyotito, Vipe, Diversion, Per, alaqsory, Ensifer, kuvaly, Vizesiz gezegen, atcl and translators at antiX Launchpad.
* impuwatt for antiX-themes and Marek Edelman grub image.
* eriefisher for packaging and forum help
* sleekmason for the sleek2flux fluxbox theme
* h2 for integrating the smxi script into antiX and for inxi, sgfxi, svmi. (http://smxi.org)
* Sakasa for the never-ending supply of quality wallpaper. (http://bestfreewallpaper.net)
* lagopus for the antix2usb script and French translation.
* Adrian for the remaster script.
* Jerry for FAQ editing and general documentation work.
* SilverBear for finishing touches to antiX FAQ.
* oldhoghead, dolphin_oracle, rokytnji, masinick for testing and promoting antiX as widely as possible.
* Loukas Avgeriou aka luckyb for luckyBackup tool (http://luckybackup.sourceforge.net)
* teresaejunior for mpdpss
* SliTaz for mountbox
* carlops for hosting antiX at mepisimo.

not forgetting, of course,

* Warren at MEPIS
* antiX Community
* MEPIS Community
* Debian team and volunteers.

and all users, testers, suggesters, torrent seeders and friends at antiX and MEPIS forums.

and many more…