*smile* You should probably wait until you are sober before you install it, just to ensure you do not forget some simple things -like the username password and the root password, just to name a couple. The default network name is “Mepis” but you might want to rename it something else, like “Home”, “Standard”, etc. -something simple but other-than-default. Domain Name preferably as “Home.dom” (for “Home” network, or whatever it is. Just keep them the same for simpicity’s sake).
It is very, very user friendly, and if you get stuck I am usually here in the evenings and can help if you wish.
It also comes with a few rescue tools in case you accidentally change a setting or two and can’t remember what you did to muck it up. :) Also very stable and I have yet to find a machine that did not run it well.
Mepis 8.0 (and 8.5) run well on the minimum 512k of RAM, and 11.xx runs well on 1G of RAM, plus there are 32b and 64b versions as well.
Current version: http://distro.ibiblio.org/mepis/released/
Older versions: http://mepis.mirrorcatalogs.com/released/
You probably want the v11.xx if your machine is at all newer than a few years ago, but I like the increased speed of the earlier versions on the newer machines instead of the latest.
YMMV.
Cheers!
Oh, and I am running both v8.0 and 11.xx in both 32b and 64b on several machines, so if you get stuck I can probably find one within a short period of time to switch to to help you out with specifics. As long as it is not running a current process, that is. Then it might take a bit longer...
Your mention of Mepis revived old memories, having tried it years ago. I considered having another look. Imagine my surprise to find the files on their website have not been updated since January 2012. Mepis may be convenient for file sharing, but it could not be up to date for Internet security. Certainly the included browsers would be outdated.
I tried Mepis and some others before settling on Ubuntu and later Mint. Mepis was not too user friendly when it came to setting up and using printers. With the print drivers manually installed, Mepis went through the motions of printing, but nothing ever printed out. I am very persistent, but finally gave up. By comparison, Ubuntu Hardy Heron was literally plug and play - I plugged in a printer, Ubuntu automatically detected it and installed the correct driver. Best of all, it printed. I was sold on Ubuntu from that time on and still use it.