smxi is a script written by a programmer named “h2” that enables users to keep their antiX OS installation up-to-date and running as a rolling release.

When run, smxi allows users to install a new kernel, install ATI and nVidia graphics drivers, run apt-get upgrade or apt-get dist-upgrade safely, change antiX to a Sid-based system, and lots more!

The script is self explanatory. For usage options, execute smxi -h.

smxi is already installed in antiX and ready to run. smxi must be run outside of the X window system. To get out of X when on your desktop, press Ctrl-Alt-F1 to get to a terminal prompt, log in as root, and then type: smxi

smxi will stop X and ask a series of questions the first time it is run, including which system options you want to run (ie default, aptosid, sid). antiX developer anticapitalista suggests selecting the continue-no-changes option, using apt-get (rather than aptitude) and apt-get dist-upgrade.

If you want to run smxi before booting to the desktop, add 3 to the end of the kernel line in GRUB’s menu entry for antiX (type e when on the menu to be able to edit it) and it will boot directly to the console. After smxi has completed its operations it will ask if you want to start the desktop.

Running smxi -G in a root terminal while inside a running X session allows certain features of smxi to run, such as removing unwanted kernels etc.

sgfxi is the script in smxi that deals with installing graphical drivers. As with smxi, it must be run out of X desktop. Logged as root, type: sgfxi

Also included in antiX is inxi, a script from h2 (the author of smxi and sgfxi). inxi is a convenient command line system information script. Run inxi -h for all the options available. To update, run inxi -U as root user to get the updated man page.

antiX also comes with a gui front end to inxi called inxi-gui. Find it in Control Centre-→Hardware-→PC Information or type inxi-gui in a terminal.