In an update with synaptic the package linux firmware-nonfree got broken. It seems to conflict with linux firmware-free that comes with MEPIS. I get the following error:

trying to overwrite '/lib/firmware/tigon/tg3_tso.bin', which is also in package firmware-linux-free 0

What to do? I there a way to solve this? __{{emoticon}}__

If you need this app then:

#dpkg -i --force-overwrite /var/cache/apt/archives/firmware-linux-nonfree_0.21_all.deb

then

#apt-get -f install

if not, just purge them all (I removed all the mepis packages which i didn't need and disabled the repos in my antiX-sid, but that's because they were giving me trouble and I didn't need most of them).

There is also a new kernel available in the MEPIS repos and a new firmware-linux-free package that will probably also need a
#dpkg -i --force-overwrite /var/cache/apt/archives/firmware-linux-free*.deb
#apt-get -f install

As secipolla says, if you are happy with the old 2.6.27 kernel or a new liquorix one, then after doing the above, comment out MEPIS repos and then
#apt-get purge firmware-linux-free firmware-linux-nonfree
#apt-get update
#apt-get install firmware-linux-free firmware-linux-nonfree

to get the ones from Debian

I saw your thread at the tech patterns forum. To be honest, i don't even know what this firmware package does. I guess they're drivers that don't come with the kernel.
Your video card, S3 Savage, is what's giving you the black screen when you enter smxi in the newer kernel, I guess. I hear this card has some driver problems sometimes.
So at first just purge firmware-linux-free and firmware-linux-nonfree and try smxi. If all goes well you don't even need to reinstall them back.
Another thing: I think (I may be wrong here, since I'm not familiarized with MEPIS) that the MEPIS repo try to bring some extras for people running MEPIS which is based on Debian stable. Since you're running sid (with all the latest packages) and uses smxi I think that you don't need the MEPIS repo. Like techAdmin said, until they change their packages they will keep conflicting with Debian, specially with sid (which has the latest changes).

This is what I did with my antiX-sid: I opened Synaptic, chose to see the packages by origin and selected the mepis repos then I checked every package and 'completely removed' (the same as purge in apt-get) them. I think I only kept some MEPIS tools. Then you comment or delete the MEPIS repos lines in /etc/apt/sources.list and do an 'apt-get autoremove', then 'apt-get update', then you can either reboot to level 3 and run smxi or do an 'apt-get dist-upgrade' and finally 'apt-get autoclean'.

Secipolla, Anti,

Thanks for the advice! It helped a lot. With the first directions about forcing the install of firmware-linux-nonfree I got my smxi working again with the newest kernel. Hope I don't get in any other trouble, but at that point I will remember your last advice Secipolla. I'd first like to try it out a bit as it runs right now.