Personal Fedora 9 Installation Guide
Personal Fedora 9 Installation Guide
Mauriat Miranda (http://www.mjmwired.net/contact/)
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Published: 11 May 2008 (updated: 29 May 2008)
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This guide a personal configuration of Fedora 9. This page is to provide some common installation tips that people may find useful. Keep in mind this works for me, so take care in doing proper backups to critical files whenever trying something. This guide was simultaneously authored testing a AMD64 Desktop running i386 (32-bit) Fedora and Intel DuoCore Laptop running x86_64 (64-bit) Fedora.
Installation Media
Fedora 9 is provided as either CD-ROM's or DVD-ROM's for installation. You can either download the multiple CD sets or single DVD for installation. The DVD-ROM disk is preferred and recommended method of installation. Booting the DVD or booting from CD#1 will start the installer which will allow Fedora to be installed on your computer or for you to upgrade an existing Fedora on your machine. The following steps were done with the single DVD installation.
There are also "LiveCD's" which can be booted and will run a basic Fedora 9 in memory while also providing a simpler method of installation (not as complete at the DVD or multi-CD method). The default LiveCD ships with Gnome (ex: Fedora-9-Live-i386.iso). There is a specific LiveCD that ships with KDE (this is specifically marked). Both provide an installer however they come with significantly less software than the DVD. Also they require more memory in order to be useable. The LiveCD may be useful for demonstration.
Note: To upgrade an existing Fedora installation you cannot use a Live disk.
Physical Installation
It is highly recommended you read the Fedora Release Notes and official Installation Guide before installing Fedora.
An additional recommendation is to read Common Problems before installing.
Obtain the Fedora 9 DVD image or multi-CD set images from a Fedora mirror (or use the torrent) and burn to DVD. (For more information on how to download Fedora CD's or DVD).
Boot from the DVD. If you choose to use a LiveCD please note that the following steps will differ.
I did a Custom Install of Fedora 9.
- Network Setup The networking options will default to dynamically configure the network using DHCP. This will work for most high speed internet users. NOTE: IPv6 - If you select Edit under Network Devices you can disable IPv6 for Fedora. This should not be necessary, however it may be helpful to disable here and re-enable later if you know you have problems with IPv6.
- Root password This is your "Adminstrator" or "Superuser" password that lets you access everything on your system. Pick a good password and remember it. The root account should not be used as a personal user login.
- Partitioning
- If you have an empty hard drive or wish to delete the entire contents of your drive, then let the installer automatically partition or remove everything and partition.
- If you wish to dual-boot or save some contents on your drive, then select custom partitioning. I recommend at least 3 partitions: an 8-12GB / main partition, a 10+GB /home partition and a 1-2GB
partition. The main partition is where your applications will be installed. The /home partition will hold all your personal data (make this as large as you can). The should be at least as large as your physical memory (if you wish to support things like ACPI hibernate).
- Boot Loader
- If you have a blank harddrive or wish Fedora to be your Primary Operating System, then leave the default options here. This also works for dual booting with other systems (ex: Windows).
- If you wish to preserve Windows as your primary operating system, then install Grub on the / partition, NOT the MBR. To do this, select Change device on the Install boot loader screen and install to First sector of boot partition. I use Bootpart from Windows 2000/XP to load Linux. An alternative to Bootpart is the NT OS Loader + Linux mini-HOWTO (also Grub Win2K Howto). I recommend this so you do not corrupt your Windows installation in a Dual-Boot environment. [NOTE] There is an example configuration available. This does take more work, and the default option on the MBR will also work. This will work for users who are triple booting Vista/XP/Fedora (as I do).
- General Package Selection The primary options for installation are the following. You can select these and skip individual package selection (next step) if you plan to install most of your software from online (via YUM). It is recommended you at least pick certain applications.
- Office and Productivity - [Highly Recommended]
- Software Development - [Highly Recommended / Required]
- Web Server - [Optional (useful for web developers)]
Add Additional Software Repositories - [NOT Recommended at Install time]. You do have the option of adding helpful repositories during install. This will give access to MANY more applications than included on the CD's or DVD. However this requires a high-speed internet access that is detected by the Fedora Installer. This will also significantly increase the installation time.
If you select Customize now you will be taken to the Individual Package Selection.
- Individual Package Selection - apx 4.5-5.0GB. - It is significantly helpful to grab a some specific important packages (to reduce unnecessary downloading later). You are free to select whatever you want. The following in my experience are common useful suggestions:
- Desktop Environments
- [Highly Recommended] - Select both GNOME Desktop Environment and KDE (K Desktop Environment)
- [Optional] - Select XFCE - This is a less intensive environment and good for older computers.
- Applications - The default selection of applications is sufficient. Note the following:
- [Required] - Graphical Internet - Add libflashsupport to properly hear sound in Adobe Flash plugin.
- [Recommended] - Graphical Internet - Add thunderbird as an email client.
- [Recommended] - Sound and Video - Add k3b for CD/DVD creation.
- Development
- [Recommended] - Select GNOME Software Development, KDE Software Development and X Software Development.
- [Recommended/Optional] - Select Fedora Packager - Useful for some software building/administration.
- [Optional] - Fedora Eclipse and Java Development are not necessary unless you are a (Java) developer. This is NOT exactly the same as Sun's Java software.
- Servers
- [Highly Recommended] - Add Server Configuration Tools.
- [Required] - Add Windows File Server (required to share files with Windows computers).
- Base System
- [Highly Recommended] - Add Legacy Software Support and System Tools.
- [Optional] - Deselecting some items in Dial-up Networking Support, Fonts (lots of foreign fonts) and Hardware Support (lots of various WiFi) may reduce unwanted/unusable software depending on your location and hardware.
- Desktop Environments
Install the selected packages and reboot.
For users who opted to install grub on the first sector of the / partition instead of the MBR, you will be required to setup NTLDR to boot Linux.
For the first boot:
- License - Accept any licenses for Fedora
- Create User - Create 1 user account for yourself. Always use that account DO NOT use root as your personal account. This is a cause of many mistakes, and root is not intended for personal use.
- Date and Time - Network Time Protocol - Enable this ONLY if you have an active working internet connection that is on (ex: broadband, T1, DSL). You do not need to check the time server every time the service starts.
- Hardware Profile - Fedora used smolt to provide basic non-intrusive information on your specific installation. While this may be helpful to Fedora developers, some may consider it a privacy issue. Please understand what information is being sent before you allow it to do so. I personally do not sent profile information.
Top Resources
Setup sudo
07 November 2007
Fedora, like all other Linux distributions, has a root user and has individual users. The root is the "superuser", somewhat similar to "Administrator" in Windows.
Use the personal account you created at First Boot for daily use root only for administration/configuration. To run as 'root' use su or sudo commands. However sudo requires setup. As root run:
echo 'loginname ALL=(ALL) ALL' >> /etc/sudoers Where 'loginname' is your user account. Use 'ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL' if you don't want to be prompted a password. If you are prompted for a password with 'sudo' it is the user password, not root.
Example:
[mirandam@charon ~]$ su Password: <--- Enter root password [root@charon mirandam]# echo 'mirandam ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL' >> /etc/sudoers [root@charon mirandam]# exit exit
The following is an example of how sudo lets you execute root commands:
[mirandam@charon ~]$ du -sh /root du: `/root': Permission denied <--- Fails!!! [mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo du -sh /root 163M /root <--- Works!!!
NOTE: Every command provided on this page will work if you remove sudo from the command. However this requires you must be logged in as 'root'. An alternative to using sudo is to use su to login as root, before executing a command.
Top Resources
Setup yum
13 May 2008
http://fedora.redhat.com/docs/yum/en/
Fedora uses yum to install and update its software. When connected to the internet it will automatically determine application dependancies.
Fedora Repositories
Fedora has 2 repositories enabled by default: fedora (the same packages that come on any combination of the CD's or DVD's) and updates (updated packages, newer than fedora repository).
These repositories 'sign' their RPM files to make sure they are valid when downloaded. Import the GPG keys to these repositories:
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo rpm --import /etc/pki/rpm-gpg/*
Third Party Repositories
For applications that are against Fedora policies (MP3, DVD, MPEG, Binary Drivers, etc), a third party repository should be used. For the purpose of this guide, (most) all needs are met by the Livna repository. (Note: the Livna repository is NOT compatible with the Freshrpms repository.)
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo rpm -ivh http://rpm.livna.org/livna-release-9.rpm [mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo rpm --import /etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-livna
NOTE: Installation Prompt
After yum downloads the application or update requested it will prompt to install. This is good for learners or to keep track of what is happening. Applications can possibly be UN-installed in a update as well. If you wish yum to automatically install downloads and make changes, run yum with the -y (answer "yes") option.
# sudo yum -y install application_name
NOTE: Full System Updates
If you run the following, EVERY SINGLE RPM that has an available update through ANY repository will be updated.
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo yum update
Generally speaking this is highly recommended the FIRST time you install Fedora (if you have high speed internet). After that, full system updates are probably less necessary. Keep in mind that updates, may update all their dependancies, which can lead to long download times. Often a new update may break something that already worked. Please understand what you are doing before running continuous updates.
NOTE: YUM retaining kernel packages
Fedora 9 will only retain 2 kernel packages when updating via yum update. To change this please see the man page for yum.conf and look for installonly_limit: [mirandam@charon ~]$ man yum.conf
Top Resources
Install Nvidia Driver
29 May 2008
Fedora recommends users install a 3rd-party RPM packaged driver instead of using the installer from Nvidia's website. Currently Livna provides a well packaged driver, installable via yum.
First, setup Livna Repository
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo rpm -ivh http://rpm.livna.org/livna-release-9.rpm [mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo rpm --import /etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-livna
Install the nvidia driver through Livna:
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo yum install kmod-nvidia
If a kernel update is installed at the same time (most likely), then a reboot will be required. If not, then simply log out completely of Gnome or KDE and the Nvidia driver should load. The Nvidia logo will flash quickly once.
Top Resources
Network Management
12 May 2008
Fedora 9 uses NetworkManager by default. While this has greatly improved networking for users with wireless and less common devices (mobile broadband, GSM, etc.) it may still have problems with some configurations. NetworkManager is still under constant development.
NOTE: The following steps do NOT apply to all users. NetworkManager is highly recommended for Laptop users, especially using wireless with security.
Startup Applications Requiring Network
Some applications require the network to be initialized during boot. If you are using NetworkManager and having these problems, edit /etc/sysconfig/network as 'root' and add the following line: NETWORKWAIT=1. Or run:
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo su -c 'echo NETWORKWAIT=1 >> /etc/sysconfig/network'
NetworkManager on Fixed Networks
On machines with a fixed networking device and a fixed IP address (e.g. desktop, server, appliance), it might be easier to disable NetworkManager and use the older network service. Note that the Fedora 9 installer disables the network service by default. To switch to using the network service:
First disable NetworkManager and prevent it from automatically loading:
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo /etc/init.d/NetworkManager stop Stopping NetworkManager daemon: [ OK ] [mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo /sbin/chkconfig --level 35 NetworkManager off
Next, configure your network settings:
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo system-config-network
You should have an eth0 device already showing. To configure the IP settings click on Edit. Do not forget to set DNS on the DNS tab (if you're using fixed IP's). Make sure the eth0 is selected as Active. Then File > Save and quit.
Next, enable the service and make sure it loads at next boot:
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo /etc/init.d/network start Bringing up loopback interface: [ OK ] Bringing up interface eth0: [ OK ] [mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo /sbin/chkconfig --level 35 network on
While it may be possible to re-activate your network without a reboot, it may be recommended to reboot.
Some related information can be found on the Fedora Wiki.
Top Resources
GCC Compatibility
11 May 2008
Fedora 9 ships and uses GCC 4.3. Some applications that were compiled with an older GCC (ex: 3.2) will require compatibility libraries. Make sure to have the following RPM's installed.
These are NOT included with the Fedora 9 DVD and must be downloaded online (ftp, yum, etc).
compat-libstdc++-33 compat-libstdc++-296
With 'yum', run:
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo yum -y install compat-libstdc++-33 compat-libstdc++-296
Top Resources
Install GCC 3.4
11 May 2008
This is an optional step.
Fedora 9 includes GCC 4.3 compiler, which is a relatively new version. Some applications will NOT compile in GCC 4.3. You can install GCC 3.4 to allow compiling applications which do not yet support GCC 4.1. Make sure to have the following RPM's installed.
These are NOT included with the Fedora 9 DVD and must be downloaded online (ftp, yum, etc).
compat-gcc-34 compat-gcc-34-c++
With 'yum', run:
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo yum install compat-gcc-34 compat-gcc-34-c++
To use either, run gcc34 or g++34. I have more information on using alternate compilers.
Top Resources
Install Realplayer
11 May 2008
Download RealPlayer 11.0 GOLD from: http://www.real.com/linux/.
Select: "Advanced Installation OptionsRedHat Package"
Install RealPlayer:
[mirandam@charon Download]$ sudo rpm -ivh RealPlayer11GOLD.rpm Preparing... ########################################### [100%] 1:RealPlayer ########################################### [100%]
RealPlayer/HelixPlayer Forums: https://helixcommunity.org/forum/?group_id=154
NOTE: Totem issues: If the Totem-Mozilla-Plugin tries to load RealPlayer content instead of RealPlayer, try removing the plugin:
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo yum remove totem-mozplugin
NOTE: 64-bit Users (x86_64):
In order to use RealPlayer on a 64-bit Fedora there are several different steps.
Download a 64-bit nightly build from: http://forms.helixcommunity.org/helix/builds/?category=realplay-current. Make sure to select from column "RealPlayer (package)" and row "linux-2.6-glibc23-amd64". Even though the file says "amd64", I was able to do the following steps on an Intel 64 bit Duo-Core machine.
Install it. For example, I downloaded: RealPlayer-10.1.0.4305-20080511.amd64.rpm.
[mirandam@phoebe Download]$ sudo rpm -ivh RealPlayer-10.1.0.4305-20080511.amd64.rpm
In order to run it you will need the gcc compatibility libraries:
[mirandam@phoebe Download]$ sudo yum install compat-libstdc++-33
To configure the Mozilla/Firefox plugin, set up the proper links:
[mirandam@phoebe Download]$ sudo ln -s /opt/real/RealPlayer/mozilla/nphelix.so /usr/lib64/mozilla/plugins/nphelix.so [mirandam@phoebe Download]$ sudo ln -s /opt/real/RealPlayer/mozilla/nphelix.xpt /usr/lib64/mozilla/plugins/nphelix.xpt
Top Resources
Install MP3 Players
11 May 2008
Fedora ships without any form of MP3 playback. In order to add MP3 playback you must install from a 3rd party. The following requires the use of the Livna repository.
XMMS: simple, older GUI, minimalistic features (but still popular)
- Installation through yum:
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo yum install xmms xmms-mp3 xmms-faad2
- Plugin settings: Options > Preferences > Audio I/O Plugins > Input Plugins Disable: MPEG Layer 1/2/3 Placeholder Plugin [librh_mp3.so] ==> UNCHECK [ ] Enable Plugin
- More detailed instructions from Fedora Core 5 Guide
- XMMS has many more plugins, for more info:
[mirandam@charon ~]$ yum list xmms*
Then you can use yum info PACKAGE where PACKAGE is an item from the list provided.
Audacious: (A fork of Beep Media Player - BMP). XMMS rebuilt to be a little bit more modern. Still basic but much better than XMMS.
- Installation through yum:
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo yum install audacious audacious-plugins-nonfree* NOTE: There is a '*' at the end.
Rhythmbox/Gstreamer - A simple audio application similar to iTunes layout.
- Most of Rhythmbox and the Gstreamer system should be installed when installing Gnome (mentioned above). The missing components are just the MP3 (and other media) plugins.
- Installation through yum:
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo yum install rhythmbox gstreamer-plugins-ugly gstreamer-plugins-bad gstreamer-ffmpeg
Amarok - A modern feature rich media player application.
- It is helpful to have KDE installed first as this will reduce the download.
- Installation through yum:
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo yum install amarok amarok-extras-nonfree amarok-visualisation
- Amarok Engine: Amarok requires you to select an "engine" which can play different media. The current support engines are Xine/Gstreamer and RealPlayer/HelixPlayer. If you installed the gstreamer-plugins-ugly or amarok-extras-nonfree the Xine engine will be default. (Recommended)
GNOME MP3 Preview:
- If you wish to be able to preview MP3 files in GNOME when you hover the mouse over them, install the following:
- Using yum:
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo yum install mpg321
- To configure this option in GNOME, open the File Manager (Nautilus) and go to Edit > Preferences > Preview
K3B CD-Burner MP3 Audio Decoding:
- If you wish to make audio CD's in K3b from MP3's, install the following:
- Using yum:
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo yum install k3b-extras-nonfree
Note: PulseAudio - I was able to run all these applications with either their default settings or using OSS/ALSA when PulseAudio was enabled.
Top Resources
Install Media Players
13 May 2008
Fedora ships with a limited set of media player for both audio and video. For audio please read the MP3 player notes. For video and other multimedia (DVD, etc.) we will also be making use of a 3rd party repository: Livna. Make sure to have the Livna repository configured before executing the following. Note that many "dependancies" in libraries, plugins and codecs are shared between these applications and also the MP3 player applications.
The most popular media players (in order) are: MPlayer, Xine and VLC. Each has its own strengths. Install whichever you prefer although the first 2 are recommended.
MPlayer - MPlayer comes in a command line only interface (mplayer) or skinable GUI and it also has a powerful encoding tool MEncoder (also great for ripping or compressing audio/video). Additionally there is a highly functional web plugin allowing for many popular formats in Firefox/Mozilla (WMV, QuickTime, etc.).
- Installation through yum with Livna enabled:
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo yum install mplayer mplayer-gui gecko-mediaplayer mencoder
- Note that mencoder is optional but provides many encoding functions.
- Note that gecko-mediaplayer replaces mplayerplug-in.
- Config File Issues: If you see the following error:
The flip-hebrew option can't be used in a config file. Error parsing option flip-hebrew=no at line 133
Run the following command to fix the config file (this comments out line 133 in file /etc/mplayer/mplayer.conf):[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo sed -i 's/flip-hebrew/#flip-hebrew/' /etc/mplayer/mplayer.conf
- Binary Codecs: Please install the Binary Codecs for further support of formats that MPlayer does not directly support.
- PulseAudio Issues: If you see the following error: [AO_ALSA] Unable to find simple control 'PCM',0. Run gmplayer, Right-Click, goto Preferences > Audio > Available drivers:, Select pulse
- Video Output Issues: If you are unable to see any video try the following: Run gmplayer, Right-Click, goto Preferences > Video and change your driver. This may be dependent on your video hardware/driver.
- Browser Plugin Issues: It is recommended to remove the Totem-Mozilla-Plugin
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo yum remove totem-mozplugin
Xine - Xine is similar to MPlayer in many ways however lacking the command line application and encoder. However has fully supported DVD playback with proper navigation.
- Installation through yum with Livna enabled:
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo yum install xine xine-lib-extras xine-lib-extras-nonfree libdvdcss
- Binary Codecs: Please install the Binary Codecs for further support of formats that Xine does not directly support.
Binary Codecs - The MPlayer projects maintains a package full of binary codecs for which no directly open source option exists, some of these files include Windows DLL's. These are shared by both Xine and MPlayer. NOTE: There is significant variation depending on your architecture (i386, x86_64, ppc). The 32bit i386 works the best.
- Navigate to: http://www.mplayerhq.hu/MPlayer/releases/codecs/
- Select the package (.tar.bz2) best matching your version of Fedora/Architecture. Many 32-bit users will use: all-20071007.tar.bz2.
- Install the codecs (32-bit for example):
[mirandam@charon Download]$ sudo mkdir -p /usr/lib/codecs [mirandam@charon Download]$ sudo tar -jxvf all-20071007.tar.bz2 --strip-components 1 -C /usr/lib/codecs/
VLC - VLC is a simpler media player with an easy to use interface. It also supports DVD playback. While most needs should be met with Xine and MPlayer some prefer VLC.
- Installation through yum with Livna enabled:
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo yum install vlc
Top Resources
Install Microsoft Truetype Fonts
11 May 2008
| The official source for the package is http://corefonts.sourceforge.net/. However using the information provided there will require installing xfs (font server) which has been deprecated since Fedora 8. Hence I am using the SPEC file provided on the Fedora-devel mailing list. You have to build the RPM using the chosen SPEC file. For convenience I have created the RPM (please do not link directly to this file): msttcore-fonts-2.0-2.noarch.rpm [mirandam@charon Download]$ sudo rpm -ivh msttcore-fonts-2.0-2.noarch.rpm Note: If have upgraded from Fedora 8 or some a previous version of Fedora. Please see Fedora 8 - Truetype Fonts on removing the older packages. Note: Fedora encourages the use of the Liberation Fonts. These should be installed by default (and included on the DVD), however if not, please run: [mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo yum install liberation-fonts |
Top Resources
Disable Unneeded Services/Daemons
11 May 2008
Information regarding services and their functions can be found on: Services in Fedora 9 (http://www.mjmwired.net/resources/mjm-services-f9.html).
For information on how to manage services in Fedora please read: Managing Services in Fedora (http://www.mjmwired.net/resources/mjm-fedora-manage-services.html).
Top Resources
Adobe Flash Plugin
11 May 2008
The Adobe Flash plugin is available from Adobe's website. Users can install the RPM directly or use Adobe's YUM repository (recommended). Please note the plugin will not work directly on 64-bit browsers without some re-configuration.
For yum users (RECOMMENDED):
Install the Adobe YUM repository, and install through yum:
[mirandam@charon Download]$ sudo rpm -ivh http://linuxdownload.adobe.com/adobe-release/adobe-release-i386-1.0-1.noarch.rpm [mirandam@charon Download]$ sudo rpm --import /etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-adobe-linux [mirandam@charon Download]$ sudo yum install flash-plugin libflashsupport
NOTE: If you do not install libflashsupport you will have no sound when playing Flash in your browser.
For manual installation: For users without yum:
Go to Adobe Flash Player Download Center Linux (x86) and select: Option 2: .rpm for Linux. Download the .rpm file (.rpm for Linux (x86) | 3MB) and save it to disk.
Install:
[mirandam@charon Download]$ sudo rpm -ivh flash-plugin-9.0.124.0-release.i386.rpm
Installation on Fedora 64-bit
The following steps are required for Fedora 64-bit users.
First install the Adobe YUM repository, as stated above:
[mirandam@charon Download]$ sudo mkdir -p /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins
[mirandam@charon Download]$ sudo yum install nspluginwrapper.{i386,x86_64} pulseaudio-libs.i386 libflashsupport.i386
[mirandam@charon Download]$ sudo yum install flash-plugin
[mirandam@charon Download]$ sudo mozilla-plugin-config -i -g -v
This was adapted from the Fedora 9 Release Notes.
NOTE - PulseAudio - I was able to hear sound properly in both Gnome and KDE in Firefox when PulseAudio was enabled.
Top Resources
Install Java Plugin
13 May 2008
With the release of Fedora 9, OpenJDK (based off of Sun Java) will replace IcedTea which was available in Fedora 8. The standard installation of Fedora 9 will install OpenJDK. More information is provided in the Fedora 9 Release Notes.
OpenJDK will most likely be installed by default with Fedora 9. However if not it can be installed using YUM:
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo yum install java-1.6.0-openjdk java-1.6.0-openjdk-plugin
With OpenJDK installed, Java application and Web applets should automatically work. Unfortunately many applets may not run properly and the OpenJDK has some limitations.
Using Sun Java Instead
NOTE: At this time the following instructions ONLY apply to Fedora 32-bit. For 64-bit users please use OpenJDK for now.
If you require Sun Java or if OpenJDK does not work properly, you can download Sun Java and use it in Fedora. While Sun does provide an RPM for installation, it is NOT recommended to be used.
Download the Java package from: http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp
Select: Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 6 Update 6 (the JDK is for developers)
On the next page, select "Linux" for Platform and the Language (Multi-language). Also accept the license agreement, and hit "Continue".
On the next page, select:
Linux self-extracting file jre-6u6-linux-i586.bin 18.84 MB
To install:
[mirandam@charon Download]$ sh jre-6u6-linux-i586.bin (hit 'space' till it reaches the end, then type 'yes') [mirandam@charon Download]$ sudo mv -f jre1.6* /opt/jre1.6
When running the java command, Fedora will prefer to use OpenJDK, in order to use Sun Java use the alternatives command:
[mirandam@charon Download]$ sudo /usr/sbin/alternatives --install /usr/bin/java java /opt/jre1.6/bin/java 20000 [mirandam@charon Download]$ sudo /usr/sbin/alternatives --install /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/libjavaplugin.so / libjavaplugin.so /opt/jre1.6/plugin/i386/ns7/libjavaplugin_oji.so 20000
Note: If you wish to switch back to OpenJDK you can run the following commands one by one to switch between the OpenJDK and Sun Java:
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo /usr/sbin/alternatives --config java [mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo /usr/sbin/alternatives --config libjavaplugin.so
To update: If you wish update the JRE package, simply delete the /opt/jre1.6 directory and copy the newer download to /opt/jre1.6. You do NOT have to re-run alternatives those settings should remain intact. For example:
[mirandam@charon Download]$ sudo rm -rf /opt/jre1.6 [mirandam@charon Download]$ mv -f jre1.6* /opt/jre1.6
Top Resources
Install Adobe Acrobat
13 May 2008
To view PDF files, Fedora includes evince, however this application is very basic and may not work with every feature of some PDF files.
For yum users:
Install the Adobe YUM repository, and install through yum:
[mirandam@charon Download]$ sudo rpm -ivh http://linuxdownload.adobe.com/adobe-release/adobe-release-i386-1.0-1.noarch.rpm [mirandam@charon Download]$ sudo rpm --import /etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-adobe-linux [mirandam@charon Download]$ sudo yum install AdobeReader_enu
NOTE: The above uses the English version: enu. To see which languages are supported by Adobe's YUM repository, run the following command:
[mirandam@charon Download]$ yum list AdobeReader/*
Other languages are installed similar to english for example: AdobeReader_fra, if you are unsure which package is correct, run: yum info AdobeReader_fra for more information. Otherwise install manually as described below. (Note: 64-bit users are recommended to use yum to resolve all the 32-bit i386 dependancies.)
For manual installation: For users without yum:
Download Acrobat from: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2_allversions.html Select: Operating system: Linux Version: Linux - x86 (.rpm) Your language.
The version of Adobe Acrobat Reader currently is 8.1.2 and the download size is between 40-60MB depending on your language. Not all languages are supported under Linux.
[mirandam@charon Download]$ su -c 'rpm -ivh AdobeReader_enu-8.1.2-1.i486.rpm' Password: Preparing... ########################################### [100%] 1:AdobeReader_enu ########################################### [100%]
Note: Do NOT use sudo when installing the RPM. Either install it when logged in as root or use the su -c command.
Acrobat Browser Plugin
The browser plugin will be automatically installed in multiple different locations including ~/.mozilla/plugins, /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins and /usr/lib/firefox-x.x.x.x/plugins. I deleted everyone except /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins
[mirandam@charon ]$ sudo rm -rf /usr/lib/firefox-3.0b5/plugins/nppdf.so [mirandam@charon ]$ sudo rm -rf /root/.mozilla/plugins/nppdf.so [mirandam@charon ]$ sudo rm -rf ~/.mozilla/plugins/nppdf.so
64-bit Users - run the following to allow the Acrobat plugin to be detected by Firefox:
[mirandam@phoebe ~]$ sudo /usr/bin/mozilla-plugin-config -i -f
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Setup Samba - Filesharing with Windows
12 May 2008
If you have other Windows computers on your Lan and want to share files with them, you must setup Samba.
To setup Samba you must (1) install samba, (2) add you 'shares', (3) add users, (4) start Samba service and (5) manage security options (Firewall and SELinux).
1. Install Samba
It is best to have Samba installed in the installation process. If not yum users can install using: Add/Remove Software > Servers > Windows File Server, alternatively on the command line:
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo yum install samba samba-client
Users without yum can install the following packages from their DVD (or download): samba, samba-common, samba-client.
2. Add Shares
You must edit /etc/samba/smb.conf as root: (use nano instead of gedit if you do not have a GUI)
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo gedit /etc/samba/smb.conf
Set your Windows Workgroup name in [global] section.
Added shares at the end of the file. Example:
[c_drive] path = /media/c_drive public = yes writable = no [netshare] path = /data/ public = yes writable = yes
If 'writable' the location must be writable in Linux first. Additionally permissions must match (for example: drw-rw-rw-).
If home data (all personal files under /home/username) is to be accessible, then set 'browseable = yes' under [homes] (~line 250). This configuration file is very descriptive, read through it to get more ideas or information.
3. Add Users
To access shares, you must be a valid user. Add valid users AND passwords using the smbpasswd command.
This login name WILL be the login name and password you use from Windows to access your Linux computer. The password does NOT need to match your Linux password.
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo smbpasswd -a username New SMB password: Retype new SMB password: account_policy_get: (warnings ignored) Added user username.
(Note: 'username' MUST be a valid account on the Fedora machine)
4. Start Samba Service
Run samba and check for any errors:
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo /etc/init.d/smb start Starting SMB services: [ OK ]
Use chkconfig or serviceconf to enable samba (smb) in both runlevels 3 and 5. This will make sure to run Samba each time Fedora boots.
[mirandam@charon ~]$ /sbin/chkconfig --list smb smb 0:off 1:off 2:off 3:off 4:off 5:off 6:off [mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo /sbin/chkconfig --level 35 smb on [mirandam@charon ~]$ /sbin/chkconfig --list smb smb 0:off 1:off 2:off 3:on 4:off 5:on 6:off
Restart Samba for every change to users/passwords or 'smb.conf'
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo /etc/init.d/smb restart Shutting down SMB services: [ OK ] Starting SMB services: [ OK ]
5. Managing Security for Samba
Firewall
If you are using a Firewall (this is default in Fedora 9) then run:
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo system-config-firewall
To allow Samba access to work through the firewall you must set 'Samba' as a 'Trusted Service' and hit 'Apply'. Alternatively if you are only using the shell and do not have access to a graphical X-server, you can run:
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo system-config-firewall-tui
To allow Samba access to work through the firewall, use
SELinux
SELinux has significant control over restricting different parts of Samba. Run system-config-selinux. Please read lines #23 - #51 in /etc/samba/smb.conf for a better explanation. Alternatively, you can run:
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo system-config-selinux
Go to Boolean and type 'samba' in the Filter (without quotes).
The following is NOT complete and is NOT recommended but is a quick enable to allow Samba to work permissively through SELinux.
[mirandam@charon ~]# sudo /usr/sbin/setsebool -P samba_export_all_rw on
You can ignore SELinux at this point and try to access your shares in Windows and SELinux TroubleShooter should give an automatic pop-up in GNOME explaining what is wrong. If you follow those recommendations you most likely will be more secure.
For any changes made above to the SELinux settings or smb.conf, it is recommended to restart Samba.
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Mount NTFS Partitions
12 May 2008
Windows uses a different filesystem (NTFS) to store files. However NTFS-3G provides support to read and write NTFS partitions safely. These should be automatically installed with Fedora 9.
Gnome Users - Users of the Gnome desktop environment will find that they can mount NTFS (or any partitions) by clicking on them through the Computer icon on the desktop (root password will be required).
If you do not use Gnome, are having problems with GNOME/KDE, or do not even use X-windows, the following instructions are still valid. I find the following steps more reliable.
To setup NTFS access you must (1) install NTFS support, (2) check how many partitions you have, (3) create mount points, (4) mount partitions, and (5) update fstab to mount at next boot.
1. Install NTFS Support
The software required for NTFS support is included in the DVD installation. If not, install using yum:
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo yum install fuse fuse-libs ntfs-3g
Users without yum, either download or use your Fedora 9 DVD to install the following RPM's: fuse, fuse-lib and ntfs-3g.
2. Check Your Partitions
Use fdisk to list partitions. Most ATA hard drives will be /dev/sda. Drives may also show up as /dev/sdb depending on your configuration.
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo /sbin/fdisk -lu /dev/sda | grep NTFS /dev/sda1 * 63 33559784 16779861 7 HPFS/NTFS /dev/sda2 33559785 67119569 16779892+ 7 HPFS/NTFS /dev/sda3 67119570 100679354 16779892+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
Usually the first will be a drive "letter": C drive, next D, etc. Hence /dev/sda1 is my C:/ drive used by Windows.
3. Create Mount Points
For every partition in step 2 that you wish to access, you will need a "mount point". A mount point is just a directory. Common directories are: /media/ and /mnt/. Use whichever you like, but be consistent.
[mirandam@charon ~]$ cd /media/ [mirandam@charon media]$ sudo mkdir c_drive d_drive e_drive
You do not have to use these names, if you prefer to create folders such as 'movies', 'documents', or 'winxp', any name will work (recommended without spaces).
4. Mount Partitions
Using the NTFS-3G we can either mount the NTFS partitions read-only or read-write. For new users, read-only is recommended.
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo mount /dev/sda1 /media/c_drive -t ntfs-3g -r -o umask=0222 [mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo mount /dev/sda2 /media/d_drive -t ntfs-3g -r -o umask=0222 [mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo mount /dev/sda3 /media/e_drive -t ntfs-3g -r -o umask=0222
Read/Write Access: The above is for read-only access. In order to mount read/write, you must use the -rw -o umask=0000. Example:
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo mount /dev/sda1 /media/c_drive -t ntfs-3g -rw -o umask=0000
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: Please run man mount to understand what umask= does.
5. Update /etc/fstab
Every time Fedora boots, the partitions must be mounted. To automatically mount, you must edit /etc/fstab.
Open /etc/fstab in an editor: (use nano instead of gedit if you do not have a GUI)
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo gedit /etc/fstab
Add these lines to the END of the file:
/dev/sda1 /media/c_drive ntfs-3g ro,defaults,umask=0222 0 0 /dev/sda2 /media/d_drive ntfs-3g ro,defaults,umask=0222 0 0 /dev/sda3 /media/e_drive ntfs-3g ro,defaults,umask=0222 0 0
Read/Write Access: The above is for read-only access. In order to mount read/write, you must use the rw,defaults,umask=0000. Example:
/dev/sda1 /media/c_drive ntfs-3g rw,defaults,umask=0000 0 0
Done!
NOTE for FAT32 users
If you have FAT32 or FAT16 partitions, instead of ntfs-3g above you can use vfat to mount your partitions. No extra modules or downloads are required, this is built into the kernel. Just replace vfat for every place we have ntfs-3g when mounting and when editting /etc/fstab. Keep in mind that FAT partitions are read-write supported.
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Install Kernel Headers
12 May 2008
This package provides kernel headers and makefiles sufficient to build modules against the kernel package. The kernel headers are typically necessary if you require to install a driver or some 3rd party software. If a driver requires kernel sources, it may be sufficient to install only the kernel headers.
The kernel headers The Kernel Headers are available through the kernel-devel RPM. This may or may not be installed by Fedora. This package can be installed from your Fedora DVD or online through FTP or yum.
Look on online in either the Fedora repository or Update repository and make sure you match your system, using the uname command. For example:
[mirandam@charon ~]$ uname -r 2.6.25-14.fc9.i686 Select: kernel-devel-kernel-devel-2.6.25-14.fc9.i686.rpm
If you have updated your kernel (using yum), then it is recommended you use yum to install the package:
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo yum install kernel-devel
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Install Kernel Source
12 May 2008
Installing the kernel source is typically NOT needed unless you wish to re-compile your kernel or for some special development. However in some cases the kernel headers may be required.
There are 3 basic steps involved in installing the kernel source.
- Download the desired kernel source (matching your current kernel if required)
- Installing the SRC.RPM package
- Using rpmbuild to prepare the source into a usable state
NOTE: Following these steps will consume about 400MB of disk space!
NOTE: Fedora recommends you execute these steps as a user and not as 'root'.
1. Download the Kernel Source
Obtaining Kernel Source (for default Fedora 9 kernel)
The default kernel source can be found through any Fedora mirror. Look in the directory "/source/SRPMS/" under the "/9/" directory . For example: http://download.fedora.redhat.com/pub/fedora/linux/releases/test/9-Preview/Fedora/source/SRPMS/.
kernel-2.6.25-14.fc9.src.rpm 01-May-2008 10:59 48M
Obtaining Kernel Source (for an updated Fedora 9 kernel)
If you updated your kernel, then the typically the last 2 or 3 releases of the source of the kernel will be available though the Fedora updates. IF YOU REQUIRE you can (try to) match the kernel source with your running kernel.
Look in the update directory on most Fedora mirror sites. For example: http://download.fedora.redhat.com/pub/fedora/linux/updates/9/SRPMS/.
Obtaining Kernel Source through 'yum' (for latest Fedora 9 kernel)
There are yum utilities which will download the LATEST kernel source. If it does not find anything, then there are no updates (yet) use the DEFAULT Fedora kernel source.
[mirandam@charon ~]$ sudo yum install yum-utils rpmdevtools [mirandam@charon ~]$ cd Download [mirandam@charon Download]$ yumdownloader --source kernel
2. Install the Kernel Source
Install the kernel.src.rpm (into your user/rpmbuild directory) that you chose to download in the previous steps.
[mirandam@charon Download]$ rpm -ivh kernel-2.6.25-14.fc9.src.rpm 1:kernel ########################################### [100%]
Ignore group kojibuilder does not exist or user kojibuilder does not exist warnings.
This will install the kernel source into your user directory (/home/username/rpmbuild). If you prefer it to be in the sytem location (/usr/src/redhat) then instead run:
[mirandam@charon Download]$ sudo rpm -ivh kernel-2.6.25-14.fc9.src.rpm
3. Prepare the Source
To prepare the source to be useable:
[mirandam@charon Download]$ rpmbuild -bp --target=$(uname -m) ~/rpmbuild/SPECS/kernel.spec
or if you prefer to run as 'root':
[mirandam@charon Download]$ sudo rpmbuild -bp --target=$(uname -m) /usr/src/redhat/SPECS/kernel.spec
The source files will be properly located in ~/rpmbuild/BUILD/kernel-2.6.25/ (for user) or /usr/src/redhat/BUILD/kernel-2.6.25/ (if run as root). There are 2 useful directories:
- linux-2.6.25.ARCH/ This will have the standard kernel.org kernel WITH Fedora patches and updates. The ARCH architecture will match the output of uname -m, usually i686. You may use noarch for the --target= option if you wish.
- vanilla-2.6.25 This will have the standard kernel.org kernel ONLY (no patches or updates).
NOTE: The process Fedora uses to build and configure kernels can be found in greater depth on the Fedora Wiki. The above information is very basic and meant to allow access to the source and not necessarily build it.
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More Information
- Fedora 9 - Services and Daemons in Fedora 9
- Fedora 9 Blog Entries
- Fedora 8 Personal Installation Guide
- Fedora 8 - Services and Daemons in Fedora 8
- Fedora Core 5 on Dell D810 Latitude Laptop
- Managing Services in Fedora
- Fedora Help Forum Posts and Threads
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originally from http://www.mjmwired.net/resources/mjm-fedora-f9.html