Installing Fedora Linux

Courtesy: mike

Again, i'm doing all this from memory, so if i skip a step, bear with me. For the most part, this is a simple - but long - process. The first couple screens will ask what language for the text and the keyboard, if you're reading this, it'll be english. After that it gets a little detailed, so i'll cover two of what i think are the most important issues in more detail At some point it will ask you for a 'root' password. Root is synonymous with 'computer Administrator', so make sure you don't forget the password. It will also ask you for a default OS to boot (windows/linux), choose linux. If you decide you want to boot from windows here and there, all you have to do is hit any key while it's at the boot menu.  At that very same screen where you choose a boot default, look below that for where it says something about changing the computer name / domain. You do NOT need to change this if you only have ONE computer and never plan on getting another one, OR if you never plan on having linux on more than one computer. You WILL need to change it if you ever decide you like linux enough to install it on another computer, because you cannot share files (very easily) between two linux computers with the same name, that will not work because they will think that the files are on themselves. So, if you want to go ahead and change it just to be sure, it won't hurt a thing. Change the first part of the computer name to whatever you want (i believe you can change the whole thing, but i haven't played with that yet). So where it says 'localhost.localdomain' you can change it to say 'bigpimpin.localdomain' or some shit. When you get to that hard drive section for partitioning, i am going to assume you have the layout i specified before. Now, i want you to know before continuing that what i'm about to tell you to do is the same thing that i do myself. I have never had a 'default' installation layout, so i have no CLUE how linux lays out the partitions if you let it do it by itself. Here's how i do it:  Select the free space we left on the drive. How much RAM does your computer have installed? Whatever it is, double it, but only as long as it doesn't go over 1gb. That is going to be the size of your SWAP partition. A SWAP partition is almost the EXACT same thing as PAGEFILE.SYS for windows, except it's on it's own partition to speed things up. There is no sense in making it over 1gb, because then you're asking for 'thrashing', which is where memory blocks are being swapped to and from the hard drive so much, that the processor is wasting more cycles swapping memory, than it is doing actual work. So click the edit option for the free space, and create a partition <= 1gb in size, and designate it as a SWAP partition.  That should now leave us with around (at least) 7gb (hopefully). Click on the free space that's left and select the edit option. Tell it to format it as EXT3 file system, and that it is going to be the '/' or 'ROOT' mount point. The 'root' mount point simply means that it is going to house the base (aka ROOT) of the file system, and everything under it, meaning all folders and files. There were other options there as far as different mount points, but like i said previously, i've never played with different settings. I found a setting that worked, and i've used it ever since. But my way may not be the best way. This is actually the most tedious part if you've done this a few times. That's because you have a pretty good idea of what you do and do not need, so you get to go through all the packages one by one and make your choices. We are not going to do that here, because you can always add them later, and i will show you how on the next page. For now, let's just get this thing installed with the most commonly needed shit.  Ok, the first option you come to is Desktop Environments. 'KDE is better', 'No, Gnome is better'. You'll hear that from time to time. The truth is, it's only a matter of opinion. Install them both to get a feel for which one you like. When logging into your computer you can choose which desktop environment to use. When you get a little better, and your balls get a little bigger, you can get brave and try installing FluxBox. I won't get into detail about fluxbox, but let's just say that i have trouble setting it up completely. Here are some screenshots of what you can do with fluxbox:One, Two, Three, Four. Oh yea, and if you think THAT'S something, look at what you can do with a program called 'Compiz': This stuff is fuckin NUTZ! Windows will never compare again. I get all choked up just thinking of the possabilities with linux...  Next is applications. The first four you can leave unchecked, being new, you won't need them. The fifth one is games, so if you're a game kinda person, that's what you'll want. Check the box next to it, and at the bottom, click the button that says 'Optional Packages'. Make sure to check all the options that pop up. Ok, on 'Graphical Internet', the only two you'll need for now are 'Firefox' and 'Gaim'. Next, check the 'Graphics' option, and the stuff you'll need is already checked usually. Next, check the 'Office and productivity' option. Go through the 'Optional Packages' for it, and make sure that all the one's that start with 'OpenOffice' are checked, the rest you won't need being a new guy/girl. Next is 'Sound and Video', check ALL the 'Optional Packages', you will want to. Last is 'Text-Based Internet', uncheck it, you don't need it.  Development: This will be quick. The first option - 'Development Libraries' - you will need ALL of them. You will not use use them yourself, but your package manager and other programs need those libraries, maybe not right away, but when you go to install new shit, at some point you will. The next option - 'Development Tools' - you can check it, and don't worry about the 'Optional Packages', as the default stuff is good enough. The rest of the options you can leave unchecked, unless you're an experienced C/C++ or Java programmer, and want to get started right away.  Servers: The only ones you will need are: 'Printing Support', 'Server configuration tools', and 'Windows file server'. Check them, and all the options with them. This will allow you to act as part of a windows workgroup and share files.  Base System: Check 'Administrative tools', 'Base', 'Java', 'System tools', and 'X window system'. You can leave the default packages as is for now, anything else needed by other programs will be added by those programs anyway.  Languages: Are you multilingual? Then skip this entirely.  Now you're ready to roll. Click next, click ok to any options or popups that may come next, and at the install screen click next or whatever-the-hell-it-says to begin the installation. Take a nap. . After the installation completes, click ok to reboot. The first screen you will see after POST is the boot menu that your linux distro installed. Here it will boot Linux in 'X' seconds unless you hit a key. Let it boot into linux. The boot screen is different from windows in most distros, as the first part is just text, telling you what it's doing. After that you will see a graphical boot screen, and then finally the Run Once setup screen. As the name suggests, this will only appear once after an installation. The order in which you are questioned with the options coming up next elludes me at the moment, but i will outline them here.  User name and password. This is where you specify the username you're going to log in as, and your password. Not rocket science eh? Click next.  Soundcard detection. Hit the play button to hear a sound. If you hear one, click next. If not, see if there's another driver offered for your card from the dropdownlist and try again. If there was an alternate driver, and it didn't work either, make sure you have your speakers plugged up and turned on - genius.  Screen resolution. Duh, do i really need to explain this? Be careful not to exceed what your screen can handle with the refresh rate, it can damage the screen. If you're not sure what this is, look at the sticker on the back of your LCD / CRT monitor. Usually the default setting is good enough. Feel free to change the resoloution to one that you like, and that works. Click next, and you're done! You have now installed Linux, and are about to finally USE it. Wipe that stain off your pants...

 

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