New Features in Fedora Core 6

The major components in Fedora Core 6 include (with version numbers ):

• Linux kernel: version 2.6.18 - This reflects a major upgrade over the 2.4.22 kernel included in Fedora Core 1 and a more stable kernel than the 2.6.15 kernel included with Fedora Core 5.

• GNOME (desktop environment): version 2.16

• KDE (desktop environment): version 3.5.4

• X Window System (X.org graphical windowing system): version 7 (X11R7.0)

• OpenOffice.org (office suite): version 2.0.4

• GCC (GNU C language compilation system): version 4.1

• Apache (Web server): version 2.2.3

• Samba ( Windows SMB file/printer sharing): version 3.0.23c

• CUPS (print services): version 1.2.4

• Sendmail (mail transport agent): version 8.13.8

• vsFTPd (secure FTP server): version 2.0.5

• INN (Usenet news server): version 2.4.3

• MySQL (database server): version 5.0.22 (represents a major upgrade)

• BIND (Domain name system server): version 9.3.2

Tip 

If you want the latest features in Linux when looking at different Linux distributions, compare the version numbers shown above. Version numbers and names that Linux distributors such as Debian, SUSE, and Fedora associate with their releases can be arbitrary. By comparing versions of the kernel, KDE and GNOME desktops, and GNU compiler they are using, you can tell which distribution actually has the latest features.

Improved Performance

Performance enhancements alone are a good reason to upgrade to Fedora Core 6. The new compiler (glibc) used to build Fedora Core enables features such as precomputed hash values to improve dynamic linking performance. Performance improvements were also extended to the GNOME and KDE desktops, which are offering faster login times and faster file choosing features.

Fedora Extras

While not a new feature of Fedora Core itself, the tight integration of the Fedora Extras repository with Fedora Core, and greatly improved Extras packages (in number and quality), make it an excellent asset for Fedora Core. Also, as Fedora continues to consolidate its distribution, some popular packages have been dropped from Fedora Core. Fedora Extras has become the place where many of these second-string software packages (such as extra word processors, Internet tools, and window managers) are finding new life.

Many of the packages dropped from Fedora Core have been added to the official Fedora Extras software repository. So, with yum configured as described in Chapter 5 and an Internet connection, installing abiword word processor is as easy as typing:

 #  yum install abiword  

Finding and learning about packages in Fedora Extras has improved greatly as well. Fedora Extras software repositories enabled with the RepoView feature let you browse packages by category or alphabetically , then read descriptions of any packages you choose. An example of such a repository is available from the Fedoraproject.org:

• http://fedoraproject.org/extras/6/i386/repodata/index.html

More than 1600 unique RPM packages are maintained by Fedora Extras for Fedora Core 6, with multiple versions of each package bringing the total to more than 3500 packages. Packages available from Fedora Extras for Fedora Core 6, such as WINE, audacity, freeciv, kipi-plugins, and others, are either described or noted throughout the book.

Desktop Features

A visually striking new feature of the desktop for Fedora Core 6 is a new Fedora default theme. The cartoon-like bubbles of the previous Fedora release have given way to a more edgy presentation of Fedora DNA weaving through backgrounds, screensavers, login screens and other desktop elements.

The Fedora look-and-feel applies to both GNOME and KDE desktops. Other enhancements for Fedora Core 6 desktops are described below.

GNOME Desktops

For GNOME 2.16 desktops, you'll see some new GNOME applications, an improved GNOME icon theme, and some nice usability enhancements for browsing and saving files. (Fedora uses its own icons, so you'd have to switch to the GNOME icons to see their new ones.) For a more complete list of these features, refer to the "Using the GNOME Desktop" section of Chapter 3.

In the category of "good things to come," GNOME is adding support for 3D accelerated desktop effects to its Metacity window manager. Although those features are not enabled for Metacity in Fedora Core 6, you can see these effects from the GNOME desktop using the Compiz window manager (as described in the "Playing with 3D Desktop Effects" section just up ahead).

KDE Desktops

As with GNOME, look for subtle improvements for the KDE 3.5.4 desktop. Applications such as Konsole (terminal window) and Kate (text editor) have had speed optimizations. KOrganizer has had improvements such as allowing multiple holidays on the same date. Many small improvements have been added to the Konqueror browser features (KHTML) to improve your Web browsing experience.

Perhaps the most significant single feature in KDE 3.5.4 is added support for mounting removable devices supported by the FreeDesktop hardware abstraction layer (Hal) facility ( www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/hal ). Besides that, just expect to see a much more solid KDE desktop for 3.5.4 when it comes to a lot of little things (more than 100 bug fixes in all).

Playing with 3D Desktop Effects

The Fedora Project has thrown its support for desktop 3D effects behind the AIGLX project ( http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/RenderingProject/aiglx ). While support for AIGLX in the Metacity window manager is being worked on, in Fedora Core 6 you need the Compiz window manager to try out the new AIGLX features. All the software packages you need to do 3D desktop effects are in Fedora Core. All you need is a supported video card (see Chapter 3 for details).

Although AIGLX is still in the experimental stages, there are some effects you can try out right now. In particular, you can access multiple desktops as though they were on a spinning cube and watch your windows wobble when you move them around on the desktop. You will also notice differences in the way menus and windows fade in and out when they are opened and closed.

Installing Fedora and Updating Packages

Some major enhancements have been made to software installation with improvements to the Fedora Core installer (anaconda) and Package Management window, and the Package Updater. In anaconda, the biggest new feature is support for multiple software repositories during initial installation, so you can install from repositories such as Fedora Extras and rpm.livna.org at the same time you install Fedora Core.

Adding Software with Package Management and Package Updater

Graphical tools for installing packages after initial installation, have likewise been enhanced for Fedora Core 6. The Package Management window ( pirut ), which once only allowed you to install package from your installation CD/DVD, is now able to install from any Fedora software repositories you have configured (Core, Extras, or others). Using the yum facility on its back end, the Package Management window includes lots of features for searching, listing, and installing packages from multiple software repositories.

The Package Updater window (pup) now has some companion software. The Package Update Applet ( puplet ), now in Fedora Core 6, displays an Updates Available notification when updates are available. Click a button on that notification to run the Package Updater to download and install those updates.

Installing Fedora on an Intel-Based Apple Mac

The latest Apple Mac hardware running on Intel-based gave Fedora developers the opportunity to try their hand at getting Fedora to run on this new Mac hardware. Procedures are now available for installing Fedora Core 6 either by itself or in a dual-boot set-up on Mac Minis, Mac Books, and other Apple Mac hardware.

Although there are some challenges to running Fedora on this Mac hardware (such as one-button mice and some hardware peripherals without Linux drivers), if you are adventurous (and have a reliable backup for your Mac), you can install Fedora Core 6 on your Mac using procedures in Chapter 26. Keep in mind that the procedure is still experimental.

Mono and Windows .NET Applications

Software needed to develop and run applications that were developed for Windows' .NET initiative has been created in a project called Mono ( www.mono-project.com ). Mono support was added at the last moment to Fedora Core 5. However, that support has been expanded for Fedora Core 6. Fedora Core now includes more than a dozen mono packages needed to develop and run .NET applications in Fedora. Several nice applications that require mono are included with Fedora Core 6, such as the following:

• F-Spot - Import images from digital cameras , do basic manipulation (rotate, adjust color , attach tags, and so on), add them to albums, and play them in slide shows with F-Spot. (F-Spot is in the f-spot package and can be launched by selecting Applications Graphics F-Spot Photo Manager from the GNOME desktop.)

• Tomboy - Take desktop notes with Tomboy. Tomboy can relate notes together (as you would in a Wiki) and access them from a Tomboy applet on your GNOME desktop panel. (Tomboy is in the tomboy package and can be started by adding the Tomboy Notes applet to your panel.)

• Beagle - Search your desktop computer for documents, images, applications or other content. (Beagle is in the beagle package and can be started by selecting Places Search from the GNOME desktop.)

What is surprising and encouraging about including Mono support in Fedora Core is that Red Hat's legal department originally had concerns about patent issues related to including Mono in Fedora Core. With restrictions against Mono lifted, Fedora now has the potential of including a ton of .NET applications in the future.

Virtualization with Xen

Xen ( http://xensource.com/xen ) is virtualization software that provides a way of having multiple operating systems running on the same computer at the same time. Using Xen, companies that are now running Windows, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, SunOS and other operating systems on different machines (because their applications require it) could eventually run them on the same physical machine.

One of the greatest advantages Xen might ultimately offer is the ability to quickly move entire running operating systems to different machines. The promise of this feature could allow a data center to use much less hardware, by moving systems to underutilized hardware as demand dictates.

Fedora Core 6 includes software packages that let you try out Xen in Fedora. Chapter 5 contains a description of how to set up Xen in Fedora Core 6. For the latest information on setting up Xen in Fedora Core 6, refer to the FC6 Fedora Xen Quickstart page:

• http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/FedoraXenQuickstartFC6

Printing Aligns with CUPS

Setting up printers is one of the most common administrative tasks on a computer. Although CUPS has been the printing system used by Fedora for many years , the Printer Configuration window ( system-config-printer ) was overhauled for Fedora 6 to align with CUPS 1.2.

With this update, printing configuration runs more efficiently and can take advantage of automatic printer detection features in CUPS.

Enterprise GFS and Clustering Software

Software that is critical for Red Hat's enterprise strategy continues to be developed for Fedora Core 6. In particular, there is a set of Cluster Configuration System (ccs) packages and Global File System (GFS) packages. There were also many new packages to support Java software development.