Logging In and Shutting Down

If you did not choose to use X11 software during the installation, you normally log in at a text-based login prompt. If you installed X, you log in using a graphical login prompt, the screen clears after your system boots, and you are presented with a graphical login screen, as shown previously in Figure 3.25.

To log in at the text-based prompt, type your username and press Enter. You are then prompted for your password. After you press Enter, you will be at the Linux command line. If you use a graphical login, you can use the shutdown or reboot menus in the screen's dialog to shut down or reboot your system. To immediately shut down your system from the command line of a text-based session, use the su command and its -c option to run the halt command, like this:

$ su - c halt

You can also use the reboot command to restart your computer like this:

$ su -c reboot

For new users, installing Fedora is just the beginning of a new and highly rewarding journey on the path to learning Linux. See Chapter 5 for additional information about using Linux commands. For Fedora system administrators, the task ahead is to fine-tune the installation and to customize the server or user environment.