Fedora/XGL Setup How-To

[dsio]

Getting Fedora:

The best way to get Fedora core distributions is BitTorrent: http://torrent.fedoraproject.org/
Bittorrent is the kindest, and fastest download method, and it also supports resume for slower connections.

When selecting a distribution, keep in mind that beta or test versions are just that, and can be very unstable, particularly in the hands of a beginner. If you have a 32 bit processor, or an intel processor, download the 32 bit version, while if you have an Athlon 64 / Opteron, get the AMD64 version. I would strongly recommend getting the DVD ISO versions, rather than the 5 disk CD versions, as the DVD is much faster and easier.

Installing Fedora:

All you need is a spare hard drive (recommended) or some space on an already in-use hard drive to install Fedora on (15+GiB recommended). The Fedora installer is very fast and extremely easy to use, so you don't really have to worry about a whole lot during the process. Simply select where you wish to install it to during the installation, read carefully everything you do, and you should be fine.

When it comes to package selection, always go custom, and keep all the standard packages (already selected ones), while adding only the packages you think you will really want to the base install. Keep in mind, everything you install now, will need to be updated later.

After the installation process you will reboot and be greeted by the Fedora first run screen. This asks you to set up a user account, and some other minor options. Always use your user account, and not the superuser account (root). Linux is not Windows, and you will not need full time admin access on your system.

Updating Fedora:

After you're at the desktop, you should have an internet connection established (eth0). This is where the big update begins. Open a terminal window:

Click Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal

In the terminal window, su to root:

su
(password)

You will now have root access for that terminal session. You can now start updating, using yum. To start updating, type:

yum update

yum will check all repositories for updated files, and there will be a lot. let it run, and it will download the header files for each update, which could take a long time the first time, and ultimately you will be presented with a massive list of updates, and the total size of the download. It will ask y/n. Type y, and proceed. Yum may ask you to download a key as well at this time, answer y to that as well, and proceed to download and install everything. This is a long process, so now would be a good time to walk the dog or something.

Installing Programs:

Opera: www.opera.com click on the download button, and make sure you get the Fedora version, selecting Core 5 from the radio buttons. Use the downloaded RPM to install Opera. Under linux, its identical to its windows counterpart, which keeps me feeling at home. I do consider it a better browser than Firefox, which comes standard with Fedora.

GAIM: A package that can be installed off the Fedora DVD. GAIM replaces nearly all IM clients, including MSN, Jabber, AIM, Yahoo, ICQ. There is a beta version available that improves many features here: http://gaim.sourceforge.net/ Download the RPM version with "FC5" in its name for best results.

Drivers: Due to GPL issues, Nvidia and ATI drivers are not allowed to be shipped with the linux distribution. As a result, you have to in most cases download the latest version, extract it, compile it, and manually configure it. This is a pain in the arse and is easily solved by using the Livna RPM repository to do all the work for you. Livna is found here: http://rpm.livna.org/

To use it, you first need to install the Livna config RPM. Open a terminal window, and type:

rpm -ivh http://rpm.livna.org/livna-release-5.rpm 

This will draw down the Livna RPM and install it. Once this has completed, you can now use yum to download, install, and configure your NVidia or ATI drivers.

For Nvidia: yum install kmod-nvidia
For ATI: yum install kmod-fglrx

Its that simple. Once it is installed, you can use the yum update function, to have your computer automatically update its graphics drivers each time a new one is released automatically. Reboot your system for the driver to take effect.

Media Player: The media player I found to work most effectively is called "Kaffeine". Its a very fast, stable, simple program that has a very good interface, and uses the "xine" engine. Now that you have the Livna repository installed, you can download and install "Kaffeine" simply by typing:
yum install kaffeine

Before you can use kaffeine though you will need to download and install the media codecs. Download the "essential codecs package" from MPlayerhq here: http://www.mplayerhq.hu/design7/dload.html
Extract the codecs to a new directory in your home directory. Now su to root, and navigate to the directory you extracted the codecs to. type:

mkdir /usr/lib/win32
cp * /usr/lib/win32/

You now have your codecs installed and can run Kaffeine.

Installing NTFS support:
Once again, thanks to the Livna repository, installing NTFS support is very easy. Simply su to root and type:

yum install kmod-ntfs

Installing XGL:
First you need to install the ework repository. Download the installation RPM here: http://www.ece.ucdavis.edu/~ewwork/r...5-1.noarch.rpm
Then su to root and type:

rpm -ivh ework-release-5-1.noarch.rpm
yum install xorg-x11-server-Xgl compiz

This has installed XGL. Now you just need to activate it as your desktop manager.
Reboot your computer, and then open another terminal window, su to root, and type:

gdmsetup

In the dialog box, click the security tab, and then click the "Configure X Server" option in the lower right. In the new window, select "VT 0", and click "add/modify" change the server from "Standard" to Xgl. Now reboot the computer, and XGL should be working.

[NarkotikBuzz]

Hey Dsio, i have downloaded Fedora core 5 DVD ISO, but what software do you use to burn ISO files to DVD, i seem to be having problems with NERO lately, it keeps failing to burn for some reason. Also, how do i partition a drive so i can set up a dual boot system? I am really new to the whole dual boot idea so i need some help, thanks.

[dsio]

I used Nero, but any DVD burning program will do the trick.

As for the hard disk partitioning, what you would do is defragment your hard disk first (don't skip this), then use partition magic to shrink the size of your NTFS partition, so that you have 15+ GiB of unpartitioned space for linux. Then when you install linux, the linux installer can use the free space to install the distro to your hard disk. It then installs GRUB, a bootloader that allows you to select linux or windows on startup.

Its important to just read everything the installer tells you very closely. Its very informative, and is really designed to help a reasonable computer enthusiast understand what is going on, unlike previous installers which tended to speak in riddles.

There are many changes like this that you'll notice switching to linux, in that it doesn't just hand you a wrench and expect you to do all the work like in the old days, and doesn't treat you like a computer illiterate and hide everything from you as windows does.

The point in all this is to make the linux learning curve as easy as it can be, by getting you into it, and allowing it to take over your usual tasks, so you can experiment in a familiar environment.

[NarkotikBuzz]

I have tried 4 times to burn the iso file to dvd and it has failed 4 times......i am really frustrated by this. I have tried twice with Nero and twice with DVD decryptor, i feel like i am doing something wrong but i dont think i am. Using Nero i go to create data dvd, then i add the iso file and click burn, it goes into writing lead in and fails after about 30 seconds. I dont get it? Do you think i have a corrupt file or something? Is there another software i should try. I am trying to use Fujifilm DVD +R discs, i have never had problems with the discs before. Even when i choose to open the file with nero burning rom, and go that route, it still fails.....please help.

[dsio]

Opening the file with nero is the best route. Perhaps its that the +R disks are the problem. I always use DVD-R, and Nero does fine with it. I just double clicked on it to burn the ISO.

[NarkotikBuzz]

Well, i will have to try some different discs then....maybe i will download the multiple cd version and try that route.

[Samuknow]

I use both nero and roxio 8. depending on which one i have setup as default, all i have to do is double click the iso file and it opens the program and works everytime. I always use -R as dsio recomended.

I will be trying Fedora tonght. I was going to setup suse but it wanted to format my disk. I have another IDE drive that I might throw in for this...

[dsio]

Its definitely a good idea to use a seperate hard disk if you can. Although dual booting on a single disk isn't bad, I do feel better about keeping things seperate. I have linux only installed on both my main, and my laptop these days, as I kind of lost the need for the XP partition.

I installed Fedora on my laptop, dual booting. Then after a few weeks of mainly using Fedora, I found no reason to keep the WinXP partition. Then I installed it on my desktop with XGL, and switched to it. After a few more weeks I hadn't touched my windows partition, so I moved all the data to a spare disk, and converted the whole thing to a linux installation.

[Samuknow]

Is it really a XP replacement. Can it do it all?

[dsio]

As I said, these are my main uses:
Office: OpenOffice
Programming: Eclipse
Games: Cedega (everything or near enough)
Browser: Opera 9.0
MSN: GAIM
MAIL: Thunderbird
BitTorrent: Opera 9.0
Media: Kaffeine
FTP: GFTP

It goes on and on. You can find any replacement for any piece of software, and its free.

It really does replace windows if you let it. And with XGL, it looks far better than WinXP.

[Samuknow]

I am pumped...Better that windows and free....

Is there DVD/CD burn software?

[dsio]

Yeap. Heaps of them in fact. CD-X-Roast is included in Fedora, as are many others if you choose them.

Theres also gnome-cd-burner, gnomebaker, and many, many others. All of them are highly feature rich programs, with very concise and basic interfaces. Much in contrast to Nero's massive GUI.

[robbie]

Hey Nark,
Be sure that your NOT folding or running anything in the background while trying to burn a DVD. I've found that if I do that... I usually just make coasters!!!

[NarkotikBuzz]

I downloaded the multiple cd's and they burned just fine, so i am gonna try that. I downloaded partition magic 7 to split up my second drive. Windows is on my first drive, and there are only games on my second drive, with about 17 gigs free space, so i am gonna set it up to partition off 15 gigs for linux. Hey Dsio, i am wondering, is there a way to play games on linux without having to pay a fee? My motto is "If its free, its me". I really dont want to get into a monthly fee right now if i can avoid it, so please tell me there is a free alternative. Thanks in advance for your help.

[dsio]

Originally Posted by NarkotikBuzz

I downloaded the multiple cd's and they burned just fine, so i am gonna try that. I downloaded partition magic 7 to split up my second drive. Windows is on my first drive, and there are only games on my second drive, with about 17 gigs free space, so i am gonna set it up to partition off 15 gigs for linux. Hey Dsio, i am wondering, is there a way to play games on linux without having to pay a fee? My motto is "If its free, its me". I really dont want to get into a monthly fee right now if i can avoid it, so please tell me there is a free alternative. Thanks in advance for your help.

You can build Cedega (WineX) yourself by downloading the free CVS version. Its more complicated to install and set up, but its free, and installing it would actually be a good learning experience. Keep in mind many games like Quake 4, Doom 3, UT2004 etc, are actually linux native, and don't need Cedega to run at all.

[NarkotikBuzz]

Well, i am typing this from within Fedora now, and so far i really like it, even the letters on the screen are much clearer and easier to read. I will enjoy figuring it out. It is updating right now. Where exactly do i get the free version of Cedega, is it on thier site, or do i need to get it from somewhere else, i will check around and see if i can find it. I am looking forward to all this instillation being done so i can really dive into it. I ended up just blanking my second drive and using it exclusively for Linux.
What about video drivers, since i already have the latest TRU drivers installed through windows, do i have to install different drivers for linux, and then overclock it again, or is it all still as i left it in windows? If i need to do it all again, what software do i use to overclock and all that? I really hope i dont have to do that all again. My Winfast software is not loaded with linux, so that has me a little concerned.

[dsio]

Video card overclocking I don't actually do under linux. I'm sure it can be done though. There is a program for just about everything available. To get WineX, you need to install CVS using yum first.

yum install cvs

as root should do the trick. Then you need to go to the winex cvs download site. I'll write up a how to on that in time. As for drivers, read the whole how-to, as I included how to get them.

I would really try to get into it as a desktop / general use replacement first, and get comfortable using the terminal from time to time as well.

WineX isnt as easy as Cedega to use, but its just as good really. I'm only just trying it out now, so I'm sorting the dependencies and configuration now.

I highly recommend trying XGL on it. It really is brilliant.

[NarkotikBuzz]

As far as installing the codecs for kaffeine, i have downloaded them, but could you walk me through the rest of it, like exactly where do i extract it to and what do i do from there, you said to navigate to the directory i extract them to, but i am lost in this file system so i need to be baby step'd through it. I have gotten everything else i think, just having trouble with that. Please help me.

[dsio]

You can double click on the file to extract it. Like when you get a zip file in windows, you extract it to your desktop, or home folder (like my documents).

Some basic terminal commands:

cd = change directory
ls = list everything in directory
cp = copy
rm = remove
mkdir = make directory

Your home folder is /home/<your account name>

So you extract to a subdirectory withing your home directory (make one using the extractor), then su to root, and cd to the directory you extracted it to. Do an ls to make sure you are in the directory full of the codecs, then use the code i typed above to create the directory in /usr/lib, and them use the cp command to copy all the codecs (the * means all) to the newly created directory.

To improve accuracy, keep in mind that using the terminal you can hit "tab" to autocomplete names.

example:

type cd /h <tab>, and it will complete that to /home/

You may need more than the first letter for it to narrow down to one option, but it saves time, and makes sure everything is typed correctly. Also keep in mind that unix is case sensitive.

[NarkotikBuzz]

OK, thanks Dsio, i have it done now, now just one more question for now, how do i install FAH in linux, the download is an EXE file and it wont just open it, so what do i do?