Fedora 8 Linux Thread

[dsio]

The reason I'm starting this thread is because Dan, myself and other have already hijacked other threads talking about this at various points (applogies to any hijack-ees ) and I wanted a place to outline some information with respect to Fedora 8.

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Fedora 8 Official release date:
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8th of November 2007
Releases/8/Schedule - Fedora Project Wiki


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Major Package Updates:
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• OpenOffice Version 2.30
• GNOME Version 2.20
• KDE Version 4.0
• XOrg Version 7.3
• Firefox 3.0 (assuming consistant development rate)

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Major Features Added:
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Releases/8/FeatureList - Fedora Project Wiki

• Online Desktop
  Redesigned desktop experience around online services
• Bluetooth
  Enhancements to Bluetooth
• Build ID
  Make core dumps self-identifying enough to find the exact correct versions of all relevant binaries and debuginfo
• Codec Buddy
  Helper app promotes Free alternatives and guides users trying to play content under restricted codecs
• Eclipse33
  Re-base Eclipse stack to Europa release
• Electronic Lab
  Introduction to Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) Design Flow and the required tools available on the Fedora Collection for ASIC Design Flow (Micro-Nano Electronic Engineering)
• Generic Logos
  Create generic logos to allow generic branding of Fedora
• IcedTea
  New completely Free and open source Java environment from Red Hat and others derived from OpenJDK
• Laptop Support
  Improved support for using Fedora on Laptops
• Network Manager
  System wide default network manager integration
• Nodoka Theme
  New default theme for GNOME
• Policy Kit
  Easy and painless administration
• rsyslog
  Make rsyslog the new default syslog daemon--Rsyslog has a assorted set of new features that makes system administration easier
• Tickless Kernel
  Make the default x86_64 kernel tickless
• Transifex
  Use Fedora Web-based tools to contribute to any upstream project, large or small, through one translator-oriented Web interface
• Virt Security
  Secure remote mangement for Xen, KVM & QEMU virtualization
• Wakeups (fix them)
  Powertop is included. Need to start tracking egregious offenders
• XFS (no more)
  Don't start XFS font server daemon by default and fix font packages. Savings on performance and bootup time
• XUL Runner
  Use and integrate XULRunner which is the Gecko browser engine separated from the user interface

[dsio]

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GNOME 2.20 Feature List:
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GNOME 2.20 Release Notes

• Email and Calendar
  Evolution, the mail client for GNOME now integrates a backup feature, along with several usability tweaks and enhancements, as well as an improved calendar/day planner system.
• Web Browser
  GNOME's web browser, Epiphany has been overhauled considerably, while it is not commonly used as most people still use FireFox/Opera/Konqueror, it is a very competent web browser in its own right.
• Image Viewing
  GNOME's image viewer, has been improved, making it even faster and more stable, while also including the new ability to read stored metadata (camera information) from images, and open them with GIMP for editing via the menu.
• Document Viewer
  Evince, the PDF/PS file viewer now includes support for interactive PDFs (forms that are editable)
• Sound and Video
  *****This is a MAJOR new feature: Automatic searching and installing codecs for media files. This is a long awaited feature that gets around distro specific regulations with respect to third party codecs for video and sound. When an unknown media type is played, the media type is searched for and an appropriate codec is downloaded and installed in order to play the file.
• Note-Taking
  Tomboy, the note taking utility now has a feature that allows multiple computer to sync up their notes, allowing users to have the same to do list or informative quick notes on both their desktops and their portable machines.
• Text Editing
  Gedit, the powerful text editor included with GNOME now features enhanced syntax highlighting to allow detection of php within html for example.
• File Management
  File chooser dialogue boxes now have a 'recent files' option to bring up your most recently used files if for example, you are being prompted for a file upload or an email attachment, or opening something. Several other new features such as a disk usage chart, have also been added.
• Panel
  Panel placement has been revised, allowing more options.
• Control Panel
  Some control panel tabs and options have been simplified, and made easier to find.
• Password Management
  Password keyring has now been implemented, which allows one tool to fill in your passwords for it by giving it a master password. To explain this, if you have 10 different passwords for different things, you only need to remember and enter one master password instead of each of the 10 different ones. Also this is now applied to files you choose to encrypt.
• Help System
  GNOME help system has had a big overhaul, making it more user friendly
• Power Management
  GNOME's Power Manager now saves profile information about your batteries over time, to provide a far more accurate estimation of the time remaining, even with old worn-out batteries. It even knows about many battery models that have been recalled by their manufacturers. (how cool is that)
• Login and Screensaver
  Language specific login screens can now be used, and also, you can set your screensaver to lock when not used, and provide an option for people to leave you a message if they miss you, eg. you are out of your office, and someone walks over to tell you something. instead of telling you, they leave a note at your screensaver on your computer, which is shown to you when you get back to your computer and unlock screensaver
• Right-To-Left Languages
  Enhanced support
• Accessibility
  Accessibility features improved, including screen magnifiers, and screen readers.

The explanations are in my words for the most part, with some taken from GNOME's website.

[noob]

It looks really good. Seems they have got alot right with this latest release.

[aghastpumpkin]

I'm downloading it. I know nothing about but on the premise that each release makes Linux "easier" and more accessible, I thought I'd give it a try.
If I have any issues, I know who to ask.

[dsio]

Its still beta at the moment though, so there will be bugs and incomplete features, you can be assured of that.

The final release will be much better. At this point Fedora 7 is still more stable and reliable.

[Daniel ~]

Front Page big Guy! ":O}

[Daniel ~]

Trust me AP you don't want anything BETA!

You want a foundation you know you can trust so when your not getting something right, you know it's you and not them messen wit cha!

[aghastpumpkin]

Meh. I'll get 7 too. This is only for a fiddle ATM.

[Daniel ~]

Cool, fun's the best place to start in my book.You have collage to fill your need of drudgery! ":O}

[aghastpumpkin]

Indeed, yesterday I had my first lecture of my second year.

My eyes were drooping 10 minutes in.

Wahey.

[Daniel ~]

It's amazing! When I could sleep no where else...":O}

[aghastpumpkin]

Well that particular lecture was on "Project Management".

Product Design Year 2 First Semester

Computing with Matlab (SciTech) 07/08
Design Techniques 07/08
Design, Modelling and Manufacture 1 07/08
Design, Modelling and Manufacture 2 07/08
Human Computer Interaction/Human Machine Interaction (HCI/HMI) 07/08
Project Management & Ethics 07/08
Statistics for Engineers 07/08

The ones in bold are the courses which I think I'll find the most interesting and fun!

[aghastpumpkin]

Ha. The irony. You create a Fedora thread because you keep hi-jacking non-Linux threads with your escapades, only to have little AP come along and do the very thing you were trying to avoid!

Nice one Pumpkin!

Back to Fedora! My F8 has finished downloading!

[Daniel ~]

I guess you you know where to bring the news ":O}

[aghastpumpkin]

Hmm. Can I install this on a Vista hard drive? Or would I ideally need a seperate HDD?

[dsio]

You can install it beside Vista and have the two play nice, but for the sake of convenience, and 'just in case' I would recommend using a seperate hard drive, and switch in your BIOS boot order rather than in a bootloader.

[Daniel ~]

I use two, but this may just be a hold over from my earliest Linux experience. I got the MBR messed up while trying to do things I really didn't understand... I suspect things are much better these days...If they ever were messed up.... I rather abused poor fedora when we first met you know.":O}

[aghastpumpkin]

All I need is a blank DVD. Unfortunately I left all mine back at home so I can't install at the moment.
Unless I can do it through Windows using Daemon but I suspect not.

[Daniel ~]

Sounds like you'd be borrowing trouble...but what do I know!?

[noob]

The only way you could do that on the same machine (that I know of) would be to use something like VMware to install it as a virtual machine. Which may be a pretty good idea.

Means you dont have to reboot, everytime you want to ask a question and can't get on the net within fedora.