Fedora Core 1 Installation Notes

This is a personal help/tutorial/notes page that I have prepared to install Linux on my laptop, Dell Inspiron 4150). I chose Fedora Core 1 over all other distributions (Suse 9.2, Fedora Core 3, Mandrake) simply because almost everything works right out of the box; including touch pad, wireless, hibernating, CPU frequency scaling. Unfortunately the touch pad didn't work on Suse and hibernating failed on FC3) Although these problems can be resolved on other distributions, it just takes time and effort. This works fine without any hassle.

• Backup home directory. Make a copy of the following files: /etc/fstab, /etc/yum.conf, address book, bookmarks, .bashrc, .emacs, .emacs_addons. Then install the distribution.
• Enter switchdesk kde to make KDE the default window manager. Adjust the display size. Run Desktop Settings Wizard. Copy the /etc/fstab file. Reboot.
• Start copying home directory. Install firefox and thunderbird. Configure yum by copying /etc/yum.conf and installing the GPG Keys from DAG and freshrpms. Then run the following command:
• yum install acroread j2re yumi amarok amsn amsn-skins anjuta audacity dillo k3b k3b-mp3 kaffeine kile latex-xft-fonts lyx mplayer mplayer-fonts mplayer-skins xine xine-skins xmms-mp3 digikam gwenview kdewebdev kimdaba kplayer krename showimg aget airsnort fortune hotswap hotswap-kde radeontool easytag cpudyn cpufreqd genius gliv qiv unrar pine synaptic bluefish gv musicman mathomatic lde kssh kseg knowit jhead activeheart crystal-gt crystal-svg noia knights nuvola liquid mozilla-j2re.i586 mozilla-acroread.i386
• install w32codecs and tetex-prosper.
• Disable the following services: kudzu, anacron, acpid, netfs, nfs, nfslock, portmap, netfs, atd, sendmail, innd, irda, kdcrotate, named, postgresql, pulse, pvm, rstatd, rusersd, rwalld, rwhod, smb.
  But do not disable syslog, identd, crond, keytable, xfs.
• Desktop Adjustments:
  • Adjust the shell (colors, fonts, hide menu-bar, save settings).
  • From control center, adjust: Panel, window behaviour, icons, background, kmenu, system sounds, login screen.
  • Add the follwing to panel: Analog Clock, systems load, shell, home, firefox, thunderbird, amarok, amsn, network, wireless.
  • Add the following to konqueror toolbar: Previews, terminal emulator, divide, join, new tab.
  • Add application emacs -font 9x15 -geometry 76x70. Then change file associations for: cpp,c,h,hh,makefile,pdf,ps,eps,dvi,gif,lyx,tex,bib,fig,avi,wma,mpg,asf,mp3,htm,jpeg, gif, m.
• Set up devices: /mnt/stuff, /mnt/cf, /mnt/usb. Create links to picture and music folders.
• Delete autorun in .kde directory. Fix xdvi paper size by changing a4 to us in file /usr/share/texmf/xdvi/XDvi. Fix dvips paper size by pulling the line letterSize above A4size in file /usr/share/texmf/dvips/config/config.ps.
• Install both versions of matlab. Configure printers.
• Copy additional prosper style files and run mktexlsr.
• And kill that ugly pam icon in the system tray.

Now you have a descent system with the latest version of KDE.