To Start Using Fedora
Content
To start using Fedora, you must know how to access your Fedora system and, once
you are on the system, how to use and configure the desktop. A set of desktop
System Settings tools lets you easily configure such features as network access,
desktop background, display resolution, and power usage. Access is supported
through a graphical login. A simple screen appears with menus for selecting login
options and your username.
User Accounts
User access to the system is provided through accounts. To gain access to the
system, you must have a user account set up for you. A system administrator
creates the account, assigning a username and password for it. You then use your
account to log in to and use the system. You can create other new user accounts, by
using special system administration tools like system-config-usersor System
Settings user accounts. You can access these tools from any user account, provided
you supply the administrative password. You had to provide a root user password
when you installed your system. This is the administrative password required to
access any administrative tool, such as the one for managing user accounts.
GRUB Start Menu and Boot Problems
When you boot up, the GRUB screen is displayed for a few seconds before the boot
procedure begins. Should you want to start a different operating system or add
options to your startup, you have to display the GRUB startup menu. Do this by
pressing any key on your keyboard. The GRUB menu will be displayed and will list
Linux and other operating systems you specified, such as Windows. Your Linux
system should be selected by default. If not, use the arrow keys to move to the
Linux entry, if it is not already highlighted, and press Enter.
GAMBAR 2.1
The Advanced Options for Fedora option opens another screen listing previously
installed Fedora kernels. If you are having difficulty with your current kernel, you can
use this screen to start up an older kernel.
To change a particular line, use the up/down arrow keys to move to the line. You can
use the left/right arrow keys to move along the line. The Backspace key will delete
characters and, simply by typing, will insert characters. The editing changes are
temporary. Permanent changes can be made only by directly editing the GRUB
configuration files. Fedora 20 uses GRUB2, which uses the configuration file
/etc/default/grub. GRUB2 files are kept in the /etc/grub.d directory. Run as root the
following grub2-mkconfigto apply changes made in /etc/default/grub:
grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg
See the GRUB2 page at http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/GRUB_2for more information.
When your Fedora operating system starts up, a Fedora logo appears. You can press
the ESC key to see the startup messages instead. Fedora uses Plymouth with its
kernel-mode setting ability, to display a startup animation. The Plymouth Fedora
logo theme is installed by default.
For graphical installations, some displays may have difficulty running the graphical
startup display known as the Plymouth boot tool. This tool replaces the Red Hat
Graphical Boot tool but still uses the command rhgb. If you have this problem, you
can edit your Linux GRUB entry and remove the rhgbterm from the Linux line. Press
the e key to edit a Grub Linux entry (see Figure 3-2). Then move the cursor to the
linuxline and perform your edit. Use the Backspace key to delete. Then press Ctrl+x
or the F10 key to boot the edited GRUB entry.
GAMBAR 2.2
Your system will start up, initially using the text display for all the startup tasks,
then shift to the graphical login.Should you have difficulty displaying your graphical
interface, you can instead choose to boot up the command-line interface. From the
command-line interface, you can make any needed configuration changes. To boot
to the command-line interface from GRUB, edit the linuxline of the Linux GRUB
entries, and add a 3to the end of the line. The 3indicates the command-line
interface. In previous versions of Fedora, the 3indicated a run level. Now it refers to
a systemd target.
The Display Manager: GDM
The graphical login interface displays a login window with a box listing a menu of
usernames. When you click a username, a login box replaces the listing of users,
displaying the selected username and a text box in which you then enter your
password. Upon clicking the Sign In button or pressing Enter, you log in to the
selected account, and your desktop starts up.
Graphical logins are handled by the GNOME Display Manager (GDM). The GDM
manages the login interface, in addition to authenticating a user password and
username, and then starts up a selected desktop. From the GDM, you can shift to
the command-line interface with Ctrl+Alt+F2, and then shift back to the GDM with
Ctrl+Alt+F1 (from a desktop, you would use the same keys to shift to a commandline interface and to shift back). The keys F2 through F6 provide different commandline terminals, as in Ctrl+Alt+F3 for the third command-line terminal.
When the GDM starts up, it shows a listing of users (see Figure 3-3). A System
Status Area at the top right of the screen displays icons indicating the status of the
sound and battery. Clicking the icons displays the System Status Area menu, which
shows the entries for sound adjustment, network wireless (if supported), and the
battery status (if a laptop). A power button at the bottom will display a power off
dialog with options to Power Off and Restart. To shut down your Fedora system, click
the Power Off button on the dialog
GAMBAR 2.3
The date is displayed at the top center of the screen. Clicking the date displays a
calendar.
Next to the System Status Area icons is a menu for accessibility, which displays a
menu of switches that let you turn on accessibility tools and such features as the
onscreen keyboard, enhanced contrast, and the screen magnifier.
To log in, click a username from the list of users. You are then prompted to enter the
user’s password (see Figure 3-4). A new dialog replaces the user list, showing the
username you selected and a Password text box in which you can enter the user’s
password. Once you enter the password, click the Sign In button or press Enter. By
default, the GNOME desktop starts up. If the name of a user you want to log in as is
not listed, click the “Not Listed” entry at the end, to open a text box, which prompts
you for a username, and then the password.
GAMBAR 2.4
Though GNOME is the primary desktop for Fedora, it is possible to install and use
other desktops, such as KDE, Cinnamon, and Mate. Should you have more than one
desktop installed, such as both GNOME and KDE, when you click a username under
which to log in, a Session button (gear icon) is displayed below the Password text
box. Click that button to open a menu listing the installed desktops, then click the
one you want to use (see Figure 3-5).
GAMBAR 2.5
The System Status Area
Once logged in, the System Status Area is displayed on the right side of the top bar
(see Figure 3-6). The area will include status icons for features such as sound and
power. Clicking the button displays the System Status Area menu, with items for
sound, brightness, wireless connections, the battery, the current user, in addition to
buttons at the bottom for opening GNOME System Settings, activating the lock
screen, and shutting down or rebooting the system. The sound and brightness items
feature sliding bars with which you can adjust the volume and brightness. The Wi-Fi,
Battery, and current user entries expand to submenus with added entries. The
buttons at the bottom open separate dialogs.
GAMBAR 2.6
On systems that are not laptops, there will be no brightness slider or Battery entry
on the System Status Area menu. If the system also has no wireless device, the WiFi entry will also be missing. A system of this kind will only have a sound slider and,
if more than one user is defined, a user entry.To log out or switch to another user,
you click the current user entry to expand the menu to show Switch User and Log
Out entries. The Log Out entry returns you to the GDM login screen. If only one user
is defined, there is no user entry, and, so, no Log Out entry, as there are no other
users to log in.
Important Laptop Features
For working on a laptop, you will require two important operations: power
management and support for multiple network connection, including wireless and
LAN. Both are configured automatically.
For power management, Fedora uses System Settings Power. On a laptop, the
Battery entry in the System Status Area (See Figure 3-7) will show how much power
you have left, as well as when the battery becomes critical.
GAMBAR 2.7
For network connections, Fedora uses Network Manager. Network Manager will
detect available network connections automatically (see “Network Manager
Wireless Connections,” later in this chapter). Click the Wi-Fi entry in the System
Status Area to expand the menu showing an entry for Select Network. Click this
entry to display a dialog showing all possible wireless networks, as well as any wired
networks. You can then choose the one you want to use. When you try to connect to
an encrypted wireless network, you will be prompted for the security method and
the password. Wireless networks that you successfully connect to will be added to
your Network Manager configuration.
Desktops
Several alternative desktop interfaces, such as GNOME and the K Desktop (KDE),
can be installed on Fedora. Each has its own style and appearance. It is important to
keep in mind that, although the GNOME and KDE interfaces appear similar, they are
really two very different desktop interfaces, with separate tools for selecting
preferences.
KDE
The K Desktop Environment (KDE) displays a panel at the bottom of the screen that
looks similar to one displayed on the top of the GNOME desktop. The file manager
appears different but operates much the same way as the GNOME file manager.
There is a System Settings entry in the main menu that opens the KDE System
Settings window, from which you can configure every aspect of the KDE
environment, such as desktop effects, workspace appearance, devices such as
monitors and printers, and networking.
Xfce and LXDE
The Xfce and LXDE desktops are lightweight and designed to run fast without the
kind of overhead seen in such full-featured desktops as KDE and GNOME. They use
their own file manager and panel, but the emphasis is on modularity and simplicity.
The desktop consists of a collection of modules, including the file manager, the
panel, and the window manager. In keeping with its focus on simplicity, its small
scale makes it appropriate for laptops or dedicated systems that have no need for
the complex overhead found in other desktops.
Cinnamon and Mate
The Cinnamon and Mate desktops are designed to make use of more traditional
desktop features, such as a main menu, panels, and applets. Mate has a traditional
GNOME 2 design, with a top and bottom panel. Cinnamon is based on GNOME 3 and
has workspace and windows overviews. It uses a bottom panel with a main menu
and applets you can add. Cinnamon is designed and maintained by Mint Linux but is
becoming popular on other distributions, including Fedora.
you are on the system, how to use and configure the desktop. A set of desktop
System Settings tools lets you easily configure such features as network access,
desktop background, display resolution, and power usage. Access is supported
through a graphical login. A simple screen appears with menus for selecting login
options and your username.
User Accounts
User access to the system is provided through accounts. To gain access to the
system, you must have a user account set up for you. A system administrator
creates the account, assigning a username and password for it. You then use your
account to log in to and use the system. You can create other new user accounts, by
using special system administration tools like system-config-usersor System
Settings user accounts. You can access these tools from any user account, provided
you supply the administrative password. You had to provide a root user password
when you installed your system. This is the administrative password required to
access any administrative tool, such as the one for managing user accounts.
GRUB Start Menu and Boot Problems
When you boot up, the GRUB screen is displayed for a few seconds before the boot
procedure begins. Should you want to start a different operating system or add
options to your startup, you have to display the GRUB startup menu. Do this by
pressing any key on your keyboard. The GRUB menu will be displayed and will list
Linux and other operating systems you specified, such as Windows. Your Linux
system should be selected by default. If not, use the arrow keys to move to the
Linux entry, if it is not already highlighted, and press Enter.
GAMBAR 2.1
The Advanced Options for Fedora option opens another screen listing previously
installed Fedora kernels. If you are having difficulty with your current kernel, you can
use this screen to start up an older kernel.
To change a particular line, use the up/down arrow keys to move to the line. You can
use the left/right arrow keys to move along the line. The Backspace key will delete
characters and, simply by typing, will insert characters. The editing changes are
temporary. Permanent changes can be made only by directly editing the GRUB
configuration files. Fedora 20 uses GRUB2, which uses the configuration file
/etc/default/grub. GRUB2 files are kept in the /etc/grub.d directory. Run as root the
following grub2-mkconfigto apply changes made in /etc/default/grub:
grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg
See the GRUB2 page at http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/GRUB_2for more information.
When your Fedora operating system starts up, a Fedora logo appears. You can press
the ESC key to see the startup messages instead. Fedora uses Plymouth with its
kernel-mode setting ability, to display a startup animation. The Plymouth Fedora
logo theme is installed by default.
For graphical installations, some displays may have difficulty running the graphical
startup display known as the Plymouth boot tool. This tool replaces the Red Hat
Graphical Boot tool but still uses the command rhgb. If you have this problem, you
can edit your Linux GRUB entry and remove the rhgbterm from the Linux line. Press
the e key to edit a Grub Linux entry (see Figure 3-2). Then move the cursor to the
linuxline and perform your edit. Use the Backspace key to delete. Then press Ctrl+x
or the F10 key to boot the edited GRUB entry.
GAMBAR 2.2
Your system will start up, initially using the text display for all the startup tasks,
then shift to the graphical login.Should you have difficulty displaying your graphical
interface, you can instead choose to boot up the command-line interface. From the
command-line interface, you can make any needed configuration changes. To boot
to the command-line interface from GRUB, edit the linuxline of the Linux GRUB
entries, and add a 3to the end of the line. The 3indicates the command-line
interface. In previous versions of Fedora, the 3indicated a run level. Now it refers to
a systemd target.
The Display Manager: GDM
The graphical login interface displays a login window with a box listing a menu of
usernames. When you click a username, a login box replaces the listing of users,
displaying the selected username and a text box in which you then enter your
password. Upon clicking the Sign In button or pressing Enter, you log in to the
selected account, and your desktop starts up.
Graphical logins are handled by the GNOME Display Manager (GDM). The GDM
manages the login interface, in addition to authenticating a user password and
username, and then starts up a selected desktop. From the GDM, you can shift to
the command-line interface with Ctrl+Alt+F2, and then shift back to the GDM with
Ctrl+Alt+F1 (from a desktop, you would use the same keys to shift to a commandline interface and to shift back). The keys F2 through F6 provide different commandline terminals, as in Ctrl+Alt+F3 for the third command-line terminal.
When the GDM starts up, it shows a listing of users (see Figure 3-3). A System
Status Area at the top right of the screen displays icons indicating the status of the
sound and battery. Clicking the icons displays the System Status Area menu, which
shows the entries for sound adjustment, network wireless (if supported), and the
battery status (if a laptop). A power button at the bottom will display a power off
dialog with options to Power Off and Restart. To shut down your Fedora system, click
the Power Off button on the dialog
GAMBAR 2.3
The date is displayed at the top center of the screen. Clicking the date displays a
calendar.
Next to the System Status Area icons is a menu for accessibility, which displays a
menu of switches that let you turn on accessibility tools and such features as the
onscreen keyboard, enhanced contrast, and the screen magnifier.
To log in, click a username from the list of users. You are then prompted to enter the
user’s password (see Figure 3-4). A new dialog replaces the user list, showing the
username you selected and a Password text box in which you can enter the user’s
password. Once you enter the password, click the Sign In button or press Enter. By
default, the GNOME desktop starts up. If the name of a user you want to log in as is
not listed, click the “Not Listed” entry at the end, to open a text box, which prompts
you for a username, and then the password.
GAMBAR 2.4
Though GNOME is the primary desktop for Fedora, it is possible to install and use
other desktops, such as KDE, Cinnamon, and Mate. Should you have more than one
desktop installed, such as both GNOME and KDE, when you click a username under
which to log in, a Session button (gear icon) is displayed below the Password text
box. Click that button to open a menu listing the installed desktops, then click the
one you want to use (see Figure 3-5).
GAMBAR 2.5
The System Status Area
Once logged in, the System Status Area is displayed on the right side of the top bar
(see Figure 3-6). The area will include status icons for features such as sound and
power. Clicking the button displays the System Status Area menu, with items for
sound, brightness, wireless connections, the battery, the current user, in addition to
buttons at the bottom for opening GNOME System Settings, activating the lock
screen, and shutting down or rebooting the system. The sound and brightness items
feature sliding bars with which you can adjust the volume and brightness. The Wi-Fi,
Battery, and current user entries expand to submenus with added entries. The
buttons at the bottom open separate dialogs.
GAMBAR 2.6
On systems that are not laptops, there will be no brightness slider or Battery entry
on the System Status Area menu. If the system also has no wireless device, the WiFi entry will also be missing. A system of this kind will only have a sound slider and,
if more than one user is defined, a user entry.To log out or switch to another user,
you click the current user entry to expand the menu to show Switch User and Log
Out entries. The Log Out entry returns you to the GDM login screen. If only one user
is defined, there is no user entry, and, so, no Log Out entry, as there are no other
users to log in.
Important Laptop Features
For working on a laptop, you will require two important operations: power
management and support for multiple network connection, including wireless and
LAN. Both are configured automatically.
For power management, Fedora uses System Settings Power. On a laptop, the
Battery entry in the System Status Area (See Figure 3-7) will show how much power
you have left, as well as when the battery becomes critical.
GAMBAR 2.7
For network connections, Fedora uses Network Manager. Network Manager will
detect available network connections automatically (see “Network Manager
Wireless Connections,” later in this chapter). Click the Wi-Fi entry in the System
Status Area to expand the menu showing an entry for Select Network. Click this
entry to display a dialog showing all possible wireless networks, as well as any wired
networks. You can then choose the one you want to use. When you try to connect to
an encrypted wireless network, you will be prompted for the security method and
the password. Wireless networks that you successfully connect to will be added to
your Network Manager configuration.
Desktops
Several alternative desktop interfaces, such as GNOME and the K Desktop (KDE),
can be installed on Fedora. Each has its own style and appearance. It is important to
keep in mind that, although the GNOME and KDE interfaces appear similar, they are
really two very different desktop interfaces, with separate tools for selecting
preferences.
KDE
The K Desktop Environment (KDE) displays a panel at the bottom of the screen that
looks similar to one displayed on the top of the GNOME desktop. The file manager
appears different but operates much the same way as the GNOME file manager.
There is a System Settings entry in the main menu that opens the KDE System
Settings window, from which you can configure every aspect of the KDE
environment, such as desktop effects, workspace appearance, devices such as
monitors and printers, and networking.
Xfce and LXDE
The Xfce and LXDE desktops are lightweight and designed to run fast without the
kind of overhead seen in such full-featured desktops as KDE and GNOME. They use
their own file manager and panel, but the emphasis is on modularity and simplicity.
The desktop consists of a collection of modules, including the file manager, the
panel, and the window manager. In keeping with its focus on simplicity, its small
scale makes it appropriate for laptops or dedicated systems that have no need for
the complex overhead found in other desktops.
Cinnamon and Mate
The Cinnamon and Mate desktops are designed to make use of more traditional
desktop features, such as a main menu, panels, and applets. Mate has a traditional
GNOME 2 design, with a top and bottom panel. Cinnamon is based on GNOME 3 and
has workspace and windows overviews. It uses a bottom panel with a main menu
and applets you can add. Cinnamon is designed and maintained by Mint Linux but is
becoming popular on other distributions, including Fedora.
