Fedora 12 Is Ready For Primetime

Fedora 12 is release and is now ready for downloading here. Fedora 12 is now promising better web-cam support and improved video codecs. Also listed as major improvements are audio and power management. Some of the minor improvements are listed as better bluetooth, bug reporting, security and virtualization enhancements. I haven't used Fedora in a while and I will be downloading the iso and loading it to a flash drive. Fedora has their own tool for creating USB keys, the LiveUSB Creator. It will work in Linux or a Windows version is available and it is easily the easiest way to create the Fedora Live USB.

Ubuntu 9.10 Alpha 3 Is Available

Hey all you Ubuntu fans according to Distrowatch, Canonical has release Karmic Koala Alpha 3 for Ubuntu 9.10. I will certainly give this a try since I did like 9.04 it just never really performed that stellar in the wireless department. It connected fine using the Dlink-652 wireless card in my laptop but wasn't as responsive as Fedora 11. See the Speedtest results I posted a while back for Ubuntu and Fedora. So I am curious to see if they have improved the performance for the Ahteros chipset in this version. I will give it a try this weekend and report back. Two of the more noteworthy changes are the 2.6.31-3.19 kernet and ext4 as the default filesystem. I suggest you head over to their website for the full run-down of the newest features in Karmic Koala.

Fedora and Firefox Update Agony

As I reported in the last post, Firefox 3.5 update is finally in the repositories for Fedora. Now I usually don't have many bad things to say about Fedora but this update was not thought out very well. When I ran the update to my surprise when Firefox started, the add-ons dialog box came up confirming I had installed 73 add-ons. Wait a minute I thought, I didn't approve this type of install nor was I told or given a choice. The add-on are all foreign language packs that I wouldn't ever use. This should have been a choice to install or to pick and choose which ones to install. Too many add-ons will slow performance in Firefox and I definitely did not need all 73 packs. So if this happens to you here is my solution. Open a terminal session as root and enter:
(The # just denotes root, no need to re-enter it.)

# cd /usr/lib/firefox-3.5
# firefox

This will launch Firefox as root. I had a couple of warnings that I ignored. From here you can open the Add-ons tool and un-install any language pack you don't need. A bit tedious but it gets the job done. If anyone knows of a better way let us know in the comments.

Firefox 3.5 Available In Fedora Repositories

The full release of Firefox 3.5 is now available in the software updater application. Fedora 11 was released with Firefox-3.5b4 which was one of the last beta releases. If you are running Fedora you can now update using the Add/Remove Software tool or Yum. I have not checked other distros but I'm sure they are updating as well given the popularity of Firefox especially in the Linux community.

Linux Distros Lagging In Package Updates For Firefox 3.5

I must say that I'm quite disappointed that I haven't been able to update to Firefox 3.5 in Mepis or Fedora. I've been touting the flag for these distros pretty high and I really thought I would at least see the Fedora 3.5 beta have an update available. But I ran apt-get update on Mepis and no new Firefox. Tried a yum update for Fedora and the same results. If I tried for just the package I would get no package available nothing to do. This was very frustrating since I know the Linux version is on Mozilla's website ready to go. In their support pages Mozilla does mention that the various distros do control the version upgrades for Firefox. Even the update now feature is locked out. I even checked the about:config file and it was locked there as well. I downloaded the Linux version but I can't do anything with it. I haven't given up. My guess is others are having the same trials and soon a Google search will turn up the methods. For now I rant and tomorrow I will test it out on Windows XP. I haven't had the time to even test drive it in Windows. Anyone using 3.5 now? What do you like about the new release? Did they leave out something you want?

Firefox 3.5 Announcing Release

According to PCMag.com article Mozilla has officially announced the release of Firefox 3.5 for Tuesday June 30th. I know I have been waiting for this release and I plan on being in that number of expected 1 billion cumulative downloads. Features to look for are a Private Browsing Mode, Trace Monkey defined as a new Javascript engine, Location Awareness and support for more locales and HTTP 5. See the Mozilla website for more details on the upcoming features. I have been using this browser in Fedora 11 and I like it a lot. It is very snappy and more responsive than previous versions. I am looking forward to this becoming a full release product. This will give MS a run for their money in the browser arena. Firefox is leading the path for customization and allowing the user to personalize their browsing experience via extensions and better support for add-ons. Its availability for other platforms is a big plus too.

Linux is a Lifestyle

With every passing week I grow more and more accustomed to Linux. I am on Fedora 11 as I write, (surprise) and I have been playing online Poker using Wine with PokerStars software in AntiX most of the night. Now that should surprise you, playing online poker with Windows software, running Fluxbox on top of AntiX. With this said it should be very apparent I am moving towards using Linux more often and Windows less. I am adopting the Linux Lifestyle. Free software and lots of choices for all my hardware. You can't get that with Windows or OSX. This laptop is six years old and Linux has breathed new life into it. I still run XP on this machine but run Ubuntu and Fedora more than ever. I can find just about all of my needs in the repositories for at least one of these and apps I would never have run if I had to pay big bucks for them. Linux has spawned a renewed interest in learning again. Such as downlading a new OS and getting it to work on a laptop that is running a P3 processor. It simply feels good. The same feeling those of us had when configuring dip switches on a 2400 baud modem and then being able to connect to your local BBS. (If you don't know what BBS is head to Wikipedia and search Bulletin Board Systems) In my most humble opinion I believe that the majority of Linux users are folks that don't mind going under the hood. They don't always have the answer to everything but are willing to try, willing to learn and best of all willing to share. For me in a nutshell, that is the Linux Lifestyle and I'm glad to be a part of it.

Ubuntu Speedtest Comparison

I ran the speedtest from Speedtest.net using Ubuntu 9.04. The results do not stack up as well as Fedora 11. I was hoping for a better result since the network is fairly quiet at this time of the night. But this is comparable to tests done under Ubuntu 8.10 which was slightly better. Ubuntu gets the driver correct and the wireless works well but it is definitely not as good as Fedora. Using Ubuntu 8.10 on the same hardware was definitely smoother but still not as fast as Fedora 11. In this version web browsing will be just fine and then it just quits for several seconds. I never have this issue n this hardware in Fedora or Windows XP. I am updating this version right now and will re-boot and test again.



After new Linux (2.6.28-13-generic) headers installed the new test was only slightly better. Definitely not what I had hoped for.

Adding Multimedia Support To Fedora 11

This is where getting to know your command line and loving every minute of it pays off. I'm learning and so can you. First open terminal and enter these commands:

[Johnny@localhost ~]$ su

[root@localhost liveuser]# rpm -Uvh http://download.fedora.redhat.com/pub/epel/5/i386/epel-release-5-3.noarch.rpm
Retrieving http://download.fedora.redhat.com/pub/epel/5/i386/epel-release-5-3.noarch.rpm
warning: /var/tmp/rpm-tmp.T59gcP: Header V3 DSA signature: NOKEY, key ID 217521f6
Preparing... ########################################### [100%]
1:epel-release ########################################### [100%]
[root@localhost liveuser]# yum install foo
Loaded plugins: refresh-packagekit
adobe-linux-i386 | 951 B 00:00
adobe-linux-i386/primary | 11 kB 00:00
adobe-linux-i386 17/17
epel | 2.1 kB 00:00
epel/primary_db | 2.4 MB 00:25
fedora/metalink | 12 kB 00:00
fedora | 3.8 kB 00:00
fedora/primary_db | 8.4 MB 00:30
updates/metalink | 12 kB 00:00
updates | 4.0 kB 00:00
updates/primary_db | 974 kB 00:02
Setting up Install Process
No package foo available.
Nothing to do
[root@localhost liveuser]# rpm -Uhv http://download1.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-rawhide.noarch.rpm http://download1.rpmfusion.org/nonfree/fedora/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-rawhide.noarch.rpm
Retrieving http://download1.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-rawhide.noarch.rpm
Retrieving http://download1.rpmfusion.org/nonfree/fedora/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-rawhide.noarch.rpm
warning: /var/tmp/rpm-tmp.bi9F37: Header V3 RSA/SHA256 signature: NOKEY, key ID 16ca1a56
warning: /var/tmp/rpm-tmp.QQMxvE: Header V3 RSA/SHA256 signature: NOKEY, key ID a3a882c1
error: Failed dependencies:
system-release >= 11.90 is needed by rpmfusion-free-release-11.90-1.noarch
system-release >= 11.90 is needed by rpmfusion-nonfree-release-11.90-1.noarch
[root@localhost liveuser]# rpm -Uvh http://download1.rpmfusion.org/free/el/updates/testing/5/i386/rpmfusion-free-release-5-0.1.noarch.rpm http://download1.rpmfusion.org/nonfree/el/updates/testing/5/i386/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-5-0.1.noarch.rpm
Retrieving http://download1.rpmfusion.org/free/el/updates/testing/5/i386/rpmfusion-free-release-5-0.1.noarch.rpm
Retrieving http://download1.rpmfusion.org/nonfree/el/updates/testing/5/i386/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-5-0.1.noarch.rpm

(snipped due to length)

1:rpmfusion-free-release ########################################### [ 50%]
2:rpmfusion-nonfree-relea########################################### [100%]
[root@localhost liveuser]# yum list | grep rpmfusion-free
rpmfusion-free-release.noarch 5-0.1 installed
DVDRipOMatic.noarch 0.95-5.el5 rpmfusion-free-updates-testing
a52dec.i386 0.7.4-13.el5 rpmfusion-free-updates-testing
a52dec-devel.i386 0.7.4-13.el5 rpmfusion-free-updates-testing

(snipped due to length)

xvidcore-devel.i386 1.1.3-4.el5 rpmfusion-free-updates-testing

[root@localhost liveuser]# yum install gstreamer-plugins-ugly gstreamer-plugins-bad gstreamer-ffmpeg
Loaded plugins: refresh-packagekit
Setting up Install Process
Resolving Dependencies
--> Running transaction check
---> Package gstreamer-ffmpeg.i386 0:0.10.5-1.el5 set to be updated
--> Processing Dependency: libavformat.so.52 for package: gstreamer-ffmpeg
--> Processing Dependency: libavutil.so.49 for package: gstreamer-ffmpeg
--> Processing Dependency: libpostproc.so.51 for package: gstreamer-ffmpeg
--> Processing Dependency: libavcodec.so.51 for package: gstreamer-ffmpeg
---> Package gstreamer-plugins-bad.i386 0:0.10.8-4.el5.1 set to be updated
--> Processing Dependency: libfusion-1.0.so.0 for package: gstreamer-plugins-bad
--> Processing Dependency: libcdaudio.so.1 for package: gstreamer-plugins-bad

(snipped due to length)

--> Running transaction check
---> Package a52dec.i386 0:0.7.4-13.el5 set to be updated
---> Package dirac-libs.i586 0:1.0.2-2.fc11 set to be updated
---> Package directfb.i386 0:1.0.0-0.1.rc3.el5 set to be updated
---> Package faac.i386 0:1.28-1.el5 set to be updated
--> Processing Dependency: libmp4v2.so.0 for package: faac
---> Package faad2-libs.i386 1:2.6.1-5.el5 set to be updated
---> Package ffmpeg-libs.i386 0:0.4.9-0.52.20080908.el5 set to be updated
--> Processing Dependency: libImlib2.so.1 for package: ffmpeg-libs
---> Package gstreamer-plugins-ugly.i386 0:0.10.9-2.el5.1 set to be updated
--> Processing Dependency: libcdio.so.7 for package: gstreamer-plugins-ugly
--> Processing Dependency: libcdio.so.7(CDIO_7) for package: gstreamer-plugins-ugly
---> Package lame-libs.i386 0:3.97-7.el5 set to be updated

(snipped due to length)

---> Package libmpeg2.i386 0:0.5.1-3.el5 set to be updated
---> Package libofa.i586 0:0.9.3-15.fc11 set to be updated
--> Processing Dependency: libfftw3.so.3 for package: libofa
---> Package libsysfs.i586 0:2.1.0-5.fc11 set to be updated
---> Package mjpegtools-libs.i386 0:1.9.0-0.6.rc3.el5 set to be updated
--> Processing Dependency: libquicktime >= 0.9.8 for package: mjpegtools-libs
--> Processing Dependency: libquicktime.so.0 for package: mjpegtools-libs
---> Package x264-libs.i386 0:0.0.0-0.15.20080613.el5 set to be updated
---> Package xvidcore.i386 0:1.1.3-4.el5 set to be updated
--> Running transaction check
---> Package fftw.i586 0:3.2.1-2.fc11 set to be updated
---> Package gstreamer-plugins-ugly.i386 0:0.10.9-2.el5.1 set to be updated

(snipped due to length)

Error: Missing Dependency: libcdio.so.7(CDIO_7) is needed by package gstreamer-plugins-ugly-0.10.9-2.el5.1.i386 (rpmfusion-free-updates-testing)
Error: Missing Dependency: libcdio.so.7 is needed by package gstreamer-plugins-ugly-0.10.9-2.el5.1.i386 (rpmfusion-free-updates-testing)
You could try using --skip-broken to work around the problem
You could try running: package-cleanup --problems
package-cleanup --dupes
rpm -Va --nofiles --nodigest

Since I was missing libcdio.so.7 I ran this next:

[root@localhost liveuser]# yum install libcdio.so.7
Loaded plugins: refresh-packagekit
Setting up Install Process
Resolving Dependencies
--> Running transaction check
---> Package libcdio.i386 0:0.78.2-5.el5 set to be updated
--> Finished Dependency Resolution

Dependencies Resolved

=========================================================================================================
Package Arch Version Repository Size
=========================================================================================================
Installing:
libcdio i386 0.78.2-5.el5 epel 267 k

Transaction Summary
=========================================================================================================
Install 1 Package(s)
Update 0 Package(s)
Remove 0 Package(s)

Total download size: 267 k
Is this ok [y/N]: y
Downloading Packages:
libcdio-0.78.2-5.el5.i386.rpm | 267 kB 00:01
warning: rpmts_HdrFromFdno: Header V3 DSA signature: NOKEY, key ID 217521f6
epel/gpgkey | 1.7 kB 00:00
Importing GPG key 0x217521F6 "Fedora EPEL <epel@fedoraproject.org>" from /etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-EPEL
Is this ok [y/N]: y
Running rpm_check_debug
ERROR with rpm_check_debug vs depsolve:
libcdio.so.10 is needed by (installed) gvfs-1.2.3-2.fc11.i586
libcdio.so.10(CDIO_10) is needed by (installed) gvfs-1.2.3-2.fc11.i586
Complete!

Since it ended in an error I decided to visit the rpmfusion website and follow the instructions there. Could not have been simpler. I re-added the repositories by clicking on two links and allowing the install. Next in terminal as su I ran almost the same commands as before:

rpm -Uvh http://download1.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-stable.noarch.rpm http://download1.rpmfusion.org/nonfree/fedora/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-stable.noarch.rpm

and finishing with:

[root@localhost liveuser]# yum install gstreamer-plugins-ugly gstreamer-plugins-bad gstreamer-ffmpeg

This time it finished without errors. I now have Mp3 support and a repository to install other multimedia codecs and applications. I have to pass thanks onto Techrepublic.com and poster Vincent Danen for the missing pieces to the puzzle. Here is the link to the post by Vincent Danen.

Speedtest Results

Cox Cable advertises all time about Powerboost but only in off hours like almost 4am have I obtained the results advertised.

I ran a second test on a Los Angeles server for comparison and the results were almost the same.

I did these tests in Fedora 11 on my HP laptop. I am using a D-link wireless N card. It has the Atheros chip set which has been very difficult in the past to get any connection. In Fedora 10 it would connect but never go anywhere. In Ubuntu 8.04, 8.10 and 9.04 I was able to get it working but not at this speed rating. I should also mention that my best test ever in Windows only went above just above 12 Mb/s. So once again I am very pleased with the progress Project Fedora is making.

Ripping With Rhythymbox

One of the most used apps on our computers is the music player. In Fedora 11 you will find Rhythymbox v0.12.1. Rhythymbox is at the top of many folks list for a music player. I found it to be a very straight forward player that can do everything I want in a music player. I did notice though that Mp3 support was lacking in the default install. Something I will need since I listen to my tunes on a Nano Ipod. Time to search the repository in the non-free section for the codecs. I was able to open Rhythymbox and rip a cd without looking up any instructions. I am ripping the Doors as I type this and I might add that I am running from the USB key and I am not seeing any negative performance in computer speed or application lagging. That is something I can't say when ripping from iTunes on my XP laptop. When I rip with iTunes in XP everything comes to a halt. The computer is not that much of a dog and I ripped cd's in the past with other programs never having as much lag as with iTunes. Apple has simply let iTunes get too bloated. I think it is time to separate the player and the store and allow the app to direct your favourite browser in that direction. Fedora and Rhythymbox are ripping my cd of the Doors rather nicely. It is now on track 8 of 14 in only about 5 minutes all from the live-USB installation. But everything is not perfect and I have to voice this one gripe. Rhythymbox did not pre-load the cd information in the property fields. That was something that surprised me since this cd has been around for quite a while. Is there a config file I need to edit? If someone knows the answer help me out. I will look to see if that type of feature can be enabled later but for this rip it wasn't that hard to enter the information. But go figure it did show the correct album art. Right now it's time to rock!

Fedora 11 Speedtest

I just hit Speedtest.net and my results weren't way up there on this wireless N laptop but response times are seemingly very fast. Still faster than with Ubuntu but not as fast as WindowsXP. I will test again during the day on this and wired systems and post the link for results. The perceived speed is very fast for page loads and web browsing. Downloads have been quick too. Obviously a lot of testing could be done here but this is definitely faster than Ubuntu 9.04 and Fedora 10. I am starting to become a real believer.

Something To Shout About

Wow is all I can say so far. I am writing this from Fedora 11 on my USB stick. This is the first boot on this laptop and all I had to do to get connected was enter my SSID, select my security and enter the pass phrase. I was connected about 5 seconds later and at a higher rate than I have been with Ubuntu. This is for me anyway, the most polished distro I've ever run. I am looking forward to seeing more.

Fedora 11 Has Arrived

Fedora 11 is finally an official release. If you want to download a copy now click on the banner to the right. I have downloaded the live cd version tonight and the new LiveUSB-Creator. I am loading it to a USB flash drive and will test drive this new version of Fedora right away. I am using a 4gb stick for the live USB install and the first difference I have noticed is the newer USB-Creator is allowing me to use all of the available space left for persistent storage. The older version maxed out at about 2gb's. The LiveUSB-Creator worked in just over 16 minutes which was about 7 minutes longer than the previous version. Okay now for the real test. l booted to the stick and Project Fedora team has hit it right! I was on the desktop in just about 20 seconds as promised. Network was detected, setup and working. Also detected correctly was the underlying file system. I now have a working Fedora 11 USB stick with about 3gb's of useful storage space. That's so cool! I will post more later after trying this out on a laptop or two.

Linux Not Ready For The Masses

This is the argument Microsoft always wants to win. I think they are still winning the war of the desktop for now will for sometime to come. I really like Linux and I have to state upfront this is not a bashing Linux argument but hopefully will enlighten and encourage more people to experiment with Linux. First off Windows will always be the majority desktop on new computers until Linux distros fully support out of box functionality. Some would argue that it is the manufacturer's responsibility to supply the drivers but I argue that the differences from distribution to distribution is what keeps the manufacturers from creating the needed drivers. While this is improving in recent kernel releases, Ubuntu, Fedora, Puppy, Slax and Debian, to name but a few, all have slightly different methods for installing drivers and slightly different directory structures. While the basics are the same in each, differences do exist. We can't expect a video card manufacturers for example to create drivers for all these different distributions when the methods for installing and configuration is slightly different in each one. The Linux community could come together on this and start creating some standards. Secondly Microsoft has for better or worse, kept plenty of configuration standards from version to version only making some minor changes along the way. As computer use grew this familiarity has helped the novice users. It is this group of users that make up the majority of users. Would Linux be right for them? A qualified maybe is my thought on that. Installed I think anyone can use most Linux distributions. It is when installing new software or hardware that will cause a novice to reconsider and return to the safety of Windows. I am a geek and I am learning more everyday about Linux but when I wanted to install the Flash plugin in Fedora I went to Adobe's download page and was presented with four choices a yum, a tar.gz, a deb and a rpm file to install Flash. Which one do I need? I had to stop and research what Fedora would want to install. Not too hard for me a geek but most users might give up. That brings me to package mangers which help quite a bit but still need tweaking for repositories and are not consistent amongst distributions I regularly use Puppy, Ubuntu, AntiX and Fedora. Puppy's package installer has the most differences from the others. AntiX has two different installers and of course all can install from the command line. Confusing? I will end this saying that I like Linux and enjoy the challenges it provides. But I recognize that this challenge is not for everyone. I hope to see Linux to continue to grow and perhaps move towards creating environments anyone, including my Mom, could enjoy what Linux offers.