BOOKS FOR PROFESSIONALS BY PROFESSIONALS® Petersen Beginning Fedora Desktop RELATED Beginning Fedora Desktop: Fedora 18 Edition is a complete guide to using the Fedora 18 Desktop Linux release as your daily driver for administration, produc- tivity, social networking, and more. Author and Linux expert Richard Petersen delves into the operating system as a whole and offers you a complete treatment of Fedora 18 Desktop installation, configuration, and use. You’ll discover how to install Fedora 18 Desktop on any hardware, learn which applications perform which functions, how to manage software updates, tips and tricks for the GNOME 3 and KDE desktops, useful shell commands, and both the Fedora administration and network tools, including the GNOME 3 administration tools. Get the most out of Fedora 18 Desktop—including Office suites, editors, e-book readers, music and video applications and codecs, email clients, Web and FTP browsers, microblogging and IM applications—with a copy of Beginning Fedora Desktop: Fedora 18 Edition at your side. What You’ll Learn: • how to install Fedora 18 Desktop on any hardware • the available desktop choices, including GNOME 3, KDE 4, and alternative desktops such as LXDE and Cinnamon • how to use office multimedia, and internet software • how to maintain your system, manage users, configure network connections, and perform backups • how to participate in social networks using open source clients • and much more Shelve in ISBN 978-1-4302-6562-7 Linux/General User level: Beginning–Intermediate 9 781430 265627 SOURCE CODE ONLINE www.apress.com For your convenience Apress has placed some of the front matter material after the index. Please use the Bookmarks and Contents at a Glance links to access them. Contents at a Glance About the Author �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������xxiii Introduction ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������xxv ■ Part 1: Getting Started ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������1 ■ Chapter 1: Fedora 18 Introduction�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������3 ■ Chapter 2: Installation and Upgrade ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������15 ■ Chapter 3: Usage Basics: Login, Desktop, and Help ��������������������������������������������������������47 ■ Chapter 4: Installing and Updating Software: YUM, PackageKit, and RPM ���������������������89 ■ Part 2: Applications ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������127 ■ Chapter 5: Office Applications and Editors ��������������������������������������������������������������������129 ■ Chapter 6: Graphics and Multimedia �����������������������������������������������������������������������������147 ■ Chapter 7: Mail (E-Mail) and News �������������������������������������������������������������������������������181 ■ Chapter 8: Internet Applications: Web and FTP �������������������������������������������������������������197 ■ Chapter 9: Social Networking: Microblogging, IM, VoIP, and Social Desktop ����������������219 ■ Part 3: Desktops ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������229 ■ Chapter 10: GNOME 3 ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������231 ■ Chapter 11: The K Desktop Environment: KDE ���������������������������������������������������������������257 ■ Chapter 12: Shells ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������305 ■ Chapter 13: Additional Desktops �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������335 v ■ Contents at a GlanCe ■ Part 4: Administration ������������������������������������������������������������������������������353 ■ Chapter 14: Fedora System Tools ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������355 ■ Chapter 15: System Administration ������������������������������������������������������������������������������377 ■ Chapter 16: Network Configuration �������������������������������������������������������������������������������415 ■ Chapter 17: Printing ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������447 Index ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������467 vi Introduction This book examines Fedora for the user. Although administrative tools are covered, the emphasis is on what a user would need to know to perform tasks. The focus here is on what users face when using Fedora, covering topics like installation, applications, software management, the GNOME and KDE desktops, shell commands, and both the Fedora administration and network tools. Desktops are examined in detail, including configuration options. Applications examined include Office Suites, editors, e-book readers, music and video applications and codecs, e-mail clients, web and FTP browsers, microblogging and IM applications. This book is designed for the Fedora 18 desktop, with all the latest features of interest to users. Part 1 focuses on getting started, covering Fedora information and resources, Fedora Live DVDs, Live USBs, installing and setting up Fedora, and basic use of the desktop as well as device access. The GNOME 3 System Settings configuration tools such as power, background, screen, network, and display are examined. Also covered is software management using PackageKit and YUM, along with repositories and their uses, including the RPM Fusion repository. Part 2 keys in on applications such as office, multimedia, mail, Internet, and social networking applications. This part includes coverage of the PulseAudio sound interface and music and video applications. Part 3 covers the two major desktops—GNOME and KDE—discussing the new GNOME 3 features including the activities overviews, the dash, and the top bar. Unique KDE 4 features like the dashboard and activities are also explored. In addition, the shell interface is examined, including features like history, filename completion, directory and file operations, among others. Additional desktops are also discussed, including Xfce, LXDE, Sugar (SoaS), and Cinnamon. Part 4 deals with administration topics, first discussing system tools like the GNOME system monitor, the Disk Usage Analyzer, the Disk Utility storage manager, temperature monitors, and the SELinux configuration dialog. This part includes a detailed chapter on Fedora system administration tools, such as those for managing users, authorization controls, and Bluetooth, along with service management and file system access. The network configuration chapter covers a variety of network tasks, including configuration of wired and wireless connections, 3G wireless, firewalls, and Samba Windows access. The Printing chapter examines the system-config-printer interface with its support for personal and remote printers. xxv Part 1 Getting Started Chapter 1 Fedora 18 Introduction Fedora Documentation Fedora 18 Fedora Live DVD USB Live Disk Fedora Logo Open Source Software Linux History and Documentation The Fedora release of Linux is maintained and developed by an open source project called the Fedora Project (http://fedoraproject.org). The release consists entirely of open source software. Development is carried out using contributions from Linux developers. The project is designed to work much like other open source projects, with releases keeping pace with the course of rapid online development. The Fedora Project features detailed documentation of certain topics like installation and desktop user guides at http://docs.fedoraproject.org (see Table 1-1). Table 1-1. Fedora sites Web Site Name http://fedoraproject.org Fedora resources http://download.fedoraproject.org Fedora repository site http://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/Fedora/18/ Fedora installation guide html/Installation_Guide/ http://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/Fedora/18/ Fedora release notes html/Release_Notes/index.html/ http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Overview Fedora project overview http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/FAQ Fedora FAQ http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/CommunityWebsites Fedora community web sites http://docs.fedoraproject.org Documentation and support tutorials for Fedora releases http://fedoraproject.org/en/get-fedora Fedora download page (continued) 3 Chapter 1 ■ Fedora 18 IntroduCtIon Table 1-1. (continued) Web Site Name http://fedoraproject.org/get-fedora-all Fedora download page for all download methods and Fedora versions http://download.fedoraproject.org Fedora repository, mirror link http://mirrors.fedoraproject.org Fedora mirrors list http://fedoraforum.org End-user discussion support forum, endorsed by the Fedora Project; includes FAQs and news links http://www.linuxfoundation.org The Linux Foundation, official Linux development http://kernel.org Latest Linux kernels http://www.redhat.com The Red Hat web site http://magazine.redhat.com/ Red Hat Magazine, with specialized articles on latest developments http://www.centos.org Community Enterprise Operating System, CENTOS (Red Hat-based) Fedora Documentation Documentation for Fedora can be found at http:/docs.fedoraproject.org (see Table 1-1). The Fedora installation guide provides a detailed description of all install procedures. The Fedora desktop users guide covers basic desktop operations like logging in, using office applications, and accessing the Web. Several dedicated Fedora support sites are available that provide helpful information, including http://fedoraforum.org and http://fedoraproject.org. The http://fedoraforum.org site is a Fedora Project–sponsored forum for end-user support. Here you can post questions and check responses for common problems. Your Firefox browser will already be configured with links for accessing popular documentation and support sites. On the Firefox Bookmarks toolbar, click the Fedora Project button to display a menu with entries for Fedora Project, Fedora Forum, Fedora Solved, Fedora Weekly News, Planet Fedora, and Join Fedora. The Red Hat menu displays entries for Red Hat, jBoss, OpenSource.com, and The Open Source Way (you may have to set the bookmarks toolbar to display; choose View | Bookmarks Toolbar). Fedora maintains detailed specialized documentation, such as information on understanding how udev is implemented or how SELinux is configured. For much of the documentation you must rely on installed documentation in /usr/share/doc or on the man and info pages, as well as the context help button for different applications running on your desktop. Web sites for software such as GNOME, KDE, and LibreOffice.org provide extensive applicable documentation. For installation, you can use the Fedora installation guide at http://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/Fedora/18/html/Installation_Guide/. Red Hat also maintains an extensive library of documentation for Red Hat Enterprise Linux, much of which is applicable to Fedora. Red Hat documentation is located at http://docs.redhat.com. Most documentation relevant to Fedora is located in the Red Hat Enterprise category. Documentation covers topics such as virtualization, the Global File System (GFS), Logical Volume Management (LVM), and the security guide. All the Red Hat documentation is freely available under the GNU General Public License. 4 Chapter 1 ■ Fedora 18 IntroduCtIon Fedora 18 The Fedora versions of Linux are entirely free. You can download the most current version from http://fedoraproject.org or http://download.fedoraproject.org. The http://download.fedoraproject.org address will link to the best available mirror for you. You can update Fedora using the software update (PackageKit) to access the Fedora repository. Access is automatically configured during installation. The Fedora distribution is also available online at numerous FTP sites. Fedora maintains download sites at http://download.fedoraproject.org along with a mirrors listing at http://mirrors.fedoraproject.org, where you can download the entire current release of Fedora Linux, as well as updates and additional software. Fedora 18 Desktop Features Fedora releases feature key updates to critical applications as well as new tools. The following information is derived for the official Fedora release notes. Consult these notes for detailed information about all new changes. The Fedora release notes are located on all the Fedora spins as an HTML file on the top directory. You can also find the release notes at http://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/Fedora/18/html/Release_Notes/. Fedora 18 uses GNOME 3.6 and KDE 4.9. Fedora provides the Mate and Cinnamon desktops. Mate is a traditional desktop based on GNOME 2, and Cinnamon is the Mint Linux desktop derived from GNOME 3, but with many traditional features such the panel and applets. The lock screen displays the time, date, and username. From the lock screen you can adjust the sound, configure your network connection, and check your power. Press the ESC key to display the login screen. The GNOME-shell top bar provides system indicator menus on the right, a clock in the center, and an Activities button on the left that can display an overview mode and the dash for quickly accessing windows. You access the applications overview from an icon on the dash (the last icon). GNOME windows and workspaces can be displayed easily and accessed quickly from the overview. A search box at the top allows you to search directly for applications and files. Passing your mouse over a window in the overview displays a close button that you can use to close the window. GNOME workspaces can be generated automatically from the overview. The GNOME overview features a dash (Activities) that lists icons for your favorite applications and opened applications, letting you access them quickly. You can add applications to the dash. An Applications icon on the dash opens the applications overview, with filters for narrowing your selection. A search box at the top lets you search for applications and files. GNOME 3 provides switches that enable you to turn many features on and off, including wired and wireless networking, notifications, and accessibility settings. In the GNOME-shell, notifications are displayed in the message area at the bottom of the screen, and can be accessed from the message tray in the lower-right corner (they are automatically hidden). The GNOME-shell manages system modal dialogs such as logout and policykit authentication. 5 Chapter 1 ■ Fedora 18 IntroduCtIon Many former applications that used GNOME applets on the panel in GNOME 2 for alerts now use menus and notifications displayed on the message tray. Applications include software updates, SELinux trouble-shooter, and removable devices. The message tray remains hidden until you move your mouse to the lower-right corner of the screen. The GNOME GDM provides a streamlined interface, with basic time/calendar, accessibility, power, and sound support. The GNOME Files file manager has a more streamlined look, with buttons for two views— icon and list. The compact view is no longer supported. A button for a View menu lists tasks such as zooming and sorting, and a tool button displays a menu for folder tasks such as a new tab, item selection, and bookmarking. A Files menu on the GNOME applications menu on the top bar contains tasks such as connecting to an FTP site, opening a new window, and configuring bookmarks. The GNOME Files file manager (Nautilus) features a sidebar with Places, Devices, Computer, Bookmarks, and Network sections. You can quickly access any file system on removable devices, remote networks, and internal drives, as well as your home folders. The Compact view is no longer supported. The file manager supports a preview of file contents, displaying text, video, images, and PDF files. Select the file and press the spacebar. In System Settings, you can configure use of Online Accounts such as Google and Facebook. Configuring the Online Accounts sets up configuration for mail and chat (Empathy). GNOME supports an integrated onscreen keyboard for both access and tablets, and the integration of keyboard layouts and input methods. GNOME Contacts (gnome-contacts) provides integrated management for all your contacts on Empathy, Evolution, and online accounts. GNOME Documents supports local and cloud-based documents (Google docs and Microsoft SkyDrive), letting you quickly search and access your documents (text, PDF, presentations, and spreadsheets). GNOME search can also search contacts. systemd and its unit files have replaced System V and its init scripts. Upstart is no longer used. The Deja Dup front end for duplicity provides simple backups using rsync. The Gwibber microblogging application provides Twitter and Facebook access. The GNOME print manager (System Settings | Printers) features support for configuring printers. KDE provides several desktop improvements, including the system tray, notification area, desktop file indexing, and a reworked activities interface, which makes it easier to manage desktop widget collections. The Anaconda installer has been reworked to provide a more user friendly interface. 6