You've just Installed Fedora Core LINUX 10,11,12, or 13: What to do now.

Before trying to install any new software or fix any problems, assuming you have internet connectivity, you need to apply any available system updates FIRST. Doing this can save you much time and headaches!

Some of the instructions you'll find posted online for doing this are out of date and actually apply for Fedora Core 9 or earlier. I think in some cases whoever 'wrote' the instructions simply copy and pasted text from the instructions for earlier releases.

Here's how to do it:
1) Run the software update viewer tool - look under the "System" menu, then under "Administration". Select "Update System" from the list. Running this will generate a list of software and files that can be updated.
2) At the very least, apply the security updates immediately.
3) Update any applications that you are having problems with. For example, if you are having problems getting your printer to work, and your printer IS supported, check the list for an update to CUPS or any of its libraries.
4) Beware of anything on the list you did NOT install. Mine listed some updates that don't even apply to me - for example, I do NOT have Apache HTTP server installed on my workstation machine, nonetheless there were a couple updates listed for Apache web server. I ignored those, as installing them will cause yum or RPM [the package manager] to "resolve" dependency issues by installing Apache - which I DID NOT WANT on this machine!

NOTE: Some versions, such as Fedora 10, had problems with the software updater which caused the graphical updater to "error out" - reporting "No network connection available". This happens even though you can surf the 'Net using your browser. This is a known problem covered on www.linuxquestions.org, and many folks apparently have NOT been able to fix it. If you are experiencing this, one workaround is to go down the list and install each update via the command line. Do the following:

su -
yum update [package name as listed]
NOTE - do NOT use the [ ] symbols when you type the command.

For example, say you want to install the library to access the contents of an ipod. Do the following:

su -
yum update libgpod-0.7.0-1.fc10

In this case, the "fc10" at the end indicates the package is for Fedora Core 10.

Note the package "gedit-1:2.24.3-3.fc10" has a number followed by a colon. When yum'ing for the package, you want to delete the colon and the number before it, as those will result in an error. I figured this out through experimentation - NOBODY I visited on the 'Net mentioned this.

So, say you want to update gedit to the following package - gedit-1:2.24.3-3.fc10.

Do the following:

su -
yum update gedit-2.24.3-3.fc10
As above, the "fc10" at the end indicates the package is for Fedora Core 10.
See how I dropped the 1 and the : after it?

As of this writing, Fedora is up to #13. If you are using 11, 12, or 13, your filenames will all end with .fc<11,12,or 13 - whatever your version is>

Fedora Complaints and Pet Peeves:
As I mentioned in a previous post, some of the repositories that are mentioned on other's web sites don't appear to work. I'm still in the process of hunting down repositories for some of my needed add-ons and plugins. As I find these I'll try to list those in future postings to this blog.

After a whole evening of not being able to find the gtstreamer plugins needed to update Totem player to handle MP3 files, I simply downloaded and installed Audacious - an application eerily similar to the old XMMS player. Works quite well and only took me a few minutes to get it.

The same issue with Totem gtstreamer plugins has so far prevented me from watching my DVD movies using Fedora.

I and quite a few other folks are having problems getting Open Office to work on Fedora. As soon as I find out anything definitive on this I'll post it.

My final complaint is with printing: My printer works fine with Ubuntu using the HPLIP printing software and drivers available online from sourceforge. Fedora, on the other hand, sees the printer but will not print to it. Am still working this issue as of this writing.