Fedora 8 is Great!

I'm trying out Fedora 8 at the moment and it's really good! Desktop effects can be enabled OOTB with a X3100 with no need for changing files etc, you can specify packages you want to install during installation, PulseAudio is awesome and the updater is excellent. Think I'll be using this distro after I try and install my laptop's CPU

 

PulseAudio is an improvement on the Advanced Linux Sound Architecture isn't it? Does anyone know what improvements it brings over ALSA?

 

I liked Fedora 8, but had problems working with my local Windows network....have you tried that?

 

I just had 2 annoying problems with it that made me switch over to Buntu.

1. Asks for root password at each boot to allow access to Internet
2. Gnome explorer opens everything in a new windows (I'm pretty you can change it but haven't looked)

 

@ bc135 - A hell of a lot of improvement. Better latency, supports application independent volume controls, better compatibility, works with all the major sound servers and a lot more. It's really amazing, it's improved sound a lot and I think it outputs sound better than Vista and anything else for that matter!

@ theZoid - No I haven't, I don't require Windows network connectivity

@ JCMS - I never have that first problem you mentioned. And for the second one do you have any idea how to that because I don't like opening new windows either

 

Ah don't worry JCMS, I've sorted it if you'd like to know how I can tell ya

 

That's good cause it's not Windows friendly OTB...people on the forum were having a heck a time (and failing) using network (windows) resources. I still would like to know what the problem was....I know just enough to be dangerous lol

 

Which problem Zoid?

 

fedora 8 was pretty cool, but i went back to ubuntu because it wanted me to pay for the mp3 codecs

There is probably a way around it, but i just thought that was betraying the whole 'linux is free' thing..

 

Some just don't get it that Linux is not for people wanting to pay for an OS. That's why people want to try it: because it's free. So give us the free stuff and stop with all the licensing ****. Only stupid retards make their own licensing agreements. Stick with a freaking generic one that allows all people to use your software. Who cares about them? If I want to play a damn video or listen to some song, I don't want to be bothered about looking for codecs and using the terminal. Just make it work from the beginning.

 

Linux is free as in freedom, as in liberty, not as in lack of cost. Unfortunately the MP3 format is not free in either sense. That is why I encode all my music in ogg format, personally. I guess the Fedora developers fear that offering MP3 support by default exposes them to legal gray areas that they rather avoid. But, I am sure you can install free software in Fedora for listening to MP3s if you look around in their forums.

The feature that opens a new window per folder is called "spatial". The Gnome developers believe that it is the best way for you to navigate directories. Initially, it was going to be the only way given to you in Gnome. Fortunately, due to massive upheaval and loud discontent, the developers acquiesced and allowed for it to be only an optional way to do so. Since that incident, I stopped using Gnome. I was just left very leery of the mindset that lead to it. Only recently did I give Gnome another try, but to my dismay, I still see some evidence of that mindset in it (like in the lack of an option to rename files and folders in the File Save/Open dialog box).

When I tried Fedora 8 I though it was great, but a little less convenient to customize and configure than other, more user friendly, distros like PCLinuxOS, Mandriva, or Mint. You can end up with the same result, or better, in Fedora, but it takes a little more of a time investment.

 

I'll find my thread in the Fedora forum....same name....it was enough of a problem to make me switch back to Ubuntu

 

@ Fade_To_Black - Can I just use the simple cliche of not everything is free in life. I know it sucks but it's too true.

@ rm2 - Would you recommend ripping/encoding in ogg? I'm thinking of doing the same you see which ogg encoder do you use? It's easy to revert to the default behaviour for Nautilus in Fedora Core 8, you just change one option in Preferences.

 

I have been doing it for years with no problem. I can listen to my music on my Palm using the awesome Aero Player (they give you ogg playback for free but you have to pay for MP3 support). On Windows I use foobar2000 which has ogg support built in. And of course in Linux anything will play them.

I have ripped most of my collection with Grip, but I have also just used Konqueror to copy the files right out of the CD as ogg files. And yes, good thing that one can easily change the Nautilus behavior. I wish it was the same for the File Save/Open dialog features (or lack of them).

 

Exodemia, you can, but it's annoying when other distributions have MP3 support or when you can simply download and install a package without any extra cost. I know some are anal about the user agreements, but for Christ sake, everyone wants some multimedia features, basic I might add, like MP3 support.

 

@ rm2 - What settings do you rip/encode with?

@ Fade_To_Black - You can have MP3 support with Fedora Core 8 for free. Don't you know that?

 

Huh, settings? I usually just use the defaults.

 

Like what bitrate?

 

Honestly, I don't pay attention to that any more. At first I did worry about it, but in the end, I found that the defaults that come with these applications are just fine most of the time. So, honestly, I don't know. (That looks funny next to my signature. Ha ha.)

 

You don't have a sig?

 

Exodemia, must be some confusion in my mind. I though there was (not sure about current offerings anymore) a standard package for which you had to pay. Or is that for the video codecs? Anyway, stuff to install...don't like to do that. Opening a terminal that is...

 

You don't have to open a terminal lol, wow you really must be behind with stuff. It's dead easy to install the MP3 plugin in Fedora Core 8 lol.

 

Yeah, Yum. Even so, still thinking about KDE 4 and the BSD kernel.

 

Hmm I prefer GNOME to KDE. KDE is too bloated IMO, it tries too hard to do too much.

 

I like KDE because it looks better. I like Fedora for being a nice distro though and because they're really trying with notebooks.

 

I wouldn't necessary say it looks better, the interface of GNOME at least in Fedora is quite beautiful actually. It's simplicity itself.

 

Fedora's KDE implementation is rather good looking, in my opinion.

But, regardless, appearances are very subjective. I prefer KDE mostly because I find Gnome too restrictive in certain areas. And, I guess I am used to KDE creature comforts like accessing my other machines through Konqueror's fish:// protocol, easy access to a SU/File Manager, the file dialogs, etc.

A lot depends on the distro's implementation though. People who use KDE in Kubuntu, for example, will not get the same polish as those that experience it in PCLinuxOS. The same is true for Gnome. I think Mepis is the ultimate Gnome experience and is one of the distros I have on my laptop. However, I am seriously considering removing it in favor of Fedora.

 

Fedora for me is the number 1 Linux distrubtion, it's got everything to offer and works flawlessly

 

Where exactly did you get your copy of Fedora 8?

Fedora is not the one that asks you to pay for codecs. That is MANDRIVA.

Fedora will never ask you to pay. It simply states that they are not free.

BTW, use the Livna repository and you can get your codecs that you need, for free. Also, Ubuntu also uses free and NON free repos. Just like Fedora.

Sandaili

 

I don't understand all the "looks better" comments. With Gnome or KDE, there are about 20 different things you can install to make them look like anything - you can have Gnome act and look like KDE, or vice versa - or look like Vista.

I guess you mean "out of the box"....

Sandaili

 

Just go to "computer" in Gnome, go to Edit, Preferences, Behavior, then click so it's checked - "always open in browser windows". This makes folders stay in one window.

Sandaili

 

Representing FC 8 users! Currently testing out FC 9 in one core and 1gb.

 

That's the same thing in my book. They still tell you to get the paying codecs.