Richard Petersen - Beginning Fedora Desktop: Fedora 28 Edition

Any source code or other supplementary material referenced by the author in this book is available to readers on GitHub via the books product page, located at www.apress.com/9781484238813 . For more detailed information, please visit http://www.apress.com/source-code .

This book examines Fedora Linux 28 for the user. Though 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 Plasma (KDE) desktops, additional desktops such as Cinnamon and Mate, shell commands, and both the Fedora administration and network tools. Desktops are examined in detail, including configuration options. Applications examined include Office Suites, editors, ebook readers, music and video applications and codecs, email clients, Web and FTP browsers, and VoIP and IM applications. This book is designed for the Fedora 28 desktop, with all the latest features of interest to users.

Part I 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 settings configuration tools such as power, background, screen, network, and display are examined. Also covered is software management using GNOME software, packages, DnfDragora, and the dnf command, along with repositories and their uses, including the RPM Fusion repository.

Part II keys in on applications such as office, mail, graphics, multimedia, Web, FTP, VoIP, IM, and social networking applications. This part includes coverage of the PulseAudio sound interface and music and video applications.

Part III covers the two major desktopsGNOME and Plasma (KDE)discussing the new GNOME 3 features, including the activities overviews, the dash, and the top bar. Unique Plasma 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, Mate, LXQT, Sugar (SoaS), and Cinnamon.

Part IV 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. Then there is a detailed chapter on Fedora system administration tools, like those for managing users, authorization controls, and Bluetooth, along with service management, file system access, and printer configuration. The network configuration chapter covers a variety of network tasks, including configuration of wired and wireless connections, firewalls, and Samba Windows access.

I would like to thank all those at Apress who made this book a reality, particularly Louise Corrigan, the Apress open source editor who initiated and oversaw the project; Nancy Chen, the coordinating editor; and Jim Markham, the development editor, for their support and analysis, as well as management of such a complex project. I also want to thank Nikolaos Vyzas, the technical reviewer, whose analysis and suggestions proved very insightful and helpful. Special thanks to Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux, and to those who continue to develop Linux as an open, professional, and effective operating system accessible to anyone.