Last Updated: 11 November 2006

The Unofficial Fedora FAQ - Fedora Core 5

NOTE: This is not an official form of support. This is not an official service of Red Hat. These things may solve your worst nightmare, or they may eat all of the cheese in your house. I make no guarantees. YMMV.

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If you have a question which is not answered here

  1. Subscribe to the Insider FAQ.
  2. Read the most current Fedora Core 5 Release Notes.
  3. Ask it at FedoraForum.org.
  4. Search the Linux Google.
  5. Ask it in the #Fedora IRC channel.

If You Are New to Linux

I've answered many basic questions in the Fedora Basics FAQ. Even if you're not new to Linux, you might find one or two helpful hints in there.

Contributing To The FAQ

If you think that you have a FAQ that's not answered here, or if you see something that needs a correction/update, feel free to contribute!

Table of Contents

About Fedora

  1. What is this Fedora Core 5 thing?
  2. What is the difference between Fedora and Red Hat Enterprise Linux?
  3. Is it unstable?
  4. Has it been released?
  5. Where can I find a list of all the programs that come with Fedora Core 5 (a package list)?
  6. When is the next version of Fedora coming out?
  7. What are the Fedora Extras?
  8. How can I help out the Fedora Project?

Installing Fedora

  1. Where do I get it?
  2. Can I install on ReiserFS, JFS, or XFS?
  3. Can Fedora run on a 64-bit (AMD-64 or Intel EM64T) computer?
  4. Can I run Fedora on a Mac (PowerPC)?
  5. Where is the floppy disk install image for Fedora Core 5?

Using Fedora and Installing Software

  1. Where can I get software for Fedora?
  2. How do I install software for Fedora? (How to use yum or an RPM)
  3. Is there a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for yum?
  4. Is there anything like apt for Fedora?
  5. Does up2date still work?
  6. How do I install Java? (Updated 11 Nov 2006)
  7. How can I install Flash in my web browser?
  8. How can I see PDF files inside my browser?
  9. How can I watch movies in my web browser?
  10. Can I use MSN Messenger/AIM/ICQ/Yahoo instant messaging in Fedora?
  11. How do I install fonts? Can I use Windows (.ttf) fonts?
  12. Where can I get drivers for my hardware for Fedora?
  13. How do I play MP3s in Fedora?
  14. How do I read my NTFS (Windows NT/2000/XP/2003) drive in Fedora?
  15. How do I edit the menus in the panel?
  16. How do I get Wine to work?
  17. How do I play DVDs in Fedora?

Problems and Their Solutions

  1. I get a NOKEY warning from RPM, or I get a gpg signature error when using yum!
  2. How do I enable 3D support for my ATI Radeon card in Fedora Core 5?
  3. How do I enable 3D support for my nVidia graphics card in Fedora Core 5?
  4. The installer's media check says all my CDs are bad!
  5. I have strange installation problems.
  6. How do I make all my folders open in the same window, in Nautilus?
  7. I can't access my Windows network shares anymore! People tell me to use the smbmount command, but it doesn't work!
  8. How do I make numlock be on by default when I start my computer?
  9. d00d, i t0tally h4t3 j00!

The FAQ

About Fedora

  1. Q: What is this Fedora Core 5 thing?
    A: First, read the official Fedora page a bit. Now, I'll give you a summary. You can think of Fedora Core 5 as something like "Red Hat Linux 14," except it differs from the old Red Hat Linux in the following ways:
    • It's a community-supported project. That means that you can be involved in creating Fedora Core, if you want.
    • A new version of Fedora Core comes out every six months.
    • When a new version comes out, the previous version becomes unsupported after another 6 - 8 months.

    This means upgrading your OS every 6 - 8 months. The upgrades are usually very easy, much like Red Hat Linux 8 - Red Hat Linux 9. The easiness is not guaranteed.

    If you don't want to upgrade every 6 - 8 months, there is something called the Fedora Legacy Project. They provide security patches for each version of Fedora for an additional 1 1/2 years after the Fedora Project stops their support.

    Red Hat Enterprise Linux is based on Fedora Core, so if you want to learn a little about RHEL for free, use Fedora Core.

  2. Q: What is the difference between Fedora and Red Hat Enterprise Linux?
    A: Red Hat Enterprise Linux is officially supported by Red Hat for 7 years. It's a better choice if you're running important machines in production, and you don't want to upgrade your OS all the time. It also has many nice features that are useful if you are running more than a few servers.

    Also, you can (sometimes) actually call Red Hat and get support for RHEL, which you will never be able to do for Fedora.

    Fedora is distributed for free, and RHEL costs money.

    Fedora is also much more cutting-edge than RHEL is, and Fedora has a larger community of users willing to help out and give free support (like this web page).

    Red Hat also has a cool page that answers this question.

  3. Q: Is it unstable?
    A: No!
  4. Q: Has it been released?
    A:
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    Yes! Fedora Core 5 was released on March 20, 2006. To see when new versions of Fedora are going to be released, you can look at the release schedule.

    (Thanks to many FAQ readers who pointed out a typo in this question!)

  5. Q: Where can I find a list of all the programs that come with Fedora Core 5 (a package list)?
    A: There's a list of the main Fedora Core packages over at the Distrowatch Fedora Page.
  6. Q: When is the next version of Fedora coming out?
    A: A new version of Fedora is released every 6 - 8 months. Specific dates are usually in the Release Schedule.

    (Thanks to Tom Van Vleck for suggesting this question.)

  7. Q: What are the Fedora Extras?
    A: The "Fedora Extras" are a set of software packages supported by the Fedora Project, but they are not distributed with Fedora Core.

    You can read more about them on the official Fedora Extras site.

    To install a piece of software from Fedora Extras, just see the question about installing software.

  8. Q: How can I help out the Fedora Project?
    A: The Fedora Project needs a lot of people to help in a lot of areas! Can you write documentation? Can you code? Do you know anything about bugs? Can you translate? Would you like to learn about any of these? Are you artistic? Do you just want to help out in any way you can? The Fedora Project has a great page that describes how you can help. Check it out!

Installing Fedora

  1. Q: Where do I get it?
    A: Normal Download or BitTorrent. You probably want the "binary" or "i386" version, not the "source" or "SRPM" version.

    If you don't want to download the CDs, you can buy them from an official vendor. (Thanks to Beartooth for pointing out that not everybody can easily download CDs, and to Jef Spaleta for the vendor link.)

  2. Q: Can I install on ReiserFS, JFS, or XFS?
    A: Yes, you can install Fedora on ReiserFS, JFS, or XFS.

    None of these file systems are officially supported by the Fedora Project. (That means that you can use them, but you won't find a lot of official help from the Fedora Project if things go wrong.)

    At the installer prompt, type this for ReiserFS:

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    linux selinux=0 reiserfs

    or this for JFS:

    linux selinux=0 jfs

    or this for XFS:

    linux xfs

    NOTE: You cannot use SELinux on ReiserFS or JFS. XFS is OK. (If you don't know what SELinux is, you can ignore this warning.)

    (Thanks to whiprush [quoting Jesse Keating] for this. Thanks to Kai Thomsen for catching an important typo. Thanks to Colin Charles for the XFS part and the SELinux warning.)

  3. Q: Can Fedora run on a 64-bit (AMD-64 or Intel EM64T) computer? (Updated 23 August 2006)
    A: Yes, it can! A 64-bit version of Fedora Core 5 is currently available to download. See the question about getting Fedora. If you have questions about 64-bit Fedora, see The Unofficial 64-Bit Fedora Core Guide.

    You can also run the normal 32-bit version of Fedora on your 64-bit computer.

    (Thanks to David Faustini and John P. Kole for finding typos in this question.)

  4. Q: Can I run Fedora on a Mac (PowerPC)?
    A: Yes, you can! A PowerPC version of Fedora Core 5 is currently available to download. See the question about getting Fedora. You want the "ppc" version, when you go to the download page.
  5. Q: Where is the floppy disk install image for Fedora Core 5?
    A: Normally, you can't install Fedora from your floppy drive, because the new 2.6 kernel in Fedora is too big to fit on a floppy.

    If you have no CD-ROM drive at all, there is a way to start the Fedora Core installer using several floppies.

    If you have a CD-ROM drive, but you can't boot from it, you can use Smart Boot Manager to work around that.

    (Thanks to Mohan Embar and many others for the info on the floppy install! Thanks to Charles Curley for reminding me about Smart Boot Manager.)

Using Fedora and Installing Software

  1. Q: Where can I get software for Fedora?
    A: There are a few "repositories" (sites that hold software). The primary sites are the highly unofficial rpm.livna.org (for packages with licensing or USA patent problems) and the official Fedora Extras. They hold different software.

    For an alternate choice, look at RPMForge. There are some packages in RPMForge that aren't in Extras or livna.org. You can see the list of available packages on Dag Wieers's RPMForge package list page.

    To search for software in all the major repositories, use the FedoraTracker search engine or rpm.pbone.net.

  2. Q: How do I install software for Fedora? (How to use yum or an RPM) (Updated 9 May 2006)
    A: The easiest way to install software in Fedora is to use yum.
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    Configuring Yum

    Here's how to configure your yum:

    1. Open a Terminal.
    2. Become root:

      su -

    3. Run these commands to remove your yum.conf file and replace it with a fresh one (Updated 1 May 2006):

      cd /etc
      mv -f yum.conf yum.conf.bak
      wget http://www.fedorafaq.org/fc5/samples/yum.conf

    4. Now, install my yum configuration (Updated 9 May 2006), using this command:

      rpm -Uvh http://www.fedorafaq.org/fc5/yum http://rpm.livna.org/livna-release-5.rpm

    NOTE: The yum configuration provided here is updated from time to time, for various reasons.

    Using Yum

    To use yum, open a terminal, become root, and then you can use the following commands:

    • To see a list of available software:

      yum list available

    • To install some software, you type:

      yum install packagename

    • To update some software, you type:

      yum update packagename

      If you leave out "packagename" yum will update all your software.

    • To see what updates are available, you can do:

      yum check-update

    • To search for a package, you can do:

      yum search word

    For more info about yum, see the yum project page. (Thanks to Ron Kuris for this tip.)

    To get yum through a proxy, see the Fedora documentation about yum and proxies.

    Installing Software Without Yum

    To install an RPM file that you downloaded outside of yum, open up a terminal, and as root do:

    rpm -Uvh filename.rpm

  3. Q: Is there a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for yum?
    A: Yes! It's called Yum Extender.

    You can install it with yum:

    1. Open a Terminal.
    2. Become root:

      su -

    3. Install yumex:

      yum install yumex

    Now you can access Yum Extender in the Applications menu, under "System Tools."

  4. Q: Is there anything like apt for Fedora?
    A: APT is a program for Debian Linux that installs not only the software you specify, but also all of that software's dependencies. It makes installing software much easier.

    There is a piece of software like this for Fedora, that comes in the standard Fedora Core installation. It's called yum. It can automatically download and install a program and all of its dependencies, with just one command. I even provide a special configuration that I use for yum on my computer, in the question where I explain how to use yum.

    There used to be a version of apt specifically for Fedora. However, there was very little interest in it, so it is no longer provided. Just use yum instead.

  5. Q: Does up2date still work? (Updated 2 May 2006)
    A: No, up2date is no longer shipped with Fedora Core. Instead, you should use yum to get updates.

    Also, there's a new program called "pup" that you can use in the GUI, if you just want a simple program to keep your packages up-to-date. It's called "Software Updater" under the "System Tools" menu.

  6. Q: How do I install Java? (Updated 11 November 2006)
    A: For Java programmers, Fedora Core 5 actually comes with a Java compiler called gcj.

    However, if you want to do things like use Java programs in your web browser, you'll need to follow these instructions to install Java in a way that works well with Fedora:

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    1. Make sure that you're using my yum configuration from the installing software question.
    2. Download Sun's Java Software Development Kit Version 5.0 Update 9 (also called the "JDK 5.0 Update 8"). Choose the "Linux RPM in self-extracting file" version.
    3. You should have the Java Software Development Kit on your desktop. It is a file whose name looks like:

      jdk-1_5_0_09-linux-i586-rpm.bin

    4. Open a Terminal.
    5. Become root:

      su -

    6. Change back to your home directory (instead of root's home directory):

      cd ~username

      Where "username" is your normal username.

    7. Run the file that you downloaded, by doing:

      sh Desktop/jdk-1_5_0_09-linux-i586-rpm.bin

    8. It will display a license agreement. You can press q to skip it.
    9. Type "yes" when it asks you if you agree. Then it will install Java.
    10. Now, install the Fedora Compatibility Package for Java:

      yum --enablerepo=jpackage-generic-nonfree install java-1.5.0-sun-compat

    11. Now you can enable the Java plugin for your web browser:

      ln -s /usr/lib/jvm/jre/plugin/i386/ns7/libjavaplugin_oji.so /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/

    Java should now be installed and working properly! You may need to log out and then log in again for some things to work properly.

    (Thanks to Kai Thomsen for noting that you only have to login-logout, not reboot. Thanks to Paul D. Brown for getting me the direct link to the correct JDK version!)

  7. Q: How can I install Flash in my web browser? (Updated 23 August 2006)
    A:
    1. Make sure that you're using my yum configuration from the installing software question.
    2. Open a Terminal.
    3. Become root:

      su -

    4. Type:

      yum install flash-plugin

    5. The current Flash plugin has a bug that makes text not appear in Flash programs. We have to fix this by first running:

      mkdir -p /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fs/

    6. And then do:

      ln -s /etc/X11/fs/config /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fs/config

    If you have any questions, see the Flash Plugin FAQ! (Thanks to Warren Togami for that link.)

    (Thanks to various IRC folks and vegan_linuxguy for troubleshooting this. Thanks to "m d," David Ball, and others for pointing out an important typo in this question! Thanks to David Jansen for letting me know that you no longer need libstdc++-compat for the new Flash plugin.)

  8. Q: How can I see PDF files inside my browser? (Updated 11 May 2006)
    A: The Adobe Acrobat Reader for Linux now works inside of your web browser:
    1. Download Adobe Acrobat Reader for Linux.
    2. Choose to save it to your disk, instead of opening it.
    3. Open a Terminal.
    4. Become root:

      su -

    5. Change to the directory where you downloaded the file:

      cd ~username/Desktop/

      Where "username" is your normal username.

    6. Install the package and any other packages it requires:

      yum localinstall AdobeReader*

    7. And remove the package you downloaded, because you no longer need it:

      rm AdobeReader*

    8. Install the plugin into the web browser:

      ln -s /usr/local/Adobe/Acrobat7.0/Browser/intellinux/nppdf.so /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/

    9. Make sure that you have the latest SELinux updates so that the Reader functions properly:

      yum update selinux-policy libsepol

    Now close your web browser, and the next time you start it, you will be able to see PDF files inside your web browser!

    (Thanks to Richard Lloyd and many others for letting me know about this! Thanks to John Boyd for pointing out a really important typo. Thanks to Jan Grothkast for pointing out that this still works in FC5.)

  9. Q: How can I watch movies in my web browser?
    A: Just install the mplayer plug-in:
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    1. Make sure that you're using my yum configuration from the installing software question.
    2. Open a Terminal.
    3. Become root:

      su -

    4. Install the plug-in:

      yum install mplayerplug-in

    5. Close all the windows of your web browser and then open it again.

    Now, you can see movies on web sites!

    NOTE: If you install a new version of your web browser you may have to run this process again.

    You might also want to install the various Windows movie decoders. Note that there may be some legal issues with these decoders. You can install them by:

    1. Make sure that you're using my yum configuration from the installing software question.
    2. Open a Terminal.
    3. Become root:

      su -

    4. Install the package of decoders:

      yum --enablerepo=atrpms install w32codec

    (Thanks to Sindre for writing the original text for this question, and suggesting the w32codec part.)

  10. Q: Can I use MSN Messenger/AIM/ICQ/Yahoo instant messaging in Fedora?
    A: Yes, Fedora comes with an instant messaging program called Gaim. When you use gaim, you can use MSN Messenger, ICQ, AIM, Yahoo! Messenger, and Jabber, all at the same time.

    To start Gaim, click on the Applications menu, go to "Internet," and choose "IM." (Instead of "IM," sometimes it is called "Internet Messenger.")

    See the Gaim documentation for information about how to set up gaim with your IM accounts.

    (Thanks to Peter Lawler for letting me know that "Gaim" isn't all caps. And Thomas Winwood for letting me know that the first letter is capitalized. Thanks to Joshua Mock for catching a typo.)

  11. Q: How do I install fonts? Can I use Windows (.ttf) fonts? (Updated 4 May 2006)
    A: Yes, you can. Here's how you install fonts:
    1. Under the "System" menu in the tray, choose "Preferences" and then "Fonts."
    2. Click on the "Details..." button.
    3. Click on "Go to font folder."

    Now simply drag & drop your fonts into the "Fonts" window to add them. You may have to log out and log in again to see them actually show up in that folder.

    If you have any programs open, you will need to close then and then open them again, to have the new fonts show up in those programs.

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    By the way, there's also a very easy way to install all of the common Windows fonts on Linux. This can sometimes make web pages display more nicely:

    1. Download the MS Core Fonts Smart Package File to your Desktop. (Just click on any one of the "Download" links on that page.)
    2. Open a Terminal.
    3. Become root:

      su -

    4. Change back to the directory where you downloaded the file to:

      cd ~username/Desktop

      (Where username is your normal username, not root.)

    5. Make sure that the rpm-build and cabextract packages are installed:

      yum install rpm-build cabextract

    6. Build the Core Fonts package:

      rpmbuild -ba msttcorefonts-1.3-4.spec

    7. Install the Core Fonts package:

      rpm -Uvh /usr/src/redhat/RPMS/noarch/msttcorefonts-1.3-4.noarch.rpm

    (Thanks to David A. Wheeler and others for convincing me to add the MS Core Fonts instructions.)

  12. Q: Where can I get drivers for my hardware for Fedora?
    A: Dag Wieers provides an awesome set of drivers for Fedora, for all sorts of hardware. All the packages whose names start with "kernel-module" are drivers. Just download the appropriate version of the driver you need, for your kernel. If you want to find out what kernel you're running, you can open a terminal and type:

    uname -r

    NOTE: You must download and install a new version of your driver every time you install a new kernel.

    If you don't find what you need at Dag's site, try Googling for:

    Fedora NameOfHardware

    or:

    Linux NameOfHardware

    Where NameOfHardware is the normal name of your hardware. If it has more than one name, keep trying different ones until you get a result.

  13. Q: How do I play MP3s in Fedora? (Updated 23 August 2006)
    A: Before I talk about this, you should know: In the United States and some other countries, you may have to pay patent royalties to use MP3 players or encoders. However, for home users, there is no legal problem with MP3 players. (Thanks to Doug McClean for clearing that up for me!)

    With that said, the plugins for these things are usually in the rpm.livna.org repository. You install a different package depending on which Fedora MP3 player you want to use. If you're not sure which one to pick, Rhythmbox is the standard. It's in the "Applications" menu, under "Sound & Video" -- it's called "Music Player."

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    Here's how to install the correct MP3 plugin:

    1. Make sure that you're using my yum configuration from the installing software question.
    2. Open a Terminal.
    3. Become root:

      su -

    4. Now, install the correct plugin depending on which MP3 player you want to use:
      • For Rhythmbox or Totem:

        yum install gstreamer-plugins-ugly

      • For XMMS:

        yum install xmms-mp3

      • For KDE MP3 players, like Noatun or Juk:

        yum install kdemultimedia-extras-nonfree

    Now you should be able to play MP3s in your favorite Fedora MP3 player!

    (Thanks to Dave Stevens for catching a typo in this question! Thanks to Dawid Gajownik for letting me know that the KDE package changed to nonfree.)

  14. Q: How do I read my NTFS (Windows NT/2000/XP/2003) drive in Fedora? (Updated 9 June 2006)
    A: Well, now, that's an easy one! You just have to install the NTFS kernel module for your kernel:
    1. Make sure that you're using my yum configuration from the installing software question.
    2. Open a Terminal.
    3. Become root:

      su -

    4. Type:

      yum install kmod-ntfs

      Or, if you have a dual-processor (or dual-core) machine, instead you should type:

      yum install kmod-ntfs-smp

    Now you can read your NTFS drives! Unfortunately, you cannot write to them, though.

    For information on how to use your NTFS drive, you can read the NTFS FAQ.

  15. Q: How do I edit the menus in the panel?
    A: You can use a program called Alacarte Menu Editor.
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    1. Open a Terminal.
    2. Become root:

      su -

    3. Install alacarte:

      yum install alacarte

    Now, under "Accessories" in the "Applications" menu, there will be an entry called "Alacarte Menu Editor!"

    For KDE users, there is a program called kmenuedit that you can run to edit the menu.

    (Thanks to Conor O'Neill for telling me about SMEG/Alacarte! Thanks to Dawid Gajownik for letting me know that it is now in Extras.)

  16. Q: How do I get Wine to work?
    A: Wine is a way of running some Windows programs on Linux. It's available from Fedora Extras:
    1. Open a Terminal.
    2. Become root:

      su -

    3. Install wine:

      yum install wine

    (Thanks to Stewart Adam for letting me know Wine was in Extras.

  17. Q: How do I play DVDs in Fedora? (Updated 9 May 2006)
    A: Easy! You just have to install a new version of the Totem Movie Player:
    1. Make sure that you're using my yum configuration from the installing software question.
    2. Open a Terminal.
    3. Become root:

      su -

    4. Now we remove the version of Totem that comes with Fedora, and install the new version of Totem (along with the files you need you play DVDs):

      echo -e "remove totem\n install totem-xine libdvdcss libdvdnav\n run\n quit" | yum -y shell

    And now you can play DVDs! You can find Totem in the "Applications" menu, under "Sound and Video." It's just called "Movie Player."

    By the way, this is also a great way to watch movies that Totem normally can't play. The totem-xine package can play almost any movie file in existence!

Problems and Their Solutions

  1. Q: I get a NOKEY warning from RPM, or I get a gpg signature error when using yum!
    A: The NOKEY warning is not really a problem. It won't prevent you from doing anything. (The yum error, though, will usually prevent you from installing software.)

    If you'd like to resolve it, do the following command to get the correct key for the site you're downloading from:

    You must be root to do any of this.

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    • Red Hat and Fedora Extras:

      rpm --import /etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY*

    • rpm.livna.org:

      rpm --import http://rpm.livna.org/RPM-LIVNA-GPG-KEY

    • FreshRPMs:

      rpm --import http://freshrpms.net/RPM-GPG-KEY-freshrpms

    • DAG:

      rpm --import http://dag.wieers.com/packages/RPM-GPG-KEY.dag.txt

    • ATrpms:

      rpm --import http://atrpms.net/RPM-GPG-KEY.atrpms

    • NewRPMs:

      rpm --import http://newrpms.sunsite.dk/gpg-pubkey-newrpms.txt

    • Dries:

      rpm --import http://apt.sw.be/dries/RPM-GPG-KEY.dries.txt

    • JPackage:

      rpm --import http://www.jpackage.org/jpackage.asc

    • kde-redhat:

      rpm --import http://kde-redhat.sourceforge.net/gpg-pubkey-ff6382fa-3e1ab2ca

    (Thanks to Kai Thomsen for the original location of the ATrpms key, and thanks to Tom Householder for the new location! Thanks to Pim Rupert for the location of the Dries key. Thanks to Anduin Withers for a good idea about how to reorganize this question. Thanks to Dieter Komendera for the new location of the FreshRPMs key.)

  2. Q: How do I enable 3D support for my ATI Radeon card in Fedora Core 5? (Updated 9 June 2006)
    A: livna.org provides ATI driver RPMs that are designed especially for Fedora.

    NOTE: If you have nVidia drivers installed, you must un-install them before installing these ATI drivers. (Thanks to Ajay for telling me this!)

    Here's how to install them:

    1. Make sure that you're using my yum configuration from the installing software question.
    2. Open a Terminal.
    3. Become root:

      su -

    4. Install the driver:

      yum install kmod-fglrx

      Or, if you have a dual-processor (or dual-core) machine, instead you should type:

      yum install kmod-fglrx-smp

    5. Fix SELinux so that the driver will work:

      setsebool -P allow_execmod=1

    6. Shut down X:

      init 3

    7. Log in as root.
    8. Enable the driver:

      ati-fglrx-config-display enable

    9. Restart X:

      init 5

    If you have an Intel motherboard, you will have to modify your xorg.conf file after installing the drivers:

    1. Open a Terminal.
    2. Become root:

      su -

    3. Open the xorg.conf file in a text editor:

      gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf

    4. Find the line that looks like:

      Driver "fglrx"

    5. Add the following line right below it:

      Option "UseInternalAGPGART" "no"

    6. Save the file, and reboot your computer.

    (Thanks to Anton Andreev for telling me about that Intel thing.)

    If you have any trouble with the livna.org RPMs, please report a bug to the Livna.org Bugzilla.

    If you encounter a bug in the ATI driver, please report it using the ATI Feedback Form!

    (Thanks to everybody who reminded me and encouraged me to update the FAQ with this information! Thanks to Peter Lawler for a lot of help with this question. Thanks to Sindre for writing the original instructions.)

  3. Q: How do I enable 3D support for my nVidia graphics card in Fedora Core 5? (Updated 9 June 2006)
    A:
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    There are now nVidia driver RPMs provided by livna.org that are designed especially for Fedora. Here's how to install them:
    1. Make sure that you're using my yum configuration from the installing software question.
    2. Open a Terminal.
    3. Become root:

      su -

    4. Install the driver:

      yum install kmod-nvidia

      Or, if you have a dual-processor (or dual-core) machine, instead you should type:

      yum install kmod-nvidia-smp

    5. Fix SELinux so the driver will work:

      setsebool -P allow_execmod=1

    6. Shut down X:

      init 3

    7. Log in as root.
    8. Enable the driver:

      nvidia-config-display enable

    9. Restart X:

      init 5

    And now you should have working 3D with your nVidia card!

    If you need support for the nVidia drivers, check out the nV News "NVIDIA Linux Forum". (Thanks to Exile in Paradise for this tip.)

  4. Q: The installer's media check says all my CDs are bad!
    A: There is a bug in the kernel which causes the media check to say some CDs are bad when they are not, on some systems. To do a successful media check, do the following:
    1. At the installer prompt, type:

      linux mediacheck ide=nodma

    2. Run the media check on your CDs/DVD.
    3. Reboot, and run the installer normally.

    Note that sometimes mediacheck will report that only some CDs are bad, but this will still fix that problem. (Thanks to Tony Nelson for reminding me of that!)

  5. Q: I have strange installation problems.
    A: If your installation doesn't work, or you have problems during or after installation, first read the latest Release Notes.

    Also, the Fedora Project provides a detailed installation guide if you'd like any other help while installing.

    If the Release Notes and Installation Guide don't have a solution for your problem, try booting the installer with one of the following commands:

    linux ide=nodma

    linux acpi=off

    linux i8042.nomux

    linux acpi=off apm=off

    linux nofb

    The "i8042.nomux" is especially helpful if you have keyboard or mouse problems, and the "nofb" is helpful if you have video problems.

    If any of those commands fixes your problem, please file a bug in Red Hat's Bugzilla.

    (Thanks to Alan Cox for most of this information, and to Nilanjan Lahiri for the nofb one.)

  6. Q: How do I make all my folders open in the same window, in Nautilus?
    A: If you want to set the file manager so that it doesn't open a new window for each folder, you can follow these steps:
    1. Double-click on the "Computer" icon on your desktop.
    2. Go to the "Edit" menu and choose "Preferences."
    3. Click on the "Behavior" tab.
    4. Put a check in the box marked "Always open in browser windows."

    (Thanks to Eugéne Roux for this method of doing it! And thanks to Raivis Dejus for a better phrasing of the question.)

  7. Q: I can't access my Windows network shares anymore! People tell me to use the smbmount command, but it doesn't work!
    A: Modern version of Fedora Core use a cool new type of Windows file sharing called "The Common Internet File System" (CIFS). Instead of using "smbmount", try:

    mount -t cifs //computername/share /mnt/somedirectory

    For more information about this, in a terminal you can do:

    man mount.cifs

  8. Q: How do I make numlock be on by default when I start my computer?
    A: If you want numlock to be on whenever you start X (the graphical mode of Fedora):
    1. Open a Terminal.
    2. Become root:

      su -

    3. Install the "numlockx" program:

      yum install numlockx

    Now numlock will be on every time you start X.

    If you want numlock on by default you're in text mode:

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    1. Open a Terminal.
    2. Become root:

      su -

    3. Install the "kbd" package:

      yum install kbd

    4. Edit the /etc/rc.local file:

      nano /etc/rc.local

    5. Find the line that looks like:

      touch /var/lock/subsys/local

      Right below that line, put these lines:

      LEDTTY=/dev/tty[1-8]
      for tty in $LEDTTY; do
          setleds -D +num < $tty
      done

    6. Save the file, and the next time you restart your computer, numlock will be on in text mode!
  9. Q: d00d, i t0tally h4t3 j00!
    A: Chickens! Dancing chickens! Watch 'em go.
This FAQ is maintained by Max Kanat-Alexander. That's max [at] fedorafaq *dot* org or "mkanat" in the #fedora IRC channel.

You can help us keep this FAQ up to date! If you discover an issue we don't cover, find any errors in the answers already here or have a suggestion of some kind, please contact us and we'll get on it.
The author of fedorafaq.org would also like to thank Jolie Kanat for her various advices and assistance.
"Fedora" is a registered trademark of Red Hat, Inc. Visit the official Fedora Project web site.