8.04 and Fedora 10

[chrispche]

Hi all,

I want to change my main distro to Fedora 10 after hearing great things about it. Basically all the following I can do on Ubuntu and I want to know how hard or easy it is to setup Fedora to do the same.

Have all codecs installed for divx mp3 and other audio play back. Streaming radio stations.
Playing encrypted DVD's.
Use compiz effects in Gnome. ( I have an nVidia FX card)
Use Emerald.
Use Avant Window Navigator, plus extras.
Have Adobe Flash Plugin for youtube and other sites.
Run Skype, amsn, pidgin.
Easy ability to upgrade to the next version for example Fedora 11.
Run VMWare.
Have the choice of KDE if I so wish.

How hard is Fedora compared to Ubuntu, talking from someone who has been using Ubuntu for many years now. I fancy a change and a challenge of learning a new distro.

Any websites for me as newcomer to Fedora would help.

I think that's it, if I remember anything else I'll post.

[mangurt]

Howdy,
Fedora is pretty slick. I bounce back and forth between Ubuntu and Fedora.

To answer your questions:
The easiest way to get all those items is to run easylife
http://easylifeproject.org/
It makes installation super-simple.

Upgrading is pretty simple....download the upgrade disk and go...

As for KDE, it's on the installation DVD.
Hope this helps...

[Therion]

Well I can't answer ALL those questions, but I am (or was) a long time 'buntu (8.04 specifically) user who just recently (less than a week ago) switched over to Fedora 10. I'm also using the 64-bit distro, so theoretically things should have been an even bigger uphill battle for me.

I'll address your questions as best I can:

Have all codecs installed for divx mp3 and other audio play back. Streaming radio stations.
No problem for me. There's an install script that made this a cakewalk (codecs, flash, java (all the usual suspects)). I use Rhythmbox for streaming radio without any problem. Beyond that I don't know.

Playing encrypted DVD's.
No biggie. Install libdvdcss2 via yum (the Fedora equivalent of Synaptic).

Use compiz effects in Gnome. ( I have an nVidia FX card)
Effortless for me... See the install script comment above, it also will install the nVidia driver.

Use Emerald.
I detest Emerald, but it comes preinstalled in Fedora 10. Hope that helps.

Use Avant Window Navigator, plus extras.
Sorry, I don't use it...

Have Adobe Flash Plugin for youtube and other sites.
Install script...

Run Skype, amsn, pidgin.
Not sure about amsn, but I think Skype is presinstalled (don't quote me on that), Pidgin IS preinstalled and runs like a champ.

Easy ability to upgrade to the next version for example Fedora 11.
Good question! I have no idea. I'm usually a "clean install" sorta guy anyway.

Run VMWare.
VMWare specifically? The install script I mention will install Virtual Box (with USB support) if you want... It's what I'm using and it was easy-peasy. I've not tried VMWare in Fedora though I'm thinking about it as I do prefer it over Virtual Box.

Have the choice of KDE if I so wish.
As a die-hard Gnome user, I can't say for sure, but I'm under the impression the KDE is a simple Yum download/install.

Feel free to fire away with any other questions; I'll answer as best I can based on my limited experience with F10.

[DeadSuperHero]

They offer customized KDE versions on the Fedora site.

[igknighted]

Have all codecs installed for divx mp3 and other audio play back. Streaming radio stations.
Others have answered this

Playing encrypted DVD's.
Same

Use compiz effects in Gnome. ( I have an nVidia FX card)
Enabled by default.

Use Emerald.
install fusion-icon for this.

Use Avant Window Navigator, plus extras.
Sorry, I don't use it...

Have Adobe Flash Plugin for youtube and other sites.
Visit adobe.com, download the 'yum repo rpm', install it manually and then install flash out of their repo.

Run Skype, amsn, pidgin.
Pidgin is default, amsn should be in repos, and skype may be difficult. Fedora doesn't package anything non-free. I might be in RPM Fusion. Read the fedora forums for help on this.

Easy ability to upgrade to the next version for example Fedora 11.
Look for preupgrade. It's the only sensible version-upgrade method i've ever seen in any distro. That said, i still think there is no alternative to a fresh install.

Run VMWare.
Just follow the directions from vmware when you download it.

Have the choice of KDE if I so wish.
Install from the KDE liveCD. Actually, for desktop uses you should always install from the liveCDs, as the configurations are designed for desktop use. The DVD often has things configured in really screwy ways (for desktop use).

[michaelkahl]

When I setup up a Fedora box, here is the website I check out.

http://www.mjmwired.net/resources/mjm-fedora-f10.html

That documentation is priceless to me, and helps me a ton.

I think most of what you have listed there is easily done in Fedora, just a little different than you are used to in Ubuntu.

For example, instead of the multiverse and universe repo's you need to use the livna repo's for your non-free but free to have software like flash, codecs for mp3 and DVD playback. As for things like compiz and Avant they should be in the repo's. If they aren't in the Fedora repo's I think they are at least in the livna repo's.

I hope this is helpful. Really everything you listed is easy and reasonable to expect Fedora to handle. You shouldn't have to much trouble.
Personally I'm planning on doing trial runs of FC10 on a test box, and may jump over. I want to start looking at my RHCE cert in the next year or two, so being familiar with that family of Linux would be beneficial.

[chrispche]

Thanks all everything is working fine. Although I am having some quirky problems with compiz I have installed my nVidia drivers, it's just AWN has some problems. Like leaving blocks and squares where AWN should be. Is this just a video driver problem?

[igknighted]

Thanks all everything is working fine. Although I am having some quirky problems with compiz I have installed my nVidia drivers, it's just AWN has some problems. Like leaving blocks and squares where AWN should be. Is this just a video driver problem?

I get that with nvidia + any distro. What version of the nvidia drivers are you using? I heard the 180 series has improved with this...