My Fedora 16 Top Configuration and Application

When I switch my laptop OS from Ubuntu 10.04 to Fedora 16, I really stuck with it. Running in Gnome 3, the interface has a big changes. As usual, after the installation of the OS, time to get some of my favorite settings up.

1. Restricted RPMS
MP3 codec doesn't come in free with Fedora neither Ubuntu due to it was license. We can get the RPMS from RPM fusion. http://rpmfusion.org/
Just run the following command in the terminal:

su -c 'yum localinstall --nogpgcheck http://download1.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-stable.noarch.rpm http://download1.rpmfusion.org/nonfree/fedora/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-stable.noarch.rpm'

To install the gstreamer and ffmpeg for better multimedia playback such as mp3 files; run the following command:

sudo yum install gstreamer-plugins-bad gstreamer-plugins-bad-free-extras gstreamer-plugins-bad-nonfree gstreamer-plugins-ugly gstreamer-ffmpeg

2. VLC player
Once you have the RPM fusion, you can grab VLC player from there. VLC still my favorite player since one player itself capable of playing a lot of format.

sudo yum install vlc

3. Google Chrome
Download the Google Chrome from the Google. Then run:

sudo yum install lsb; sudo yum install libXss.so.1; sudo yum install wget

Then once the installation completed, run the rpm file that you downloaded from Google website.

sudo rpm -ivh google-chrome-stable_current_i386.rpm

Once completed, you will have your chrome ready.

4. Gnome tweaking tools
Fedora 16 come with only a close (x) button. You can easily toggle and minimize the window without the new of minimizing it. Even for maximize, you just have to drag and tap to the top. Just same like Windows 7. However, I still prefer the old style minimize and maximize style.
Run the following command to install the gnome tweak tool:

sudo yum install gnome-tweak-tool
sudo yum install gnome-shell-extension
sudo yum install gnome-shell-extension*
sudo yum install gnome-shell-theme*

Once completed, execute gnome-tweak-tool. My favorite option to enable is the date in clock, remove the accessibitlity icon. If you want the hibernate and shutdown button, you will need to enable the Alternative Status Menu Extension. Arrangement of buttons on the titlebar refer to the minimize and maximize icon on the window.

Press Alt+F2, type R. It will refresh the x windows without need of logout and login.

5. Automount Drive on Boot

I usually keep the 2nd partition as NTFS. The reason is that for easy recovery from any linux or windows OS. I will use the pysdm tool

sudo yum install pysdm

sudo cp /etc/fstab /etc/fstab.bak

sudo pysdm

After backup the fstab file, run the pysdm and check which drive you want to mount on boot. Check on the option below for NTFS partition.

6. Emesene

Some people may think why I still use Emesene which is MSN alike messenger. I use empathy and pidgin before. It is not suitable for me. My internet line is unstable and often I have trouble sign in to both of it. Sometimes it took forever to sign in and I always didn't receive message send by my friend.

I download the installer from http://blog.emesene.org/p/downloads.html. 

Once completed the download, run the following command:

sudo yum install python-xmpp.noarch

sudo rpm -ivh emesene-2.12.1-1.fc16.noarch.rpm

As I mention in my previous post during the Ubuntu setup, I really don't like empathy and pidgin. Still prefer the MSN alike messenger.

7. Chinese Input

This blog have a very good guide on the enabling Chinese input using iBus.

http://blink4blog.blogspot.com/2011/11/fedora-16-post-installation-guide-setup.html