memory (RAM), that space is limited and can easily run out. Also, when you reboot your system, anything that you install disappears.
When Fedora is installed, it is automatically configured to connect your system to the huge Fedora software repository that is available on the Internet. As long as you have an Internet connection, you can run the Add/Remove software tool to download and install any of thousands of Fedora packages.
Although the entire facility for managing software in Fedora (the yum and rpm features) is described in detail in Chapter 10, you can start installing some software packages without knowing much about how the feature works. Begin by going to the applications screen and opening the Software window. Figure 2.13 shows an example of the Software window.
With the Software window open, you can select the applications that you want to install by searching (type the name into the Find box) or choosing a category. Each category offers packages sorted by subcategories and featured packages in that category.
Select the spyglass icon in the upper-left corner, and then type a word associated with the software package that you want to install. You can read a description of each package that comes up in your search. When you are ready, click Install to install the package and any dependent packages needed to make it work.
FIGURE 2.13 Download and install software from the huge Fedora repository.
By searching for and installing some common desktop applications, you should be able to start using your desktop effectively. Refer to Chapter 10 for details on how to add software repositories and use dnf, yum, and rpm commands to manage software in Fedora and Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
Playing music with Rhythmbox
Rhythmbox is the music player that comes on the Fedora GNOME Live Desktop. You can launch Rhythmbox from the GNOME 3 Dash and immediately play music CDs, podcasts, or Internet radio shows. You can import audio files in WAV and Ogg Vorbis formats or add plug-ins for MP3 or other audio formats.
Figure 2.14 shows an example of the Rhythmbox window with music playing from an imported audio library.
FIGURE 2.14 Play music, podcasts, and Internet radio from Rhythmbox.
Here are a few ways that you can get started with Rhythmbox:
Radio Double-click the Radio selection under Library and choose a radio station from the list that appears to the right.
Podcasts Search for podcasts on the Internet and find the URL for one that interests you. Right-click the Podcasts entry and select New Podcast Feed. Paste or type in the URL to the podcast and click Add. A list of podcasts from the site that you selected appears to the right. Double-click the one to which you want to listen.
Audio CDs Insert an audio CD, and press Play when it appears in the Rhythmbox window. Rhythmbox also lets you rip and burn audio CDs.
Audio files Rhythmbox can play WAV and Ogg Vorbis files. By adding plug-ins, you can play many other audio formats, including MP3. Because there are patent issues related to the MP3 format, the ability to play MP3s is not included with Fedora. In Chapter 10, I describe how to get software that you need that is not in the repository of your Linux distribution.
Plug-ins are available for Rhythmbox to get cover art, show information about artists and songs, add support for music services (such as Last.fm and Magnatune), and fetch song lyrics.
Stopping the GNOME 3 desktop
When you are finished with your GNOME 3 session, select the down arrow button in the upper-right corner of the top bar. From there, you can choose the On/Off button, which allows you to log out or switch to a different user account without logging out.
Using the GNOME 2 Desktop
The GNOME 2 desktop is the default desktop interface used up through Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6. It is well-known, stable, and perhaps a bit boring.
GNOME 2 desktops provide the more standard menus, panels, icons, and workspaces. If you are using a Red Hat Enterprise Linux system up to RHEL 6, or an older Fedora or Ubuntu distribution, you are probably looking at a GNOME 2 desktop. I will now provide a tour of GNOME 2, along with some opportunities for sprucing it up a bit. GNOME 2 releases include 3D effects (see “Adding 3D effects with AIGLX” later in this chapter).
To use your GNOME desktop, you should become familiar with the following components:
Metacity (window manager) The default window manager for GNOME 2 is Metacity. Metacity configuration options let you control such things as themes, window borders, and controls used on your desktop.
Compiz (window manager) You can enable this window manager in GNOME to provide 3D desktop effects.
Nautilus (file manager/graphical shell) When you open a folder (by double-clicking the Home icon on your desktop, for example), the Nautilus window opens and displays the contents of the selected folder. Nautilus can also display other types of content, such as shared folders from Windows computers on the network (using SMB).
GNOME panels (application/task launcher) These panels, which line the top and bottom of your screen, are designed to make it convenient for you to launch the applications you use, manage running applications, and work with multiple virtual desktops. By default, the top panel contains menu buttons (Applications, Places, and System), desktop application launchers (Evolution email and Firefox web browser), a workspace switcher (for managing four virtual desktops), and a clock. Icons appear in the panel when you need software updates or SELinux detects a problem. The bottom panel has a Show Desktop button, window lists, a trash can, and workspace switcher.
Desktop area The windows and icons you use are arranged on the desktop area, which supports drag-and-drop between applications, a desktop menu (right-click to see it), and icons for launching applications. A Computer icon consolidates CD drives, floppy drives, the filesystem, and shared network resources in one place.
GNOME also includes a set of Preferences windows that enable you to configure different aspects of your desktop. You can change backgrounds, colors, fonts, keyboard shortcuts, and other features related to the look and behavior of the desktop. Figure 2.15 shows how the GNOME 2 desktop environment appears the first time you log in, with a few windows added to the screen.
