What is a Fedora Workstation, if you may ask? If an operating system can be described as powerful, user-friendly, and reliable, then by default, we have found the first clue to this puzzle. The Fedora workstation is not just built for developers. In a corporate environment, it is also ideal for both professionals and students. It also extends a welcoming hand to hobbyists that seek to explore its design architecture and functional process.
Fedora GNOME desktop
This article seeks to bait your technical mindset to consider the uses and applicability of a Fedora Workstation. However, this article’s bait is as sweet as this Linux distro, and there are no consequences to considering it except for the outcome of technical awesomeness. Before we indulge with the reasons why you belong to Fedora, we should first honor the features that make Fedora a suitable candidate for this article piece.
a) Created for Developers and Hobbyists
You do not have to meet certain credentials or qualifications to gain the respect of Fedora. This distro is powerful, user-friendly, and reliable at the same time and will adapt to the hardware and firmware of your desktop or laptop computer. All that Fedora asks from you is your heart and interest, not your resume credentials.
b) Sleek User Interface
The GNOME 3 desktop environment that houses Fedora fades the illusion that this distro is complicated to use. Moreover, the same GNOME desktop environment was created under a unique developmental approach. It caters to active user feedback from a running system. Therefore, you can report any bugs you face at any time to improve your user experience. The interface also minimizes distractions and improves user concentration or output.
c) A Complete Open-Source Toolbox
Open-source is a superpower that many distros cherish in the Linux universe, with Fedora being one of them. You have unlimited access to the tools and utilities you need with the option of contributing to their improvement. It is also because of the implementation of open-source programming languages in creating this distro and its tools and utilities that this achievement is possible. Moreover, you can choose to explore its open-source nature either through the command-line interface or GUI.
d) Virtualization Support
Fedora also offers GNOME boxes that help in quickly setting up and running your virtual machines. It is also an ideal opportunity to use multiple platforms to test your code’s authenticity if you are an aspiring developer. More virtualization control is also achievable through the provision of reliable scriptable virtualization tools.
e) Containerize, Hack, and Deploy
Fedora comes with Image support for a built-in OCI (Open Container Initiative). Therefore, its users can deploy containerized applications or containerize user-defined applications hosted on their Fedora Workstation.
Why Use a Fedora Workstation?
What is the point of switching Linux distros to the fedora workstation side without first making acquaintance with the functional benefits of this OS? This Linux distro’s popularity stands alongside other big names like Red Hat, Debian, and Ubuntu. However, if you are still new to the name Fedora, know that it is a Red Hat-backed Linux distro that is both professional and with customizable features. It is prone to implementing the latest OS features that improve the user experience and its performance index.
The loyalty of fedora remains with the open-source community. Therefore, it is not part of the Elite OS clubs where you need special credit or access to interact with it. All that you need is an open mind for you to be open-sourced by this Linux distro.
Not all OS are the same. Their open-source nature makes them applicable and more performant to different applications and tasks than others. A good example is Ubuntu Studio, which is centered on graphics and video editing tasks. Therefore, it is time to narrow down the prime features or attributes that make Fedora stand out from other Linux distros.
1. The Fedora Workstation is Bleeding Edge
The bleeding edge nature of this distro relates to its up-to-date nature. Fedora is always on the rollout for the latest Linux features, driver updates, and software. Therefore, do not anticipate to run into random OS glitches because once a system complication arises, the next rollout of system updates and features will come with a recommended fix or patch for the raised issue.
A newly installed and configured Fedora is pre-packaged with a stable kernel, which is beneficial to the maintained and uninterrupted operability of the Linux OS. These reasons give Fedora users the needed confidence to use this OS to accomplish their tasks.
If we are to mention an up-to-date instance of Fedora, the prominent one is Systemd. As a major distribution, Fedora was the first to implement and use this software suite. Systemd hosts an array of system components that are of benefit to a Linux operating system. Fedora implements it as its default init system. Fedora distro was also the first in line to use Wayland. It is a display server protocol that enables direct communication between a composer and clients. It aims to relay input events to the clients and, at the same time, enable the clients to relay to the composer the evidence of a damage event.
Therefore, a composer accepts an event sent by the kernel and references its scenegraph from which it will decide which window should handle the event. Do not worry about the server-scripted technicality of this explanation. It will all make sense when you take a practical approach while demystifying the Fedora OS.
2. Fedora Has a Good Community
If we were to rank the fan base or community support of major Linux distros, Fedora would be at the top of the list with the likes of Ubuntu and Kali Linux. The fedora forum has fans and experienced users familiar with the technical workarounds on issues related to the Fedora workstation. Therefore, you can never be stuck in the mud with unanswered questions.
Apart from this Fedora forum’s popularity, there are other web platforms like Fedora Reddit Community and Fedora IRC Channel, where you can always go for a second opinion. These platforms are access-free and full of learning resources from shared experiences and knowledgeable users.
3. Fedora Spins
Fedora being a popular distro does not end its reign here; hence the description Fedora spins. Its community popularized the terminology Fedora Spins to cater to the different flavors that exist or branch out of the Fedora distro. Each Fedora spin is differentiated from the other spins by the uniqueness of the Desktop Environment they implement. The development of these differing Desktop Environment spins is from the default or parent Gnome Desktop, which lays a foundation for them.
Therefore, if you do not want a fedora spin with the defaulted Gnome Desktop, there are other options to choose from like SOAS, Cinnamon, LXQT, KDE Plasma, LXDE, Mate-Compiz, and XFCE.
4. It Offers Better Package Management
Ubuntu and Debian distros are prominent with the use of dpkg package manager. This package manager has apt as its official front-end. Fedora is prominent with the use of the RPM package manager. The front-end that supports this package manager is DNF. A direct comparison between dpkg and RPM reveals that RPM is easier to build hence less complicated. The simplicity of RPM empowers it with more features than dpkg. Therefore, RPM enables you to easily confirm the successful installation of the Linux packages you intend to use, their history and let you perform a rollback.
5. Its Gnome Experience is Unique
There is a very close relationship between the Gnome Foundation and the Fedora project. This relationship is beneficial to the Fedora Workstation users since they are first in line to benefit from the latest Gnome Shell releases. This release is pre-packaged with the newest system integration and features. Other distro users cannot boast of this level of privilege.
6. Top-Level Security
Reliable and stable system security is the number one marketing factor for all Linux distros. However, the competitive nature of Fedora cannot allow it to be on the same level as other Linux distros. For this reason, the Fedora project developers are always thinking ahead and have embedded the Fedora distro with advanced security features. The module responsible for this upgrade is SELinux, an abbreviation for Security-Enhanced Linux.
This Linux kernel security module (SELinux) deals with security policies’ support and access like the management of permission rights. If you need to learn more about SELinux, visit this link.
7. Fedora Reaps From Red Hat Support
Red Hat is on top of the leader board to provide the Linux world with open-source enterprise software. It is community-driven and powered to guarantee priceless solutions to Kubernetes, container, and cloud technologies. Therefore, it is this Red Hat community that pushes the growth and development of the Fedora Project. It is a big advantage to the Fedora users because this community users are knowledgeable and experienced and are primarily concerned with improving the performance and user experience of a Fedora Workstation.
This support depends on your main objective regarding the usage of the Fedora Workstation. You will benefit from free security updates, but if you are in a business or cloud environment, it would be advisable to consider the Red Hat commercial support to deal with any loopholes that might arise in your system.
8. Its Hardware Support is Prolific
It is impossible to find hardware that isn’t compatible with a Fedora distribution. The list of hardware support you can expect from this distro includes cameras, printers, scanners, and PCs. The distro is not hardware vendor-specific and will adapt to almost any hardware. Therefore, hardware compatibility is not a headache to expect from when working with a Fedora Workstation.
9. An Open-Source Software
The Linux distro you are using will determine whether the software or application you use to meet your OS objectives is either proprietary or open-source. The Ubuntu distro is the perfect example to clarify this feature. Despite its popularity in the general Linux community, its home users mostly use proprietary software like Adobe Flash and multimedia drivers and codecs.
Another inclusion to this list is some Linux Kernel features on the distro. Proprietary software has closed binary bits meaning you cannot make adjustments or improvements on them even if you wanted. The user or users who developed such software have the right to make adjustments to them if needed. Fedora is pre-packaged with a Linux-libre kernel to counter this proprietary issue, which has open binary bits.
We are in no way giving proprietary software a bad name but only insisting on the invaluable attribute of open-source software. Since most Linux distros have an open-source foundation, it is only fair to request that the number of open-source software delivered to surpass the number of proprietary software by a significant margin. A fresh Fedora workstation install does not host proprietary software, all the default apps are open-source, but you can add proprietary software. In short, Fedora is telling you to keep the open-source spirit alive. Its open-source philosophy is strict and encouraged among the Fedora community as you do not have to rely on third-party resources to get the software you want.
10. Fedora is not Complicated
For a Linux distro to be well-known and make a name for itself in the Linux community, it needs to check certain boxes. One of these attributes is that it should be easy to use and adaptable even for a Linux beginner. The Fedora distribution checks this box with the biggest font size. The simplicity of its User Interface caters to all levels of users. The Desktop environment is easy to adapt to, as it only takes a few clicks for you to be familiar with its UI design and related default apps. Therefore, consistency and familiarity are what you should expect to retain after a first-time interaction with the system.
Final Note
In terms of flashiness or user-friendliness, Linux distros like Ubuntu and Linux Mint surpass Fedora. However, the viable traits that make the Fedora Linux Distro a force to be reckoned with include its vast software availability, solid base, excellent snap support, continuous and rapid new features releases, and a software update feature that never disappoints.
It is not an ambassador of non-free software packages meaning that its users get to experience the open-source life fully. This gift from Fedora to its users is inclusive of its estimated 15 000 software packages. Network administrators will fancy what it has to offer.
2 comments
Fedora doesn’t support Dell fingerprint readers.
But on the bright side thinkpads remain the perfect linux machines, even new ones.