Do not forget to address follow-up issues on your migration roadmap. Pay attention to how satisfied or how well new users, especially those new to Linux, are adapting if a new desktop is used. However, if Fedora is deployed in a mixed environment, many users might not even know (or need to know) that Linux is being used!
Planning the Installation
There are many factors in favor of using Fedora as a computing solution. Fedora can fill many different roles on various tiers and hardware platforms because of the huge variety of software on offer.
Addressing software concerns beforehand can help quell any worries or fears felt by new users. Some key factors for a successful installation include the following:
► Preparation — Thoroughly discuss the migration or deployment, along with benefits, such as greater stability and availability of service.
► Preconfiguration — If possible, give users a voice in software choices or categories and poll for comments regarding concerns.
► Correct installation — Ensure that the installed systems are working properly, including access permissions, password systems, or other user-related issues and interaction with the deployment.
► The right hardware to do the job — Make sure that users have the hardware they need for their work, and that computers match the tasks required. For example, developers have workstation requirements vastly different from those of administrative personnel.
Hardware Requirements
Fedora can be installed on and will run on a wide variety of Intel-based hardware. This does not include pre-Pentium legacy platforms, but many older PCs, workstations, rack mounted systems, and multiprocessor servers are supported. Small-, medium-, and even large-scale deployments of specially tuned Linux distributions are available through a number of companies such as IBM, which offers hardware, software, and service solutions.
It is always a good idea to explore your hardware options extensively before jumping on board with a specific vendor. You can buy computer hardware with a Linux distribution preinstalled. At the time of this writing, Dell Computer offered systems complete with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (such as desktop PCs and workstations) through http://www.dell.com/redhat/. IBM also offers Linux on its product line, and more information can be found through http://www.ibm.com/linux/. To find HP and preinstalled Linux systems, browse to http://www.hp.com/linux/. You can also buy low-cost desktop PCs with Linux through Wal-Mart's online store at http://www.walmart.com (click to select the electronics department).
The type of deployment you choose also determines the hardware required for a successful deployment of Linux — and post-deployment satisfaction. The range of Linux hardware requirements and compatible hardware types is quite wide, especially when you consider that Linux can be used with mainframe computers as well as embedded devices.
Meeting the Minimum Fedora Hardware Requirements
The Fedora Project publishes general minimum hardware requirements for installing and using its base distribution in a file named RELEASE NOTES on the first CD-ROM or DVD, or available at http://fedora.redhat.com/docs/release-notes/. For the current release, your PC should at least have a 200MHz Pentium CPU, 620MB of hard drive space, and 128MB of RAM for using (and installing) Fedora without a graphical interface. For obvious reasons, a faster CPU, larger-capacity hard drive, and more RAM are desired. Servers and development workstations require more storage and RAM.
Using Legacy Hardware
If you have an older PC based on an Intel 486 CPU with only 32MB RAM and a 500MB hard drive (which can be hard to find nowadays), you can install other Linux distributions such as Debian from the Debian Project at http://www.debian.org/.
Installing Fedora on legacy hardware is easier if you choose to use more recent Pentium- class PCs, but even older Pentium PCs can be used and purchased at a fraction of their original cost. Such PCs can easily handle many mundane but useful tasks. Some of the tasks suitable for older hardware include the following:
► Acting as a firewall, router, or gateway
► Audio jukebox and music file storage server
► Handling email
► Hosting a remote printer and providing remote printing services
► Network font server
► Providing FTP server access
► Remote logging capture
► Secondary network-attached backup server
► Serving as an intranet (internal LAN) web server
► Unattended dialup gateway, voice mailbox, or fax machine
► Use as a "thin-client" workstation for basic desktop tasks
Older PCs can handle any task that does not require a CPU with a lot of horsepower. To get the most out of your hardware, do not install any more software than required (a good idea in any case, especially if you are building a server). To get a little performance boost, add as much RAM as economically and practically feasible. If you cannot do this, cut down on memory usage by turning off unwanted or unneeded services. You can also recompile a custom Linux kernel to save a bit more memory and increase performance.