Fedora Overview
Freedom: What *is* Fedora?
An operating system, a set of projects, and a mindset.
What is Fedora? Fedora is a Linux-based operating system that showcases the latest in free and open source software. Fedora is always free for anyone to use, modify, and distribute. It is built by people across the globe who work together as a community: the Fedora Project. The Fedora Project is open and anyone is welcome to join. The Fedora Project is out front for you, leading the advancement of free, open software and content.
The operating system is Fedora. It comes out twice a year or so. It's completely Free, and we're committed to keeping it that way. It's the best combination of robust and latest software that exists in the Free software world.
The mindset is Doing the Right Thing. To us, that means providing Free and open source software, at no cost, freely usable, modifiable, redistributable, and unencumbered by software patents.
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Free, Easy And Efficient
Fedora delivers absolutely Free software which has a completely graphical installer, comes with easy to use desktop and administration tools. It is also efficient and strives to serve the needs of different kinds of users.
Freedom: Make ogg, not mp3
Why can't Fedora play mp3 files?
Why is mp3 popular? Because it's better than everything else out there?
No. mp3 is popular because its creators licensed it broadly to spur its adoption. Then, once it was the de facto format, they started to enforce their patents aggressively and restrictively.
The Free and open source multimedia codecs such as the Ogg family of codecs are superior, and they are not patent-encumbered. Never have been, never will be. That's why we support Ogg Vorbis (lossy) and FLAC (lossless) for general audio, Speex for speech, and Ogg Theora for video.
For those people who insist upon using mp3, it's not difficult to figure out how to get these players. Still, we'd much rather change the world instead of going along with it.
Communicate: Fedora Community
Fedora Web Forums:: For end user help, use our Fedora Web Forums
Fedora Mailing lists:: Fedora Project has several mailing lists for users and contributors.
Fedora IRC Chat Channels:: Chat and ask questions live in the Fedora IRC channels at irc.freenode.net.
For other ways of communicating with the Fedora community, refer to http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Communicate.
Governance: Fedora Project Board
The Fedora Project Board is made up of Fedora community members both inside and outside of Red Hat. The Board defines the overall direction of Fedora, strengthens the ties between Red Hat and the community, and empowers the community to innovate in new and exciting ways. Most importantly, the Board ensures that Fedora remains forever free, for everyone.
References
How You Can Help
Triage: Join the Fedora Triage project
Fedora moves very quickly and has lots of users. As a result we see our fair share of bugs.
People often aren't so careful about how they file bugs, though. A lot of these bugs are poorly explained, not replicable, duplicates, or simply not bugs at all. It takes a very long time for developers to cull through these bug reports to determine which are valid and which aren't.
Fedora Triagers provide an incredibly valuable service. By ensuring that all bugs are good bugs, they save countless hours of developer time and allow Fedora to produce better software quicker.
Join the Fedora Triage project at http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/BugZappers.
Documentation: Join the Fedora Docs project
The goal of the Documentation Project is to create easy-to-follow, task-based documentation for Fedora users and developers. Longer guides are available to cover major topics such as Installation.
Join the Fedora Documentation Project at DocsProject
Package Collection: Join the Fedora Packaging project
There's a great big world of Free software out there, and more being developed every day. The goal of Fedora Packagiing is to make all of that software available to Fedora users with the click of a button.
It takes a lot of work to package and maintain software, though. What about that cool piece of software that just isn't available as an easy-to-install RPM? Someone just needs to package it up. That someone might as well be you, right?
Learn how to make good software packages, and share your favorite applications with hundreds of thousands of Fedora users worldwide.
Join the Fedora Packaging project at http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/PackageMaintainers
Translation: Join the Fedora Translation Team
Fedora needs to be available for users all around the world. Does Fedora speak your language? If it doesn't, it should. You can help.
Join the Fedora Translation Team at http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/DocsProject/Translation
Spread the word: Become a Fedora Ambassador
Do what we are doing here. Spread the good word of Fedora. Spread the glamor. Spread the action. Make waves. Encourage participation. Encourage the community.
Dont forget to collect feedback and listen to users. Give a good critique, or hear the good critiques of others. Tell us what works and what doesn't. Help us improve the project and gain even more Fedora users.
Help Fedora Do the Right Thing. Join us at http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Ambassadors
Live CDs: Join the Fedora Live CD Project
Want to demonstrate the power, technology and usability of Fedora?
Want to take Fedora for a test ride?
Want to tinker and experiment?
Create your own Fedora Live CDs.
Use the Fedora Live CD's and creation tools at http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/FedoraLiveCD
Why should I help?
Your name in lights, an online CV, and maybe a trip to FUDCon.
First, contribute to Fedora and get your name in the distribution. Hey, fair is fair.
Second, if you're a Fedora contributor, you don't need a fancy resume; you can just tell potential employers to Google your name.
Third, top Fedora contributors receive travel stipends to attend the Fedora Users and Developers Conference at the location closest to them. You will have the opportunity to meet some of the giants of the open source movement in person, as their peers and equals.
And last, you'd be playing with this stuff anyway. Spend your time doing stuff that you will enjoy and that others will use. What more incentive do you need? Join us.