Fedora is one of the best-known desktop Linux distros, but not many derivative distros are based on it. Fusion 14 is a new distro that uses Fedora 14 as its base. Don’t be fooled though, Fusion is not your father’s Fedora at all. There’s more to it than meet’s the eye and it stands a good chance of replacing generic Fedora for users who crave value-added features that take it to another level.
If you aren’t familiar with Fedora 14 itself, please see the earlier review I wrote of it for DLR. KDE users may want to refer to the review of the KDE version of Fedora 14.
Here’s the official description of Fusion from the Fusion site:
Fusion Linux is a Fedora Remix that uses a combination of free and open-source, non-free and non-open-source firmware and software, to bring the user the most advanced experience on the Linux platform.
Fusion Linux includes an outstanding theme, multimedia functionality out of the box and added desktop tweaks for better usability.
And finally, Fusion Linux is 100% compatible with Fedora.
What’s New In This Release
Here’s a sample of the new features in this release:
Custom theme
Post install welcome wizard
Multimedia support
More games
Skype removed
Better hardware compatibility
Mint menu
DockbarX
GNOME Do
The post install welcome script is a really nice touch in this distro. Once your install is finished and you reboot, a terminal window will open and you can configure your system. The script lets you update your system, install Skype, setup sudo, use Redshift, install Dropbox, or change your wallpaper. While it would be nice if it didn’t run in a terminal window, it’s still a useful tool for those who want to tweak things a bit before using Fusion. The desktop section of the review has images of the entire configuration process.
Enhanced multimedia support is always a welcome thing in any distro, as far as I’m concerned. Fusion gives you flash, MP3 and DivX support by default.
The removal of Skype was done to facilitate free distribution of Fusion Linux. I don’t regard it as a big deal at all since the welcome script lets you put it back in with ease in seconds.
The inclusion of Linux Mint’s menu is welcome indeed. I know that some people don’t like it but I always have, so I never mind seeing it borrowed by other distros. It adds some extra value to any distro that uses it. I hope more distro developers will consider adding it to their offerings at some point.
Hardware Requirements & Installation
Hardware Requirements
I was not able to find a list of hardware requirements on the Fusion site, I hope the developers will put on in an FAQ or other prominent place at some point. It’s always a good idea to let people know what is required to run a distro.
I think it’s safe to assume that you should at least meet the minimum requirements to run generic Fedora 14 if you want to run Fusion 14.
Installation
Fusion uses the same installer as Fedora and it’s just as easy. The screenshots below walk you through the install, from beginning to end.
Booting & Login
Here’s what the booting and login screens look like:
Welcome Configuration Script
As I noted at the beginning of the review, one neat thing about Fusion is the welcome configuration script. When you boot into your desktop, the first thing you see is a terminal window that lets you configure your system.
The screenshots below walk you through the configuration process.
The Desktop
When I first booted into the desktop, it had the icky default Fedora 14 wallpaper. I really dislike that wallpaper, so I was happy to be able to change it with the welcome configuration script. I ended up with the neat, spacey Fusion wallpaper in the image below.
As you can see in the image, the desktop has a few icons on it but it’s not cluttered up with too many things.
Clicking the Menu button in the panel displays the Mint Menu. As I noted earlier, I really like the Mint Menu so I’m glad it’s included in Fusion. You can opt to see a list of favorite applications or application categories if you prefer. The menu also shows Places, System, Search, and the usual logout/quit/lock screen options.
There are icons on the panel for showing the desktop, Chromium, opening a terminal window, updating Fusion, clipboard, networking, volume, date and multiple desktops.
Overall, I find the Fusion desktop a pleasure to use and I like it much better than generic Fedora 14.
Themes
Fusion 14 uses a custom theme that is based on Faenza icons and the Alliance GTK theme. I find it quite attractive. However, if you don’t like it you can easily change to a different one that is included or get more online.
Wallpaper
I really like the cool Fusion wallpaper that I ended up with after running the welcome config script. If you don’t like it there are a few other common selections available and more are available online.
Admin Tools
Here’s what the Control Center looks like. You can also access system tools and preferences from the applications menu in the Mint Menu.
Bundled Software
Here’s a sample of the software included in this release.
Games
Abe
Alien Blaster
Blob Wars
Chromium BSU
Critical Mass
FooBillard
Freeciv
Freeciv Server
Frozen Bubble
Glaxium
Kobo Deluxe
Maelstrom
Numpty Physics
PlayOnLinux
Teeworlds
WineMine
Graphics
Blender
F-Spot
Fotowall
GIMP
Inkscape
MyPaint
PhotoPrint
PosteRazor
Scribus
Simple Scan
Viewnior
Internet
aMule
Chromium
Dropbox
Empathy
Firefox
ggz-gtk
Giver
Gwibber
Net Activity Viewer
Pan Newsreader
Remote Desktop Viewer
TeamViewer 6
Thunderbird
Transmission
XChat IRC
Multimedia
AcetoneISO2
Arista Transcoder
Audacious
Audacity
Audio CD Extractor
Avidemux Video Editor
Banshee
Cheese
GNOME MPlayer
gtk-recordMyDesktop
HandBrake
K3b
Miro Internet TV
Movie Player
MusicBrainz Picard
Pitivi Video Editor
VLC
Office
OpenOffice.org
Others
Marble
Stellarium Night Sky Viewer
Wine
I’m not much of a gamer these days, but the game selection is a nice touch in this distro. There’s enough stuff there to keep casual desktop gamers busy when they need a break from work.
There’s also plenty of other software to meet the needs of just about any average desktop user. Fusion’s default software selection is quite good, indeed.
Software Management
If you find that you need more software, you can click the Menu button and select Package Manager. Software is broken down into the appropriate categories and it’s easy to browse around or search if you prefer. After finding an application, click the check box next to it then click the Apply button. You can see a description about the package as well.
The software management tool in Fusion is not quite as nice as Linux Mint’s or the Ubuntu Software Center. But let’s not forget that Fusion is based on Fedora so this is to be expected. Overall, it’s a fairly good experience though I would like to see user reviews and ratings added to the package manager at some point. It’s always nice to see what other people think of an application before installing it.
It’s also easy to update your system. Just click the updates icon on the panel and you can begin the process of updating your Fusion system.
Sound and Multimedia
As I noted at the beginning of the review, Fusion has support by default for flash, MP3 and DivX playback. So there’s no need for you to install anything to enjoy video on the web. I had no problems running YouTube videos on my Fusion system. They all looked and sounded great.
Multimedia Applications
Well pardon me while I gush for a moment. I was very happy indeed to see the default selection of multimedia applications in Fusion. There are about 17 applications included by default including some of my favorites: VLC, Pitivi Video Editor, Cheese, GNOME MPlayer, HandBrake, etc. My guess is that multimedia mavens will be quite happy with all of the apps included in Fusion. Of course if you need more you can get them from the multimedia section of the Package Manager.
Problems & Headaches
As I noted earlier, you see the nasty Fedora 14 wallpaper at times when logging in or seeing the desktop for the first time. I’d like to see that gone completely and the pretty black/space Fusion themed wallpaper replace it. Fusion needs its own brand identity. So I hope the developers get rid of the weird Fedora wallpaper altogether, it just looks out of place.
I was disappointed to see OpenOffice.org included as the default office suite rather than LibreOffice. Hopefully the Fusion developers will fix this in the next release and consign OpenOffice to oblivion.
Beyond that, I saw no overt problems with Fusion. It was quite reliable and seemed fairly speedy for me. None of my applications crashed and my system seemed quite stable. There’s not a whole lot to complain about with Fusion.
Where To Get Help
Please take a moment to register for the DLR forum; everybody is welcome. Feel free to post a message in the forum and we’ll do our best to point you in the right direction. The forum contains discussions about Linux, as well as other topics. Please stop by and say hello when you have a chance.
Drop by the forum to get help, talk about Linux or just hang out.
You might also want to check out the Fusion blog, forum, and mailing list.
Final Thoughts & Who Should Use It
I’m very happy that Fusion 14 has been released; it’s pretty much what I had always hoped Fedora could become. It adds significant value to the Fedora base and makes it much more in tune with the needs of a desktop user rather than a developer. I highly recommend that current Fedora users give Fusion a try. My guess is that a significant percentage of them will at least consider switching to Fusion.
Fusion is suitable for beginner, intermediate or advanced users.
What’s your take on this distro? Tell me in the comments below. Visit Eye On Linux for Linux opinion columns and distro quick looks; visit JimLynch.com for other technology coverage.
Summary Table:
| Product: | Fusion 14 |
| Web Site: | http://fusionlinux.org |
| Price: | Free |
| Pros: | Takes Fedora to another level; multimedia ready; includes Mint Menu; great selection of software including desktop games; customized theme; welcome configuration script. |
| Cons: | OpenOffice.org is still the default office suite; ugly default Fedora wallpaper appears in certain places. |
| Suitable For: | Beginner, intermediate and advanced users. |
| Rating: | 4/5 |
This sounds neato! I tried Fedora 14, a little blah, but worked. Fedora 15 didn't though, my ol' Sempron 2.5 couldn't run the Gnome3. This Fusion may be a great distro for a newer machine. Thanx Jim! Mike
Go for it, Tim. You'll probably have fun. Fire up VirtualBox and have at it! :smile:
Hmm… Darn it Jim, you're tempting me to keep messing around with linux! You know that I like Fedora, so now I kind of /have/ to try this out! :D
donc wrote:
Wow, that was a helpful comment.
I'm downloading this now to try out. I like the idea of a fully encrypted system on my netbook, something that Mint doesn't do right now. I tried Fedora 14 but didn't really care for it. I found things a little more difficult to do than in Mint. It seemed every time I wanted to do something then I needed to solve some dependency or find a different was to do it. I hope this works out well.
"…you see the nasty Fedora 14 wallpaper…I hope the developers get rid of the weird Fedora wallpaper altogether…"
I don't like ur attitude.
I have been meaning to try out Fusion Linux, since it sounded like it was attempting for Fedora to do what Mint does with Ubuntu …add an extra polish and a few useful tools. I love Mint, but have found Mandriva to be a very good rpm-based distribution. I'll definitely check out Fusion soon. I never really warmed up to Fedora although I've tried it a couple of times recently (since version 10).
Fuduntu is better.
Generally this is a good idea. However the downside for me is the inclusion of mono apps when Fedora is removing them (or at least putting them outside the mainstream repo's).
Ironic that they say 'skype removed so that Fusion can be freely distributed' when many people (myself included) think that apps like F-Sport do have a patent risk.
I hope that for the next version the Mono apps are removed. Then I might try it.
I for one do not like the Mint menu nor do I like the menu that OpenSuse uses either for Gnome. I like the idea of adding things that are left out of Fedora but I will probably not try it out myself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JT3dQ9ohLE4&fe…
When I installed it, I had no problems at all and it seems rock-solid and got everything that is needed. It even recognized my Atheros-based wireless card right away, which few distros do. However, I ran into trouble when I tried to install the driver for NVIDA graphic card, but I will figure it out later. Other than that, no complaints…I highly recommend people to try this distro if they want to try Fedora. I'm keeping this distro on my hard drive.
I tried it out on a USB stick. Everything worked fine, except my Broadcom wireless card wasn't recognized. Strange, because it was recognized with Fedora 14 on a USB stick.
It sounds like an appropriate summary of the relationship between Fedora and Fusion is that Fedora is intended primarily for developers and stays as close as possible to the principles of "software freedom", but lacks the simplicity needed by novices to get the applications that they frequently enjoy. Fusion adds this value, including several "non-free" additions, or making them trivial to obtain by making them optionally available during the system configuration. So Fusion is a useful distribution for would-be Fedora users who want or need additional packaging and application convenience.
Thanks for the review I liked it am currently on FC14 will definitely try this out when moving to FC15.