3.3. Which Files Do I Download?
You have several options to download Fedora. Read the
options below to decide which is best for you.
The architecture type appears in the name of the downloadable
files for each Fedora distribution. For example, the file for
the DVD distribution of Fedora 8 for x86_64 is named
F-8-x86_64-DVD.iso
. Refer to
Section 3.2, “Which Architecture Is My Computer?” if you are unsure of your computer's
architecture.
-
Full Distribution on DVD. If you have plenty of time and a fast Internet
connection, and want to be able to install a broader choice
of software, download the full DVD version. Both types of
media are bootable, and include an installation program as
well as a mode to perform rescue operations on your Fedora
system in an emergency. You can download the DVD version
directly from a mirror, or via BitTorrent.
-
Live Image. If you want to try Fedora before you install it on
your computer, download the Live image version. If your
computer supports booting from CD, you can boot the
operating system without making any changes to your hard
disk. The Live image also provides an "Install to Hard Disk"
menu option. If you decide you like what you see, and want
to install it, simply activate the selection to copy
Fedora to your hard disk. You can download the Live image
directly from a mirror, or using BitTorrent.
|
No Live Images for ppc
|
Fedora does not offer Live images available for the
ppc architecture due to resource
constraints.
|
-
Minimal Boot Media. If you have a fast Internet connection but do not want
to download the entire distribution, you can download a
small boot image. Fedora offers images for a minimal boot
environment on CD or USB flash disk, and a reduced size
rescue CD image. Once you boot your system with the minimal
media, you can install Fedora directly over the Internet.
Although this method still involves downloading a
significant amount of data over the Internet, it is almost
always much less than the size of the full distribution
media. Once you have finished installation, you can add or
remove software to your system as desired.
|
Download Size |
Installing the default software for Fedora over the
Internet requires more time than the Live image, but less time
than the entire DVD distribution. Actual results depend on
the actual software you select and network traffic
conditions.
|
The following table explains where to find the desired files
on a mirror site.
Locating Files
Media Type |
File Locations |
Full distribution on DVD |
fedora/linux/releases/8/Live/
arch
/iso/F-8-
arch
-DVD.iso
|
Live image |
fedora/linux/releases/8/Live/
arch
/iso/F-8-
arch
-Live.iso ,
fedora/linux/releases/8/Live/
arch
/iso/F-8-KDE-
arch
-Live.iso
|
Minimal CD boot media |
fedora/linux/releases/8/Fedora/
arch
/os/images/boot.iso
|
Minimal USB boot media |
fedora/linux/releases/8/Fedora/
arch
/os/images/diskboot.img
|
Rescue CD boot media |
fedora/linux/releases/8/Fedora/
arch
/iso/F-8-
arch
-rescuecd.iso
|