Red Hat’s Fedora Linux: 13 Releases of Cutting-Edge Open Source

Fedora Core 1, code-named Yarrow, shipped on Nov. 5, 2003, running version 2.4.19 of the Linux kernel, and including the Mozilla 1.4.1 Web browser, version 1.1.0 of the OpenOffice.org productivity suite and version 2.4.0 of the GNOME desktop environment. This was the last Fedora release to run Linux 2.4. Read eWEEK’s review of Fedora Core 1 here.

Fedora Core 2, code-named Tettnang, shipped on May 18, 2004, running version 2.6.5 of the Linux kernel, and including the Mozilla 1.6 Web browser, version 1.1.1 of the OpenOffice.org productivity suite and version 2.5.3 of the GNOME desktop environment. This marked the debut of SELinux in Fedora, although the framework was disabled by default. Read eWEEK’s review of Fedora Core 2 here.

Fedora Core 3, code-named Heidelberg, shipped on Nov. 8, 2004, running version 2.6.9 of the Linux kernel, and including the Firefox 1.0 preview Web browser, version 1.1.2 of the OpenOffice.org productivity suite and version 2.8.1 of the GNOME desktop environment. Fedora Core 3 included a raft of changes, including SELinux enabled by default, installation onto LVM partitions by default and Firefox 1.0, with tabbed browsing. This version also was the first to sport both top and bottom desktop task bars, and to sport the ill-received spatial mode Nautilus. Read eWEEK’s review of Fedora Core 3 here.

Fedora Core 4, code-named Stentz, shipped on June 13, 2005, running version 2.6.11 of the Linux kernel, and including the Firefox 1.0.4 Web browser, version 2.0 beta of the OpenOffice.org productivity suite and version 2.10 of the GNOME desktop environment. Core 4 was the first Fedora version to ship with the Java-based Eclipse IDE, which was built with the open-source GCJ. Read eWEEK’s review of Fedora Core 4 here.

Fedora Core 5, code-named Bordeaux, shipped on March 20, 2006, running version 2.6.15 of the Linux kernel, and including the Firefox 1.0.5 Web browser, version 2.0.2 of the OpenOffice.org productivity suite and version 2.14 of the GNOME desktop environment. Fedora 5 sported a pair of new GUI software installation tools, Pup and Pirut, which served as crude front ends for Fedora’s command line package management tools. Read eWEEK’s review of Fedora Core 5 here.

Fedora Core 6, code-named Zod, shipped on Oct. 24, 2006, running version 2.6.18 of the Linux kernel, and including the Firefox 1.5.0 Web browser, version 2.0.4 of the OpenOffice.org productivity suite and version 2.16 of the GNOME desktop environment. The maturation of the SELinux access control framework continued in Fedora 6, with the debut of a tool to prompt users when applications triggered SELinux permission denials. Read eWEEK’s review of Fedora Core 6 here.

Fedora 7, code-named Moonshine, shipped on May 31, 2007, running version 2.6.21 of the Linux kernel, and including the Firefox 2 Web browser, version 2.2.0 of the OpenOffice.org productivity suite and version 2.18.1 of the GNOME desktop environment. Fedora 7 was the first Fedora release to be available in LiveCD form, which made it significantly easier to try out the distribution. Read eWEEK’s review of Fedora 7 here.

Fedora 8, code-named Werewolf, shipped on Nov. 8, 2007, running version 2.6.23 of the Linux kernel, and including the Firefox 2 Web browser, version 2.3.0 of the OpenOffice.org productivity suite and version 2.20 of the GNOME desktop environment. Fedora 8 added a new graphical firewall and security configuration tool, and a tool for automatically locating needed media codecs. Read eWEEK’s review of Fedora 8 here.

Fedora 9, code-named Sulphur, shipped on May 13, 2008, running version 2.6.25 of the Linux kernel, and including the Firefox 3 beta Web browser, version 2.4.0 of the OpenOffice.org productivity suite and version 2.22.2 of the GNOME desktop environment. Fedora 9 added an option to encrypt its partitions to the installation process-a great enhancement for any mobile system. Read eWEEK’s review of Fedora 9 here.

Fedora 10, code-named Cambridge, shipped on Nov. 25, 2008, running version 2.6.27 of the Linux kernel, and including the Firefox 3.0.4 Web browser, version 3.0 of the OpenOffice.org productivity suite and version 2.24.1 of the GNOME desktop environment. In Fedora 10, I appreciated the option to enable regular-rights users to install signed packages without requiring root rights-this default was, however, rolled back in subsequent versions. Read eWEEK’s review of Fedora 10 here.

Fedora 11, code-named Leonidas, shipped on June 9, 2009, running version 2.6.29 of the Linux kernel, and including the Firefox 3.5 beta Web browser, version 3.1 of the OpenOffice.org productivity suite and version 2.26.3 of the GNOME desktop environment. Fedora 11 added a feature called Presto, which speeds software updates by fetching delta packages. Read eWEEK’s review of Fedora 11 here.

Fedora 12, code-named Constantine, shipped on Nov. 17, 2009, running version 2.6.31 of the Linux kernel, and including the Firefox 3.5.4 Web browser, version 3.1.1 of the OpenOffice.org productivity suite and version 2.28.1 of the GNOME desktop environment. Fedora 12 added a new capability, called sandbox -X, for sandboxing via SELinux potentially untrusted graphical applications. Read eWEEK’s review of Fedora 12 here.

Fedora 13, code-named Goddard, shipped on May 25, 2010, running version 2.6.33 of the Linux kernel, and including the Firefox 3.6.3 Web browser, version 3.2.0 of the OpenOffice.org productivity suite and version 2.30.1 of the GNOME desktop environment. Fedora 13 ships with a new, optional user management utility that puts a graphical face on some of the work that Red Hat has been doing to whittle away at the all-powerful superuser account. Read eWEEK’s review of Fedora 13 here.