Fedora-setup-recommendation

• NO LVM: No need to use LVM (if you know what that is). That may help once we have support for it, however, for the time being, it complicates things sometimes (unless you know what you are doing).
• One partition: Use a single partition for the root directory and one for swap (or if you know how to make swap to a file after install, just one partition will do).
• Static IP: Use a statically configured IP address: 192.168.1.10 with 255.255.255.0 subnet mask, typically. Remember to also jot down other network settings such as gateway and DNS server IP addresses before you start.
• SSH access: For debug, we enable ssh only through our routers, and open port 2222, forwarding it to port 22 in the HDA
• Runlevel 3: You may want to not start graphics (X windows and window managers, etc.) all the time to make the machine faster. In that case, make sure /etc/inittab has a line like this

           id:3:initdefault:

• i.e. with a 3 in it, not with a 5 in it. This sets the default runlevel to 3, which does not have X by default.
• Media drives: if you want media in separate drives, set them up to mount in /var/hda/files (or subdirectories of that directory, music/ movies/, etc.)

Running Headless

To run headless (no keyboard monitor or mouse):

• You may want to not start graphics (see Runlevel 3 above)
• It's up to your BIOS to not complain if there is no keyboard. You have to set it that way
• Plan for power failures. Some BIOSes also will restore power a) always, or b) to the last state (if it was on it will power it on, if not it will not power it on). Do what you want depending on your circumstances

The way to test this is like this:

• Set your settings per the above
• Boot without a keyboard and *with* monitor
• Power up like that. Make sure it powers up fine
• When all it's good, remove the monitor
• If you are brave, simulate a power failure by yanking the power cord. Then replace it.

To access the server, use ssh and VNC, and maybe remote desktop.