I've been trying out different Linux distributions and got interested in Fedora because it looks really polished. A friend showed it to me and I loved it! I downloaded the ISO, put it on my Ventoy drive, and booted it up. However, I was totally thrown off by the installer. Coming from Debian, it felt like I was doing something terribly wrong. I couldn't find a way to change mount points, set up a swap partition, or even select a filesystem besides the default. It felt very restrictive, almost like using an Apple product, where choices are limited. I was really expecting an easy-to-use partitioning tool, but it just wasn't there. Am I missing something, or is Fedora built this way?
5 Answers
Honestly, I think the RHEL installer is pretty underwhelming overall. Debian's installer offers more options, and I'd argue that OpenSUSE has the best GUI installer among them. If you want a flexible installation process, definitely give OpenSUSE a shot!
Just a heads up, the default filesystem for Fedora is actually Btrfs, not EXT4. I agree that the installer could use more customization options, but if you go for the "everything" network installer, you might have a better experience!
That sounds like a plan! I appreciate the heads-up on the filesystems too.
This is why I usually shy away from Fedora. It just feels a bit too streamlined for my liking.
I hear you! The Fedora installer can feel pretty limited. It definitely has the capabilities you're looking for, but it might depend on the version or ISO you used. Sometimes USB drives can behave oddly, so that might be part of the issue.
Oh, I tried Fedora Workstation 42, and yeah, it didn't feel right. My USB drive has also been acting weird lately, so it's probably that.
A lot of users have mentioned that Fedora 42 has a new installer that might limit features. It’s possible you encountered one of its early iterations.
That does make sense! It seems like Fedora is testing out a new installer, so maybe it just needs more time to develop.
I might just do that! I've been curious about OpenSUSE for a while.