The firstboot is the program that run after successful Fedora installation... The firstboot program display Fedora configuration screen.  This enable us to configure and setting up language, display welcome screen, display licensing...  enable us choose keyboard layout, create root password, setup networking, configure security level, configure time zone, setting date, create user, configure soundcard, configure up2date, and display additional cds screen.  The article below show the step by step using the Firstboot program to to reconfigure or configure fedora Linux. 

Screen shot of Fedora configuration screen using firstboot program:

Configure Fedora

   Locate and remove the firstboot file. The firstboot file usually located under /etc/sysconfig directory.... But before you remove this file ( firstboot ) it is recommended you make a backup copy... the procedure below show the step by step to make a backup copy of firstboot file and then remove the firstboot configuration file.

1.  Use cat command to view the contents of firstboot configuration file under /etc/sysconfig directory

[root@fedora ~]# cat /etc/sysconfig/firstboot

RUN_FIRSTBOOT=NO

[root@fedora ~]#

2.  Make backup copy of firstboot file, incase something happen...

[root@fedora ~]# cp -pr /etc/sysconfig/firstboot /etc/sysconfig/firstboot.bak

[root@fedora ~]#

3.  The rm command below remove or delate the firstboot file in order to make sure the firstboot program running when we restart or reboot the Fedora machine.

[root@fedora ~]# rm /etc/sysconfig/firstboot

rm: remove regular file `/etc/sysconfig/firstboot'? y

[root@fedora ~]#

4.  Then check and make sure that firstboot program or firstboot service is run when your Fedora startup/boot up.

    4.1 Check firstboot services

        [root@fedora ~]# chkconfig --list firstboot

        firstboot 0:off 1:off 2:off 3:off 4:off 5:off 6:off

        [root@fedora ~]#

    4.2 Set the firstboot program to run at start up.

        [root@fedora ~]# chkconfig --level 35 firstboot on

        [root@fedora ~]#

    4.3  Verify configuration changes.

        [root@fedora ~]# chkconfig --list firstboot

        firstboot 0:off 1:off 2:off 3:on 4:off 5:on 6:off

        [root@fedora ~]#

5.  Then reboot or restart Fedora as shown on command example below.

[root@fedora ~]# shutdown -r now

or

[root@fedora ~]# reboot

Reconfigure Fedora

   If the above configuration not workout for you...  Follow the step by step example below to make sure firstboot program running and then you can happily reconfigure Fedora machine

1.  To start the Fedora reconfig mode, create reconfigSys file as shown on command example below.

[root@fedora ~]# touch /etc/reconfigSys

[root@fedora ~]#

2.  Remove firstboot configuration file.. if any...

[root@fedora ~]# rm /etc/sysconfig/firstboot

[root@fedora ~]#

3.  Set the firstboot program to run at start up.

[root@fedora ~]# chkconfig --level 35 firstboot on

[root@fedora ~]#

4.  Reboot Fedora system using command as shown on command example below.

[root@fedora ~]# reboot    or     [root@fedora ~]# shutdown -r now

Keywords: firstboot, configure fedora, reconfigure fedora, setting language, display welcome, configure keyboard layout, create root password, setup networking, configure security level, configure time zone, setting date, create user, configure soundcard, configure up2date