Fedora 23 Workstation Installation Guide

This guide walks you through installing Fedora 23 Workstation on a typical desktop or laptop, covering everything from downloading the ISO to first boot. You will learn the exact steps, what to do if something goes wrong, and how to avoid common pitfalls. Fedora 23 is an older release, but the process is still relevant for understanding Fedora’s installer and for anyone using archived media.

Background: What Is Fedora 23?

Fedora 23 was released on November 3, 2015, as the 23rd version of the Fedora operating system. It was a significant release because it introduced the new DNF package manager as the default replacement for Yum, and it shipped with the GNOME 3.18 desktop environment. Fedora 23 Workstation was aimed at developers and general desktop users who wanted a modern, open-source operating system with recent software. While it is now end-of-life (EOL) and no longer receives security updates, many people still seek it out for historical interest, offline use, or to run on older hardware that cannot handle newer releases.

Prerequisites and What You Need

Before you begin, gather the following items:

A computer with at least 1 GB of RAM (2 GB recommended) and 10 GB of free disk space.
A blank USB drive (at least 2 GB) or a blank DVD.
Another computer with an internet connection to download the ISO file.
A tool to write the ISO to the USB drive (like Rufus on Windows, or the `dd` command on Linux).
Backup any important data on the target computer, as the installation will modify the disk.

Fedora 23 only supports 64-bit (x86_64) architecture. If you have a 32-bit machine, you cannot install Fedora 23 Workstation.

Downloading the Fedora 23 ISO

Fedora 23 ISO files are no longer hosted on the main Fedora website, but they are available from the Fedora archives at archives.fedoraproject.org. You want the file named Fedora-Workstation-Live-x86_64-23-20151030.iso (or similar). The “Live” image lets you try Fedora before installing it. Download the ISO and verify its checksum if you have the SHA256 sum from the archive page. This ensures the file is not corrupted.

Creating a Bootable USB Drive

Once you have the ISO, you need to write it to a USB drive. Here’s how to do it on different systems:

On Windows: Download and run Rufus. Select your USB drive, choose the Fedora ISO, and click Start. Use the default options (GPT for UEFI, or MBR for BIOS, depending on your system).
On Linux: Use the `dd` command. First, find your USB device with `lsblk`. Then run sudo dd if=/path/to/fedora.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress, replacing /dev/sdX with your USB device (e.g., /dev/sdb). Be very careful to select the correct device, as this will erase it.
On macOS: Use the `dd` command similarly, but the device will be like /dev/disk2.

After writing, safely eject the USB drive.

Booting from the USB Drive

Insert the USB drive into the target computer and restart it. During boot, press the key that opens the boot menu (often F12, F10, or Esc) or enter the BIOS/UEFI setup to change the boot order. Select the USB drive as the first boot device. If the computer uses UEFI, you may need to disable Secure Boot or enable “Legacy” boot mode, because Fedora 23’s bootloader may not be signed for Secure Boot. Once the USB boots, you will see the Fedora welcome screen. Choose “Start Fedora 23 Live” to try the system, or click “Install to Hard Drive” directly.

Step-by-Step Installation Process

Follow these steps in the Anaconda installer:

Welcome Screen: Select your language and region, then click Continue.
Installation Summary: You will see several options. Click “Installation Destination” to choose where to install Fedora.
Installation Destination: Select the disk you want to use. You can choose “Automatic” partitioning (which uses free space) or “Custom” to manually set up partitions. For most users, automatic is fine. Click Done.
Network & Hostname: Optionally, turn on networking and set a hostname. This step is not required for installation, but it helps later.
Begin Installation: Click “Begin Installation”. While it copies files, you can set the root password and create a user account. The root password is for system administration; the user account is for daily use. Make sure to remember both.
Finish: After the installation completes, click “Reboot”. Remove the USB drive when prompted.

Post-Installation Setup and First Boot

On first boot, you will see the GNOME initial setup. Follow the prompts to configure your locale, connect to Wi-Fi, and optionally set up online accounts. Then you will reach the GNOME desktop. Fedora 23 uses GNOME 3.18, which has a Activities overview (accessed by pressing the Super key). You can open the Software app to install additional applications, but note that the repositories for Fedora 23 are archived and may not work with the current DNF configuration. To install software from the command line, use sudo dnf install <package>. For example, to install the VLC media player (if still available), you would run sudo dnf install vlc.

Common Problems and Fixes

Here are a few issues you might encounter and how to resolve them:

USB drive not booting: Re-write the ISO using a different tool, or try a different USB port. Also, check if your system requires Secure Boot to be disabled.
Graphics issues during live session: If the screen is blank or distorted, try booting with the “nomodeset” kernel option. At the boot menu, press e to edit the entry and add nomodeset to the line starting with linux, then press F10 to boot.
DNF cannot find repositories: Because Fedora 23 is EOL, the default repositories are moved to the archive. You can edit /etc/yum.repos.d/fedora.repo and change mirrorlist to point to the archived URLs, but this is advanced and may not be worth the effort.
Wi-Fi not working: Some newer Wi-Fi cards lack drivers in the 4.2 kernel. You may need to install proprietary drivers, which is difficult on an EOL system. Consider using an older machine or a wired connection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I upgrade from Fedora 23 to a newer version? No, not directly. You would need to upgrade step by step through each release, which is tedious and risky. It is much easier to back up your data and install a current Fedora release from scratch.

Is Fedora 23 safe to use? No, it is not safe for internet-facing use because it no longer receives security updates. Do not use it as a daily driver. It is only suitable for offline experimentation or for running on a machine with no network connection.

What is the default desktop environment? Fedora 23 Workstation ships with GNOME 3.18. Other spins (like KDE or Xfce) were available, but the Workstation edition is GNOME.

Does Fedora 23 support UEFI and Secure Boot? It supports UEFI, but Secure Boot may be problematic because the bootloader is not signed with a key that is enabled by default. You may need to disable Secure Boot in your BIOS.

Can I install Fedora 23 on a Mac? Yes, but it may require special boot options. You might need to use the “nomodeset” option and possibly disable SIP. It is not recommended for beginners.

Where can I find the ISO file? The official archive is at archives.fedoraproject.org/pub/archive/fedora/linux/releases/23/Workstation/x86_64/iso/. Make sure to verify the checksum.

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