In order to separate RedHatEnterpriseLinux from the community product, RedHatLinux has become a community project (the FedoraProject), and the releases are now known by the name FedoraCore.

Terminology

Fedora Core is defined as "the distribution: the package set that is included on the set of ISO images and directory tree blessed by the steering committee and released as Fedora Core. The steering committee sets policies for Fedora Core, and provides the infrastructure to build it. Red Hat Network carries the core package set."

In order to distinguish FC from RHEL, you will get "test" releases of Fedora Core rather than betas, and "updates" rather than errata.

Advantages:

• You can use the trademark (previously people had to sell "Pink Tie" or "Blue Shirt" Linux)
• Greater community involvement (CVS available outside RedHat etc)

Disadvantages:

• No support from Red Hat
• No box set
• Short lifetime (release early release often policy; releases due on about 6-monthly schedule) 1?

Fedora Core 1 was released on November 2003 (See the release notes. If you want a copy, contact MatthiasDallmeier.

See also FedoraProject, FedoraExtras, FedoraAlternatives and FedoraLegacy.

1? If you want a stable product for your server that you can run for up to 5 years, instead of having to update every 6 months, you want RedHatEnterpriseLinux.