How to Install Eclipse IDE on Fedora 36

Eclipse IDE is a robust, integrated development environment used in computer programming. It contains the base workspace and an extensible plug-in system that allows you to easily customize its features, making it one of the two most popular IDEs for Java developers (until 2016).

Imagine working on any project, no matter its language or framework. The Eclipse platform gives developers this flexibility by using different plug-ins for their individual needs, whether that’s developing rich client applications with Java-inspired features like mobile compatibility and multi-window support in mind OR creating an IDE tailored specifically toward programming languages such as JavaScript, which often requires more tools than others might offer out of the box.

In the following tutorial, you will learn how to install Eclipse IDE on Fedora Linux using the DNF COPR repository or Flatpak methods.

Update Fedora Linux

First, update your system to ensure all existing packages are up to date.

sudo dnf upgrade --refresh -y

Next, use one of the following two installation options.

Install Eclipse IDE – COPR Method

Currently, two preferred methods exist to install and maintain Eclipse DNF with copr third-party repository and Flatpak. Now, only Fedora 36/35 is supported, given that Fedora 34 is about to reach EOL.

The first method will use the DNF package manager to enable the COPR repository.

sudo dnf copr enable dusansimic/eclipse

Next, begin the installation using the following command.

sudo dnf install eclipse

Example output:

For those that prefer using Flatpak, see the following installation method.

Install Eclipse IDE – Flatpak Method

The following method is using Flatpak to install the IDE. Flatpak is found on many Linux distributions such as RHEL downstream distributions such as AlmaLinux, CentOS, Rocky Linux, and even Linux Mint.

By default, Flatpak should be enabled; if you have removed it previously, re-install Flatpak using the following command.

sudo dnf install flatpak -y

Next, reboot so your system paths can be adequately generated. Failure to do this will see application icons not appearing and other odd issues.

reboot

Skip the reboot if you have Flatpak already installed.

Next, you need to enable Flatpack using the following command in your terminal:

sudo flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

Now begin the installation using the following flatpak command.

flatpak install flathub org.eclipse.Java -y

Launch Eclipse IDE

With the installation complete, you can run the IDE in a few different ways.

First, while you are in your terminal, you can use the following command.

eclipse

Lastly, Flatpak users use the Flatpak run command.

flatpak run org.eclipse.Java

However, this isn’t practical, and you would use the following path on your desktop.

Applications > Search > Eclipse.

Example:

Once open, you will arrive at the default launch screen.

Example:

How to Update/Upgrade Eclipse IDE

Depending on the installation method you choose, Eclipse can be upgraded using the following commands.

Upgrade Eclipse – DNF Method

sudo dnf update --refresh

Upgrade Eclipse – Flatpak Method

flatpak update

Remove (Uninstall) Eclipse IDE

To remove the IDE software from your system, run the following command in your terminal.

Remove Eclipse DNF Method:

sudo dnf autoremove eclipse -y

Disable the COPR repository.

sudo dnf copr disable dusansimic/eclipse -y

Remove Eclipse Flatpak Method:

flatpak uninstall --delete-data org.eclipse.Java

Also, it is advised to run flatpak remove –unused often to remove any leftover packages that are no longer required.

flatpak remove --unused

Comments and Conclusion

So, if you are a Java, C, or Python programmer looking for an excellent IDE with a great user interface, I highly recommend giving Eclipse a try. It is available to download and use on multiple operating systems, including Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux if you use various platforms. And best of all, it is open-source and free to download and use!