How to Install Nomacs on Fedora Linux

Nomacs is a free, open-source image viewer. It is a lightweight, fast, customizable image viewer that allows users to view, edit, and manage their image files on a Fedora desktop. For users who may be thinking of installing Nomacs, it has features such as support for multiple file formats, image manipulation tools, raw images, and a customizable interface. In addition, Nomacs can synchronize images and folders between multiple devices, making it a convenient tool for organizing and viewing images.

The following tutorial will teach you how to install Nomacs Image Viewer on Fedora 37 or 36 Linux using the Fedora default repository or alternative flatpak installation manager for those who want to use a much-updated version.

Step 1 – Update Fedora

The first step is ensuring your system is up-to-date to avoid issues during the installation and for good practice. This is done by opening your terminal and using the following command.

sudo dnf upgrade --refresh

Step 2 – Install Nomacs

Method 1: Install Nomacs with Fedora Repository

For most users, the easiest way to install the software is to utilize the Fedora repository using the DNF package manager; given that Fedora focuses on the latest releases every six months and often, during that time, releases even more updates, you are generally on the latest if not one version behind in most cases making it desirable instead of using alternative package managers.

Install Nomacs Image Viewer using the following DNF install command.

sudo dnf install nomacs -y

Method 2: Install Nomacs with Flatpak and Flathub

The second option is to use the Flatpak package manager installed on Fedora-based systems. The extra benefit of using Flatpak installations is that you will always have the most up-to-date version. However, with distributions such as Fedora or similar types that focus on the latest packages, the significant advantage is often not as substantial or not present. However, still, this is the user’s discretion in choosing.

First, re-install the Flatpak manager if it was removed previously.

sudo dnf install flatpak -y

For users re-installing Flatpak, it is often recommended to reboot your system. Failure to do this can occur with odd issues, such as wrong icon paths.

reboot

SKIP THE REBOOT IF FLATPAK IS 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

Ideally, you should reboot at this stage; if you skip this and notice icons not appearing, the reboot will generate the paths required for the future.

reboot

Now install using the following flatpak command.

flatpak install flathub org.nomacs.ImageLounge -y

Troubleshoot Nomacs Flatpak Installation

First, the most common error when installing a Flatpak from Flathub is the following error output.

"error: Unable to load summary from remote flathub: Can't fetch summary from disabled remote 'flathub,"

The fix is simple, run the following command to enable Flathub.

flatpak remote-modify --enable flathub

This will fix the issue the above issue. The next issue can be access to system files. I would only recommend using the following command if you have access permission with your installation accessing files; use the override command below.

sudo flatpak override org.nomacs.ImageLounge --filesystem=host

Please do not use this command by default unless it is needed.

Step 3. How to Launch Nomacs

Now that you installed the image viewer, launching can be done in two ways. Use the following command to immediately launch the image viewer software in your terminal type.

nomacs

Alternatively, Flatpak users will need to launch using the command below from a terminal instance.

flatpak run org.nomacs.ImageLounge

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

 Activities > Show Applications > nomacs

Example:

Once open, you will need to select your default language the first time you open the software, and then you can use the image viewer.

Example:

Once configured, you can begin using the image viewer. I suggest checking out the Nomacs documentation, as you can do quite a lot with this application.

Example:

Step 4. Additional Commands & Tips

How to Update Nomacs Image Viewer

Using the command terminal, you can use one of the update commands featured below to match your package manager installation to check manually for upgrades. This can come in handy if automatic upgrades malfunction, which is rare but occurs if incorrectly set up.

I recommend that newer users use the following command to check for updates to get a feel for the terminal more often. Advanced users will use whatever they see fit, but this is a recommendation only, given that the tutorials focus on new users.

Nomacs DNF Update Method

sudo dnf update --refresh

Nomacs Flatpak Update Method

flatpak update

How to Remove (Uninstall) Nomacs Image Viewer

Use one of the following commands to suit the original installation method for users who no longer require the application.

Nomacs DNF Remove Method

sudo dnf autoremove nomacs -y

Nomacs Flatpak Remove Method

flatpak uninstall --delete-data org.nomacs.ImageLounge -y

Next, run the following command for any leftover clean-up.

flatpak remove --unused

Conclusion

Nomacs is a powerful image viewer that offers a range of benefits over the default image viewer on Fedora Linux. One advantage of Nomacs is that it is a lightweight and fast program, making it ideal for viewing large numbers of images. It also supports many file formats, including raw images, making it a versatile choice for viewing different image files. In addition, Nomacs has a customizable interface and offers a range of image manipulation tools, such as resizing, cropping, and adjusting brightness and contrast. These features make it a useful tool for editing and organizing images. Overall, Nomacs is an excellent alternative to the default image viewer on Fedora Linux, offering a range of advanced features and a user-friendly interface.