How to Install RPM Fusion on Rocky Linux EL9 or EL8

RPM Fusion is a helpful resource for Linux users, providing a comprehensive repository of packages not found in official repositories. Packages span everything from multimedia codecs to proprietary drivers and non-open-source software.

The following tutorial will teach you how to install RPM Fusion on Rocky Linux 9 or Rocky Linux 8 workstation desktop or headless server so you can install additional open-source or proprietary packages utilizing the command line terminal.

Update Rocky Linux – Upgrade System Packages

Before continuing, please ensure all existing software is updated on Rocky Linux to avoid any potential issues during the installation and ensure good system maintenance.

sudo dnf upgrade --refresh

Install EPEL & EPEL Next Repository

The first step is to install the EPEL repository, and the recommended approach is to install both repositories. The first step is to enable the CRB repository.

sudo dnf config-manager --set-enabled crb

Next, install EPEL using the following terminal command. Make sure you copy the command that matches your Rocky Linux distro.

Import EPEL for Rocky Linux 9.xx

sudo dnf install \
    https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/epel-release-latest-9.noarch.rpm \
    https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/epel-next-release-latest-9.noarch.rpm

Import EPEL for Rocky Linux 8.xx

sudo dnf install \
    https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/epel-release-latest-8.noarch.rpm \
    https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/epel-next-release-latest-8.noarch.rpm

Install & Enable RPM Fusion Repositories

RPM Fusion provides two repositories, “free” and “non-free,” that contain different software packages.

The “free” repository contains open-source packages licensed under a free and open-source license, such as the GPL. These packages can be freely distributed, modified, and used without restrictions. They are “free as in freedom,” not just “free of charge.”

The “non-free” repository contains packages that are not open-source and are not licensed under a free and open-source license. These packages may be distributed, modified, and used under certain conditions, but they may not be freely distributed or modified. Examples of packages in the non-free repository include proprietary drivers and multimedia codecs.

It’s worth noting that packages in the non-free repository may be under a more permissive license than commercial software. Still, they are not considered free software by the Free Software foundation.

Install RPM Fusion Free Repository.

sudo dnf install --nogpgcheck https://mirrors.rpmfusion.org/free/el/rpmfusion-free-release-$(rpm -E %rhel).noarch.rpm -y

Install RPM Fusion Non-Free Repository.

sudo dnf install --nogpgcheck https://mirrors.rpmfusion.org/nonfree/el/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-$(rpm -E %rhel).noarch.rpm -y

Next, verify the installation.

dnf repolist | grep rpmfusion

Example output:

rpmfusion-free-updates    RPM Fusion for EL 9 - Free - Updates
rpmfusion-nonfree-updates RPM Fusion for EL 9 - Nonfree - Updates

Enable RPM Fusion Testing Updates

Enabling the RPM Fusion testing branch allows you to receive the latest software versions, if they are available in the testing repository, before making their way to the stable branch. Use with caution, just like any testing branch.

Enable the Free Testing Updates Repository

sudo dnf config-manager --set-enabled rpmfusion-free-updates-testing

Enable the Non-Free Testing Updates Repository

sudo dnf config-manager --set-enabled rpmfusion-nonfree-updates-testing

Check to see if the testing RPM fusions have been added.

dnf repolist | grep rpmfusion

Example output:

rpmfusion-free-updates            RPM Fusion for EL 9 - Free - Updates
rpmfusion-free-updates-testing    RPM Fusion for EL 9 - Free - Test Updates
rpmfusion-nonfree-updates         RPM Fusion for EL 9 - Nonfree - Updates
rpmfusion-nonfree-updates-testing RPM Fusion for EL 9 - Nonfree - Test Updates

RPM Fusion Examples

First, you should list what is available in the RPM Fusion repositories you imported.

List all Packages

dnf --enablerepo=rpmfusion-* list available | grep rpm fusion | more

Additionally, installing the dnf-utilities package can yield better results.

sudo dnf install dnf-utils -y

Then use the repo query command. The example will continue to use Discord.

sudo repoquery -i VirtualBox

Example output:

As you can see, the VirtualBox package is coming from the RPM Fusion Free repository.

Install RPM Fusion AppStream Meta Data

The RPM Fusion repository provides packages for GNOME and KDE Discover.

sudo dnf groupupdate core

Install RPM Fusion Multimedia

RPM Fusion repositories provide packages and updates to play multimedia files and GStreamer compatibility.

Install multimedia packages for GStreamer Enabled Applications:

sudo dnf groupupdate multimedia --setop="install_weak_deps=False" --exclude=PackageKit-gstreamer-plugin

Install sound and video packages required by some applications:

sudo dnf groupupdate sound-and-video

Tainted RPM Fusion Repos

RPM Fusion has what is known as “tainted” repositories for free and non-free. To sum up, these repositories contain illegal software in certain countries due to licensing.

Install Taint RPM Fusion Free support (For Floss Packages)

sudo dnf install rpmfusion-free-release-tainted

Install Taint RPM Fusion Non-Free support (For Non-Floss Packages)

sudo dnf install rpmfusion-nonfree-release-tainted

Example of installing additional tainted proprietary support packages.

sudo dnf install \*-firmware

Once done, use the grep command to check the dnf repolist of all the installed RPM Fusions.

dnf repolist | grep rpmfusion

Example output:

As mentioned above, you can see that the tutorial has all repositories of RPM Fusion enabled; ideally, you would only have the standard installed for most situations.

How to Disable RPM Fusion Testing Updates

If you no longer require the RPM fusion testing repository, you can disable it by using one of the following commands that match the repository you enabled.

Disable the Free Testing Updates Repository

sudo dnf config-manager --set-disabled rpmfusion-free-updates-testing

Disable the Non-Free Testing Updates Repository

sudo dnf config-manager --set-disabled rpmfusion-nonfree-updates-testing

How to Remove (Uninstall) RPM Fusion Repo

Removing the repositories from your system is relatively easy. To remove repositories, you need to find the name and use the dnf remove command, but first, make sure to have the full name. This can be done using the following command.

Remove the Free Repository

sudo dnf remove rpmfusion-free-release -y

Remove the Non-Free Repository

sudo dnf remove rpmfusion-nonfree-release -y

Remove the Free (Tainted) Repository

sudo dnf remove rpmfusion-free-release-tainted -y

Remove the Non-Free (Tainted) Repository

sudo dnf remove rpmfusion-nonfree-release-tainted -y

To re-install the Fusion drive, repeat the process at the start of the tutorial.

Conclusion

There are a few reputable package repositories that you can use on RHEL-based distributions, and one of the most well-respected is RPM Fusion. It’s easy to set up and use, giving you access to a lot of software that is not available in the default repositories. If you’re looking for an RPM repository that is both well-respected and easy to use, then RPM Fusion is a great option.

To search the RPM Fusion repository database for packages, visit here.