How to Install OBS Studio on Fedora 44

Fedora’s built-in recorder is fine for quick clips, but OBS Studio is the better fit when you need scene control, audio routing, virtual cameras, or streaming presets that survive more than one recording. On Fedora 44 and Fedora 43, you can install OBS Studio through Fedora’s RPM repositories or through the OBS Project’s Flathub build; Fedora 44 package output appears in version examples.

The official OBS Linux download page points Linux users to Flathub, while Fedora’s OBS Studio RPM is a Fedora-maintained package. RPM Fusion is useful for add-on packages such as x264, DistroAV, and v4l2loopback, but it is not the source of Fedora’s core obs-studio package.

Install OBS Studio on Fedora Linux

Choose one main installation path and keep update, launch, troubleshooting, and removal commands matched to that path. Mixing the DNF package and Flatpak build usually creates duplicate launchers and confusing plugin states.

Method	Source	What You Get	Update Behavior	Best Fit
DNF (Fedora)	Fedora repositories	Fedora-maintained OBS package with desktop integration and Fedora’s default plugin set	sudo dnf upgrade --refresh	Users who prefer the normal Fedora RPM workflow
DNF + RPM Fusion extras	Fedora repositories plus RPM Fusion Free or Nonfree	Fedora OBS package plus optional x264, DistroAV, or v4l2loopback packages	sudo dnf upgrade --refresh	Users who need RPM-managed add-ons or virtual camera kernel-module support
Flatpak (Flathub)	OBS Project build on Flathub	Upstream-supported Linux Flatpak with Flathub’s app runtime	sudo flatpak update	Most desktop users who want the OBS Project’s recommended Linux build

• Choose Flatpak if you want the OBS Project’s recommended Linux build from Flathub.
• Choose DNF (Fedora) if you want a package maintained through Fedora updates.
• Choose DNF + RPM Fusion extras only for the add-on packages you actually need.

Recommendation: Prefer the Flathub build for a normal desktop install. Use Fedora’s DNF package when RPM package integration matters, then add RPM Fusion packages only for specific extras such as obs-studio-plugin-x264, obs-studio-plugin-distroav, or akmod-v4l2loopback.

Install OBS Studio via DNF on Fedora Linux

Update Fedora Before Installing OBS Studio

Refresh package metadata and apply pending updates before installing OBS Studio. Review the transaction before confirming because Fedora may update desktop, multimedia, or graphics packages at the same time.

sudo dnf upgrade --refresh

The commands use sudo for system changes. If your account is not in the sudoers group yet, run commands as root or follow the Fedora guide on adding a user to sudo.

Install OBS Studio with DNF

Install the Fedora-maintained OBS Studio package from the enabled Fedora repositories:

sudo dnf install obs-studio

Check the installed package version:

rpm -q obs-studio

Relevant output on Fedora 44 currently resembles:

obs-studio-32.1.1-1.fc44.x86_64

Fedora package revisions change through normal updates, so treat the package name and Fedora release suffix as the stable part of the check. Confirm the launcher command is also available:

command -v obs
obs --version

/usr/bin/obs
OBS Studio - 32.1.1 (linux)

Install OBS Studio with RPM Fusion Add-on Plugins (Optional)

Fedora provides the core obs-studio package. RPM Fusion provides optional add-ons: obs-studio-plugin-x264 comes from RPM Fusion Free, while obs-studio-plugin-distroav and its NDI runtime dependencies come from RPM Fusion Nonfree.

Enable RPM Fusion Free first if you only need the x264 plugin or v4l2loopback:

sudo dnf install https://mirrors.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm
sudo dnf install obs-studio-plugin-x264

Add RPM Fusion Nonfree only when you need DistroAV/NDI support:

sudo dnf install https://mirrors.rpmfusion.org/nonfree/fedora/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm
sudo dnf install obs-studio-plugin-distroav

Confirm the enabled RPM Fusion repositories and the plugin packages you installed:

dnf repo list --enabled 'rpmfusion-*'
rpm -q obs-studio-plugin-x264 || echo "x264 plugin not installed"
rpm -q obs-studio-plugin-distroav || echo "DistroAV plugin not installed"

If you enabled both RPM Fusion Free and Nonfree and installed both plugin examples, relevant output resembles:

repo id                   repo name
rpmfusion-free            RPM Fusion for Fedora 44 - Free
rpmfusion-free-updates    RPM Fusion for Fedora 44 - Free - Updates
rpmfusion-nonfree         RPM Fusion for Fedora 44 - Nonfree
rpmfusion-nonfree-updates RPM Fusion for Fedora 44 - Nonfree - Updates
obs-studio-plugin-x264-32.1.1-1.fc44.x86_64
obs-studio-plugin-distroav-6.1.1-2.fc44.x86_64

The DistroAV package pulls in ndi-sdk and libndi-sdk from RPM Fusion Nonfree. Skip that package when you only need local recording, x264, or virtual camera support.

Install OBS Studio Development Files (Optional)

Plugin authors or developers compiling custom modules can install headers and CMake configuration files. These allow building and linking third-party OBS plugins cleanly:

sudo dnf install obs-studio-devel

After installation, inspect a few installed paths (truncated example):

rpm -ql obs-studio-devel | grep -E '(^/usr/include/obs|/cmake/LibObs)' | head -n 10

/usr/include/obs
/usr/include/obs/callback
/usr/include/obs/callback/calldata.h
/usr/include/obs/graphics
/usr/include/obs/graphics/axisang.h
/usr/include/obs/obs.h
/usr/include/obs/obs-module.h
/usr/lib64/cmake/LibObs
/usr/lib64/cmake/LibObs/LibObsConfig.cmake
/usr/lib64/cmake/LibObs/LibObsTargets.cmake

Enable OBS Virtual Camera Support (Optional)

OBS virtual camera support on the Fedora RPM path uses the v4l2loopback kernel module from RPM Fusion Free. Use the akmod-v4l2loopback package so Fedora can rebuild the module for new kernels.

sudo dnf install https://mirrors.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm
sudo dnf install akmod-v4l2loopback

The $(rpm -E %fedora) expression expands to your current Fedora release number, such as 44 or 43. The akmod-v4l2loopback transaction installs build tools and matching kernel development packages, so review the package list before confirming.

Build the module for the running kernel, then load it:

sudo akmods --force --kernels "$(uname -r)" --akmod v4l2loopback
sudo modprobe v4l2loopback exclusive_caps=1 card_label='OBS Virtual Camera'

Confirm the module is active:

lsmod | grep '^v4l2loopback'

Relevant output includes a line beginning with v4l2loopback. The numeric columns can vary by kernel and module build:

v4l2loopback           81920  0

If modprobe still reports that the module is missing, wait for the akmods build to finish or inspect its build log:

sudo akmods --force --kernels "$(uname -r)" --akmod v4l2loopback
sudo journalctl -u akmods --no-pager -n 50

If modprobe reports a key rejection on Secure Boot hardware, the locally built module needs to be signed or Secure Boot must be disabled before Linux can load it.

For repository enablement and cleanup details, use the RPM Fusion guide for Fedora.

Enable OBS Hardware Encoding (Optional)

Hardware encoders reduce CPU load, but OBS can only expose them after Fedora has the matching graphics driver stack. NVIDIA users need the proprietary driver for NVENC; Intel and AMD users normally check VAAPI support through Mesa. For NVIDIA setup, use the NVIDIA drivers guide for Fedora first.

Install VAAPI utilities and drivers if missing, then confirm capabilities:

sudo dnf install libva-utils mesa-va-drivers
vainfo | grep -Ei 'H264|HEVC|AV1' || echo "VAAPI not detected: check drivers/packages"

Relevant output may include codec entries similar to these, depending on your GPU and driver:

VAProfileH264High    : VAEntrypointVLD
VAProfileHEVCMain    : VAEntrypointVLD

After installing drivers, restart OBS and check Settings > Output > Encoder. Successful detection shows options such as H.264 (NVENC), H.264 (VAAPI), or FFmpeg VAAPI variants. If only software encoders such as x264 appear, confirm the driver installation and reboot so the graphics modules load cleanly.

Install OBS Studio via Flatpak on Fedora Linux

OBS upstream supports the Flathub build, and Fedora Workstation includes Flatpak by default. If you removed Flatpak or you run a minimal mutable Fedora install, reinstall it with sudo dnf install flatpak before adding Flathub. On Fedora Atomic desktops, keep Flatpak as the normal app path rather than layering host packages with DNF.

Fedora can also expose a Fedora Flatpak remote. The commands here explicitly install com.obsproject.Studio from flathub, which is the OBS Project’s documented Linux Flatpak source.

Enable Flathub for OBS Studio

Add Flathub at system scope:

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

Install OBS Studio (Flatpak)

Install OBS Studio from the Flathub remote:

sudo flatpak install flathub com.obsproject.Studio

Check the installed Flatpak record:

flatpak info com.obsproject.Studio | grep -E "Version|Runtime|Branch"

      Branch: stable
     Version: 32.1.2
     Runtime: org.freedesktop.Platform/x86_64/25.08

The version and runtime can change as Flathub publishes updates. The grep filter keeps the check readable; for more pattern examples, use this grep command reference.

The current Flathub manifest gives OBS broad desktop permissions, including device access and host filesystem access. Treat Flatpak here as the OBS Project’s packaging and update path, not as a strict sandbox for sensitive recordings.

Fix Flathub Repository Access Issues

If Flathub is present but disabled, Flatpak may return this error:

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

Re-enable the Flathub remote:

sudo flatpak remote-modify --enable flathub

Confirm the remote is enabled:

flatpak remotes --columns=name,options | grep -E '^flathub[[:space:]]'

flathub system

If Flathub appears in the list, retry the OBS Studio installation command.

Launch OBS Studio on Fedora Linux

Launch OBS Studio from the applications menu for normal recording and streaming work. Terminal launch commands are still useful when you need to confirm which install method is active.

Launch OBS Studio from Terminal

obs

For the Flatpak build, use the application ID:

flatpak run com.obsproject.Studio

Launch OBS Studio from Applications Menu

Open Activities and search for “OBS Studio,” then click the icon to launch. The Fedora RPM and Flathub build both export an OBS Studio desktop launcher, so use the terminal checks only when you need to troubleshoot a duplicate or missing entry.

During the initial run, the auto-configuration wizard can tune recording or streaming settings. Scenes group layouts, while sources add screen captures, cameras, windows, audio inputs, and media files.

OBS Studio First-Run Checklist (Quick Verification)

1. Add a scene and a source. Use Screen Capture (PipeWire) on Fedora GNOME Wayland sessions.
2. Start a short recording and confirm OBS saves a file to your Output path.
3. Check audio meters move for your microphone and desktop audio; adjust monitoring/output as needed.

Manage OBS Studio on Fedora Linux

Use the package manager matching your installation method to update or remove OBS Studio. RPM Fusion add-ons follow DNF updates with the Fedora package, while Flathub updates the Flatpak app and its runtime.

Update OBS Studio via DNF

To stay current, update all system packages (includes OBS Studio):

sudo dnf upgrade --refresh

Alternatively, update only the core Fedora OBS package:

sudo dnf upgrade obs-studio

A full sudo dnf upgrade --refresh also updates any installed RPM Fusion add-ons. Afterward, verify the version:

obs --version

OBS Studio - 32.1.1 (linux)

Update OBS Studio via Flatpak

Update all system-scope Flatpak applications, including OBS Studio:

sudo flatpak update

Alternatively, update only OBS Studio:

sudo flatpak update com.obsproject.Studio

Afterward, verify Flatpak version info:

flatpak info com.obsproject.Studio | grep -E "Version|Runtime|Branch"

      Branch: stable
     Version: 32.1.2
     Runtime: org.freedesktop.Platform/x86_64/25.08

To uninstall OBS Studio, use the package manager matching your installation method.

Remove OBS Studio via DNF

Close OBS first. If the virtual camera module is loaded, unload it before removing the packages:

if lsmod | grep -q '^v4l2loopback'; then
  sudo modprobe -r v4l2loopback || echo "Close apps using the OBS virtual camera, then retry"
fi

Then remove only the OBS and optional RPM Fusion packages present on your system:

mapfile -t installed < <(
  rpm -qa --qf '%{NAME}\n' |
    grep -E '^(obs-studio|obs-studio-plugin-x264|obs-studio-plugin-distroav|akmod-v4l2loopback|v4l2loopback)$|^kmod-v4l2loopback-' |
    sort -u
)

if ((${#installed[@]})); then
  sudo dnf remove "${installed[@]}"
else
  echo "No matching OBS RPM packages are installed"
fi

Preview autoremovable dependencies before deleting anything else:

sudo dnf autoremove --assumeno

If the preview lists only dependencies you no longer need, rerun the command without --assumeno. Then confirm removal succeeded with package-state checks before checking the launcher path:

rpm -q obs-studio obs-studio-plugin-x264 obs-studio-plugin-distroav akmod-v4l2loopback v4l2loopback || true
rpm -qa 'kmod-v4l2loopback-*' | grep . || echo "No v4l2loopback kernel module packages remain"
hash -r
command -v obs || echo "OBS launcher removed"

package obs-studio is not installed
package obs-studio-plugin-x264 is not installed
package obs-studio-plugin-distroav is not installed
package akmod-v4l2loopback is not installed
package v4l2loopback is not installed
No v4l2loopback kernel module packages remain
OBS launcher removed

If you enabled RPM Fusion only for OBS extras, leave it enabled when FFmpeg, NVIDIA drivers, Steam, codecs, or other RPM Fusion packages still use it. Otherwise, remove the RPM Fusion release packages:

repo_packages=(rpmfusion-free-release rpmfusion-nonfree-release)
repo_installed=()

for package in "${repo_packages[@]}"; do
  if rpm -q "$package" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
    repo_installed+=("$package")
  fi
done

if ((${#repo_installed[@]})); then
  sudo dnf remove "${repo_installed[@]}"
else
  echo "No RPM Fusion release packages are installed"
fi

Verify the RPM Fusion repositories are no longer enabled and no matching repo files remain:

dnf repo list --enabled 'rpmfusion-*' | grep -i '^rpmfusion' || echo "RPM Fusion repositories are not enabled"
find /etc/yum.repos.d -maxdepth 1 -type f \( -iname 'rpmfusion*.repo' -o -iname 'rpmfusion*.rpmsave' -o -iname 'rpmfusion*.rpmnew' \) | grep . || echo "No RPM Fusion repo files remain"

RPM Fusion repositories are not enabled
No RPM Fusion repo files remain

Use the RPM Fusion guide linked earlier for full repository trust cleanup. Do not remove RPM Fusion signing keys if another installed package still uses RPM Fusion.

Afterward, optionally remove user configuration:

These deletions permanently remove profiles, scene collections, custom docks, and cached data. Export scene collections and profiles first with Profile > Export and Scene Collection > Export. These commands do not remove recordings stored outside the default output directory, such as custom paths in Settings > Output.

rm -rf ~/.config/obs-studio
rm -rf ~/.cache/obs-studio

Remove OBS Studio via Flatpak

sudo flatpak remove com.obsproject.Studio

Then, verify removal:

flatpak info com.obsproject.Studio || echo "Flatpak removed"

error: com.obsproject.Studio not installed
Flatpak removed

If you also want to remove per-user Flatpak settings, delete the app data directory manually:

This deletion permanently removes OBS Studio profiles and local Flatpak app settings for your user account. It does not remove recordings stored in your custom output folders.

rm -rf ~/.var/app/com.obsproject.Studio

Troubleshoot OBS Studio on Fedora Linux

Fix OBS Wayland Screen Capture Blank Preview

Fedora Workstation defaults to Wayland for GNOME sessions, while X11 applications still run through XWayland. In OBS, use Screen Capture (PipeWire) on Wayland. Legacy Xcomposite and Display Capture sources target X11 and usually show a black preview on a Wayland desktop.

From the affected graphical session, confirm PipeWire, PipeWire PulseAudio compatibility, and WirePlumber are active:

systemctl --user is-active pipewire pipewire-pulse wireplumber

active
active
active

If portal components are missing, install the Fedora portal packages and restart the desktop session:

sudo dnf install xdg-desktop-portal xdg-desktop-portal-gnome

If capture fails after the portal check, inspect recent SELinux denials without disabling SELinux:

sudo ausearch -m avc -ts recent

<no matches>

Fix Missing OBS Audio Sources

If OBS shows no audio devices in the mixer, confirm the desktop session exposes PipeWire or PulseAudio-compatible sources:

pactl list short sources

Relevant output includes source names similar to these:

0  alsa_input.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-stereo
1  alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-stereo.monitor

If the list is empty, restart the user audio services and relaunch OBS:

systemctl --user restart pipewire pipewire-pulse wireplumber

Fix OBS Virtual Camera Not Appearing

If the Start Virtual Camera button is missing or fails, check whether the v4l2loopback module loaded:

lsmod | grep '^v4l2loopback'

No output means the module is not active. Build and load it again:

sudo akmods --force --kernels "$(uname -r)" --akmod v4l2loopback
sudo modprobe v4l2loopback exclusive_caps=1 card_label='OBS Virtual Camera'

Restart OBS after the module loads, then check the Controls panel again.

If Secure Boot blocks the module with a key-rejection error, sign and enroll the module or disable Secure Boot before retrying modprobe.

Check OBS Flatpak File Access

The current Flathub OBS metadata already grants broad host filesystem access. If a custom override or alternate build still blocks a recording folder, inspect the active overrides before adding more access:

flatpak override --user --show com.obsproject.Studio

To remove user overrides and return to the packaged permissions, reset the app override:

flatpak override --user --reset com.obsproject.Studio

Fix OBS Studio Not Launching

If OBS fails to launch, identify which installation method is present before reinstalling anything:

rpm -q obs-studio || echo "DNF package not installed"
flatpak info com.obsproject.Studio || echo "Flatpak app not installed"

For a DNF install, confirm the host launcher exists:

command -v obs
obs --version

For a Flatpak install, launch by app ID:

flatpak run com.obsproject.Studio

When both paths fail, reinstall the method you intend to keep and remove the other one so troubleshooting stays tied to one package source.

Conclusion

OBS Studio is now ready on Fedora Linux with either the Fedora RPM package or the OBS Project Flathub build, and you can layer optional RPM Fusion plugins when you need extra encoder or integration features. For the next step in your capture stack, see how to install FFmpeg on Fedora Linux, install VLC Media Player on Fedora Linux, and install HandBrake on Fedora Linux.