RPM Fusion is a repository of add-on packages for Fedora and EL+EPEL that a group of community volunteers maintains. RPM Fusion is not a standalone repository but an extension of Fedora’s default packages that could not be included due to Fedora being bound by the same legal restrictions as Red Hat.
The RPM Fusion repository comes in two flavors, Free and Non-Free. The free repository contains a free version of the open source and non-free, which mostly have almost all free software but are closed source and mainly proprietary.
The following tutorial will teach you how to install RPM Fusion on your Fedora Linux workstation or server to install additional open-source or proprietary packages, along with examples of using RPM in the command line terminal. For the long term, you can also search the RPM Fusion repository database for packages by visiting here.
Table of Contents
Recommended Steps Before Installation
Before you continue, your system is advised to ensure all existing packages are up to date to avoid system conflicts during the installation and good system maintenance.
sudo dnf upgrade --refreshCheck for RPM Fusion on Fedora Linux
The first task is to check if RPM Fusion repositories are already enabled. When installing Fedora, you did have the option to set up third-party repositories.
Open your terminal, and use the following grep command, which will print out any hits from your dnf repo list.
dnf repolist | grep rpmfusionIf you do not have any RPM Fusion repositories in your dnf repo list, the result will come back with nothing. If this is the case, proceed to the next part of the tutorial.
Install RPM Fusion Repositories on Fedora Linux
You will execute the following commands to install the RPM Fusion repo’s in your terminal.
Note, if you an open-source fan, only install the free repository. For all other users, install both.
Install/Enable the Free Repository
sudo dnf install https://download1.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpmInstall/Enable the Non-Free Repository
sudo dnf install https://download1.rpmfusion.org/nonfree/fedora/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpmNext, verify the installation.
dnf repolist | grep rpmfusionOptional. Enable RPM Fusion Testing Updates
For users that may require the latest bleeding-edge updates, such as the newest beta or new release NVIDIA Drivers, enabling the RPM Fusion Testing Branch can be helpful but keep in mind the packages may be unstable; please use them with caution.
Enable the Free Testing Updates Repository
sudo dnf config-manager --set-enabled rpmfusion-free-updates-testingEnable the Non-Free Testing Updates Repository
sudo dnf config-manager --set-enabled rpmfusion-nonfree-updates-testingCheck to see if the testing RPM fusions have been added.
dnf repolist | grep rpmfusionExample output:
RPM Fusion Command Examples on Fedora Linux
Search for Packages
Many popular applications that do not come in Fedora’s default repository, such as Discord or Telegram, can now be installed.
Install Discord Example:
sudo dnf install discordInstall Telegram Example:
sudo dnf install telegramTo search for packages to see if they are available using the DNF package manager, which RPM Fusion is now a part of, use the dnf search command.
sudo dnf search discordExample output:
Additionally, installing the dnf-utilities package can yield better results.
sudo dnf install dnf-utilsThen use the repo query command. The example will continue to use Discord.
sudo repoquery -i discordExample output:
As you can see, the Discord package is coming from the RPM Fusion Non-Free repository. Ideally, you can use the dnf search and check with the dnf repoquery command to investigate any package that utilizes the dnf package manager.
Install RPM Fusion AppStream Meta Data
The RPM Fusion repository provides packages for GNOME and KDE Discover.
sudo dnf groupupdate coreInstall 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-pluginInstall sound and video packages required by some applications:
sudo dnf groupupdate sound-and-videoInstall Tainted RPM Fusion Repositories on Fedora Linux
RPM Fusion has what is known as “tainted” repositories for free and non-free. These repositories contain illegal software in certain countries, such as playing DVDs with libdvdcss.
Install Taint RPM Fusion Free support (For Floss Packages) and libdvdcss:
sudo dnf install rpmfusion-free-release-taintedNow, with tainted, it is possible to install such packages as libdvdcss.
sudo dnf install libdvdcssInstall Taint RPM Fusion Non-Free support (For Non-Floss Packages)
sudo dnf install rpmfusion-nonfree-release-taintedExample of installing additional tainted proprietary support packages.
sudo dnf install \*-firmwareOnce done, use the grep command to check the dnf repolist of all the RPM Fusions installed.
dnf repolist | grep rpmfusionExample 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.
Disable RPM Fusion Testing Updates on Fedora Linux
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-testingDisable the Non-Free Testing Updates Repository
sudo dnf config-manager --set-disabled rpmfusion-nonfree-updates-testingRemove RPM Fusion Repositories on Fedora Linux
Removing the repositories from your Fedora 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-releaseRemove the Non-Free Repository
sudo dnf remove rpmfusion-nonfree-releaseRemove the Free (Tainted) Repository
sudo dnf remove rpmfusion-free-release-taintedRemove the Non-Free (Tainted) Repository
sudo dnf remove rpmfusion-nonfree-release-tainted To re-install the Fusion drive, repeat the process at the start of the tutorial.
