Fedora Software Repositories

The Fedora Linux distribution provides a comprehensive selection of software, ranging from office and multimedia applications to Internet servers and administration services. The complete set is available on the Fedora repository. During installation, DNF is configured on your system, to access the Fedora repository. Some third-party applications with licensing issues are not included, though Fedora-compliant versions are provided on associated software repositories.

For Fedora, you can update to the latest software from the Fedora DNF repository using GNOME Software or PackageKit's Package Updater. They are already configured to access the Fedora repositories.

RPM Fusion

Due to licensing restrictions, multimedia support for popular operations such as MP3, DVD, and DivX is not included with Fedora distributions. The Fedora Project associated site, RPM Fusion ( https://rpmfusion.org ), does provide support for these functions. Here, you can download support for MP3, DVD, and DivX software. This repository integrates support previously provided by Livna, Freshrpms, and Dribble. Fedora does include the generic X.​org NVIDIA drivers, which will provide all the capabilities most people need. You do not have to use the NVIDIA proprietary drivers.

The Fedora-compliant repositories, such as RPM Fusion, will have Fedora-compliant DNF configuration files that you can download and install as an RPM package. You can then use the GNOME Software, PackageKit (Packages), DnfDragora, or the dnf command to select, download, and install software from the associated repository directly.

Adobe and Livna

Two smaller additional third-party repositories are often configured for desktop users: the Adobe repository and the Livna repository. The Adobe repository holds packages for the Linux version of the Adobe Flash software. (Two alternative Flash-compatible open source versions are already available, swfdec and gnash.) The Livna repository provides the commercial DVD video codec, libdvdcss. The repository contains only this one package. If you want to play commercial DVD video disks, you have to configure access to this repository so that you can install the codec.

Third-Party Linux Software Archives

Though almost all applications should be included in the Fedora software repository or its associated repositories, such as https://rpmfusion.org , you could download and install software from third-party software archives. Always check to see if the software you want is already in the Fedora or Fedora-associated repositories. If it is not available, you can download it from a third-party online site.

Updating Fedora with GNOME Software Update

GNOME Software is the primary update tool for Fedora . You can view updates by using the Updates tab on GNOME Software (see Figure 4-2). The tab will display the number of updates. Clicking an update opens a dialog showing information about the update. Some entries, such as OS Updates, will have several packages that have to be updated (see Figure 4-3). When you are ready, click the Restart & Update button on the header bar to shut down your system and install the updates as it restarts.

Updating Fedora with Package Updater (PackageKit)

If you install PackageKit (Packages), the Package Updater package will also have been installed. You can, if you wish, use it to update your system, instead of using GNOME Software. You can open Package Updater from the Applications overview. Package Updater displays the Package Updater dialog showing your updates (see Figure 4-4).

The number of updates is shown at the top, along with Install Updates button on the right side of the title bar. To perform the updates, click the Install Updates button. If you want to review the updates and perhaps deselect certain updates, you scroll through the list of updates, selecting the ones you want more information on. All needed updates are selected automatically when Software Update starts up. The check boxes for each entry let you deselect particular packages you may not want to update. At the bottom of the dialog is an expandable entry name Details. This entry becomes active when you select a package. Expanding the Details entry display information about this package's update. The displayed information includes features such as the version and repository.

Click the Install Updates button to start updating. During the update, a status message is displayed at the bottom of the dialog for the different update stages along with a progress bar.

Update with the dnf Command

Automatic DNF Updates with dnf-automatic

Configuration for dnf-automatic is held in the /etc/dnf/automatic.conf file. The default entries for updates, download_updates and apply_updates, are overridden by the timer you have enabled. You can customize other entries such as those for email. Check the man page for dnf.automatic for configuration details.

Managing Software with DNF

Downloading Fedora software or software from any Fedora repository is a simple matter of using the Dandified YUM (DNF) package manager ( http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Features/DNF ). DNF uses many of the same commands and options as YUM, which it replaces. GNOME Software and Packages (PackageKit) provide desktop interfaces for the DNF package manager.

GNOME Software (Software)

GNOME Software is the GNOME software management frontend for DNF. It is designed to be a cross-distribution package manager that can be used on any DNF-supported Linux distribution. GNOME Software performs a variety of different software tasks, including installation, removal, updating of software, as well as the management of system add-ons such as codecs, fonts, drivers, and desktop (shell) extensions. See https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Changes/AppInstaller for more information.

GNOME Software is currently designed to install client and system applications. It does not install server software, such as the DNS name server or the Apache Web server. It also does not install many of the older system configuration tools, such as system-config-samba. To manage such software, you will have to install using the dnf command in a terminal.

To use GNOME Software, click the Software icon on the Activities dash or on the Applications overview. GNOME Software will start up by gathering information on all your packages. A window opens with three tabs at the top, for All, Installed, and Updates. You can install applications from the All tab which displays a collection of category buttons, a search button on the title bar you can click to display a search box, and several sets of picks to choose from (Editor, Recent Releases, Recommended Games, and Recommended Productivity Applications) (see Figure 4-5).

The category buttons are Audio & Video, Games, Communication & News, Graphics & Photography, Productivity, and Add-ons. Click on any category button to open a dialog with subcategories. The Add-ons category covers enhancements to your desktop, such as codecs, fonts, drivers, and desktop (shell) extensions.

Categories allow you to further filter the selection using a Show menu. The Graphics & Photography category has filters such as Vector Graphics, Scanning, and Photography (Figure 4-6). A Sort menu lets you also sort items by name or rating. The software in each category is listed as icons. A few featured packages are listed at the top. Packages already installed have a checkmark on a packet emblem displayed in the upper-right corner of the package icon.

Click a software icon to open its description page , which provides a brief description of the software and a link to its related website (see Figure 4-7). Uninstalled software displays an Install button below the software's name, and installed software shows a Remove button. To the right of the name is a star rating with the number of reviews.

Click the Install button to install the software . As the software is installed, an Installing progress bar appears (see Figure 4-8). When it’s complete, the Launch and Remove buttons are displayed below the name. You can use these to start or uninstall the software.

You can also search for a package using the search box on the All tab. Enter part of the name or a term to describe the package (see Figure 4-9). Results are listed, showing an icon, name, and description. Click on an entry to open its description page where you can perform possible actions such as install, remove, or launch.

The Installed tab lists your installed software (see Figure 4-10). If the applications are located on the overview within a folder, that folder name is listed under the application name. The applications are organized into three sections: Applications, System Applications, and Add-ons. To remove an application, click its Remove button. You can also use the Installed tab to organize the applications overview, creating new category folders on the overview or moving applications into existing folders. Click on the check box at the right on the title bar on the Installed tab. Round check boxes will appear to the left of each software entry, which you can click to select that application (see Figure 4-11). Three buttons are listed at the bottom of the window, labeled Add to Folder, Move to Folder, and Remove from Folder. When you select an item, the possible buttons become active. Initially, most applications are not in folders, so when you select and application, only the Add to Folder button becomes active. Clicking on it opens an Add to Applications Folder dialog, which lists possible folder to move the application to. Clicking on the plus icon below the list opens a dialog where you can create a new folder with a name of your choosing. Click the Cancel button at the top right when you are finished. This feature lets you organize your Applications Overview using folders of your choosing.

Using the Add-ons category, you can easily manage your fonts, graphics drivers, multimedia codecs, and any additional third-party apps or features you want installed on your system. Clicking on the Add-ons category on the All tab opens the Add-ons dialog with tabs for Codecs, Fonts, Hardware Drivers, Input Sources , Localization, and Shell Extensions (see Figure 4-12). Installed software will show an emblem with a checkmark in the top-right corner of their icons. To install or remove an add-on, click on its icon to open a description dialog. Installed add-ons will show a Remove button, and uninstalled ones will show an Install button.

The Shell Extensions tab shows extensions you can add to your desktop (see Figure 4-13). You are warned to install them at your own risk. Clicking on the Shell Extensions button allows you to turn on support for application indicators on the top bar. The button then becomes an Extension Settings button, which you can use to display the extensions you have installed and turn them on or off (see Figure 4-14).

Many of the shell extensions are designed to operate as indicators on the top bar. Others add features to the desktop, such as Dash to Dock, which adds a dash-like dock to the main screen, letting you start favorite applications directly from the desktop. Keep in mind that the extensions are not guaranteed to work. Some extensions are already installed but not turned on, such as the Applications menu, which can add the GNOME Classic applications menu to the top bar in place of the Activities button. Some of the extensions will have a configuration button you can click to display features you can set such as that for the Background Logo, which sets the position, size, opacity, and border of the Fedora logo on your desktop (see Figure 4-15). You can even change the logo. To remove the logo, just turn off the extension.

PackageKit (Packages)

To use PackageKit, click the Packages icon on the Applications overview. PackageKit will start up by gathering information on all your packages. A Software window opens with a search box at the top and packages listed below (see Figure 4-16). Before you install any packages, it is advisable to first refresh your software lists. This is a listing of software packages available on your enabled repositories. Select Refresh Package Lists from the PackageKit applications menu.

Search for packages by entering the package name or descriptive term in the search box. Packages searches package descriptions, not just the filename. Uninstalled packages have faded package icons with an empty check box, and installed packages have a solid color with a checkmark in the check box.

To access information about a particular package, select it. A pane then opens at the bottom and displays a description of the software and a button bar to the right, with buttons to install the package (or remove if already installed),for the software’s website (Homepage), and a list of installed files (Files). The Homepage button opens your browser to the package home page where you can find more detailed information about it. The Files button opens a window that lists all the files the package installs. This can be helpful for tracking down the command names and location of the configuration files.

To install a package, first click its check box (see Figure 4-17). The box is checked, and a plus sign (+) appears on the package icon. You can click several packages to select them for installation. Once you are ready to install, click the Apply Changes button (upper right). A progress bar will show the install task’s progress. The PackageKit task messages are displayed at the top-center on the title bar. During the download phase, a Cancel button is displayed on the left side of the title bar, letting you cancel the install. Once the package is installed, the package icon color will change from faded to a solid color, and a checkmark will be displayed in its check box. If dependent or additional packages are required by the software you want to install, these are listed, and you are prompted to confirm their installation. Click Continue.

If you choose to remove an installed package, click its check box. The check box becomes empty, and a wastebasket image is displayed on the package icon. Then click Apply Changes to uninstall. Once the package is removed, the package icon color becomes faded. You could also just select it and click the Remove button in its description.

Instead of showing all your available packages, both installed and uninstalled, you can filter the package listings. Two filter options are available from the PackageKit GNOME applications menu. You can filter by newest versions and native packages. Native packages are those for your system architecture, such as 64-bit (x86_64) or 32-bit (i686).

Managing Repositories

DNF is the primary package-management tool . When you install a package, DNF is invoked and automatically selects and downloads the package from the appropriate repository. After having installed your system, when you then want to install additional packages, GNOME Software and Packages will use DNF to install from a repository. This will include all active DNF online repositories you have configured, such as sites like https://rpmfusion.org , not just the Fedora and update repositories configured during installation. You can manage your repositories, enabling or disabling them, with GNOME Software, Packages, DnfDragora, and the dnf command.

You can enable or disable your configured DNF repositories using GNOME Software's Software Repositories dialog (choose Software Repositories from the GNOME Software application's menu). From the Software GNOME application’s menu, select Software Sources. Click the Software Sources tab to see a list of your configured repositories (see Figure 4-18).

The repositories listed have DNF configuration files in the /etc/yum.repos.d directory, holding information such as URLs, GPG keys , and descriptions. The Fedora repository names include the release number and the platform, such as x86_64 for the 64-bit version. Fedora and Fedora Update repositories will be enabled. If you want to see the package from just one repository, you can deactivate the others. For example, if you wanted to see only the RPM Fusion repository, you could deactivate all others, including Fedora. You can reactivate the other repositories later.

On GNOME Software's Software Sources dialog, all configured repositories are listed along with their status, disabled or enabled. To enable a disabled repository, click on its entry to display an Enable button, which you can click to enable the repository. For enabled repositories, a Disable button is shown, when their entry is clicked. Also, when you click a repository entry, the URL of its repository is displayed.

Repositories also have specialized repositories for development, debugging, and source code files. Here you find applications under development that may be useful, as well as the latest revisions. Some will have testing repositories for applications not yet completely validated for the current release. These applications might not work well. Source, Test, and Debug repositories will normally be disabled. Test is the development repository for a future release currently under development. The source repositories hold source code packages.

Fedora Linux designated certain repositories as third-party repositories, as listed at:

https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Workstation/Third_Party_Software_Repositories

These include PyCharm (Python development environment), Google Chrome, the RPM Fusion NVIDIA graphics driver repository, and the RPM Fusion Steam client repository. When you first start GNOME Software, a notice asks you if you want to enable these repositories, as shown here.

A Third Party Repositories section for those repositories is displayed at the top of the Software Repositories dialog. A Third Party Repositories noticeg at the top of the dialog has a Remove All button (see Figure 4-19), which you can click to remove these repositories, including their configuration files from /etc/yum.repos.d. Upon removal, the button becomes an Install button, which you can use to restore these repositories. The Remove and Install actions only affect these repositories, not any other third-party repositories you may have installed, such as Livna and the free and non-free RPM Fusion repositories.

Using the Package's Package Sources dialog (choose Package Sources from the Packages application's menu), you can also enable and disable repositories (see Figure 4-20). Enabled repositories are checked. You can disable a repository by unchecking it. A check box at the bottom of the dialog lets you hide debug and development repositories, showing just the main repositories.

To remove a repository, use the dnf remove command. This is a permanent removal.

Multimedia Packages

For your third-party packages, you can use RPM Fusion, which carries collections of multimedia packages, including GStreamer and MPlayer. DVD/MPEG video players you might want include Xine, MPlayer, and VideoLAN. All support DVD, DVB, HDTV, H264, and MP3, provided the needed codecs are installed.

Many of the following packages are automatically selected and installed for you as dependents when you install MPlayer . It may be simpler to just install one of these, rather than try to install all the added packages separately.

The Win32 codecs are not available on the Fedora repositories. Keep in mind that wmv files and Win32 codecs are already supported by the ffmpeg Linux codecs and will play on Totem and Dragon Player. You can download the Win32 codecs separately from the MPlayer website ( www.mplayerhq.hu/MPlayer/releases/codecs ).

Vendor Video Driver Support

You can obtain the NVIDIA vendor graphics drivers from RPM Fusion (the non-free repository). You can download and install them with DNF. RPM Fusion is the best repository for specialized kernel drivers and modules. Keep in mind, however, that due to open sourcing of some of the NVIDIA vendor driver software, the X.​org and Nouveau open source versions are becoming almost as effective, especially for 2D display support. For normal usage, you might not need vendor driver support.

Installing the NVIDIA drivers can be a complex operation depending on what graphics card you have. The drivers are located on the RPM Fusion repository, not on Fedora. Check the RPM Fusion site for instructions on installing the NVIDIA drivers.

https://rpmfusion.org/Howto/Nvidia

You can also install the drivers using GNOME Software's Add-ons Hardware Drivers tab (see Figure 4-26). Be sure that third-party repositories are enabled (Software Repositories dialog). Click on the driver you have determined that you need, such as the NVIDIA driver. This opens a GNOME Software software description dialog with an Install button and a description of the software including its version, its repository, and whether it is proprietary or free (License). Once you have installed the driver, the Install button changes to a Remove button. On the Hardware Drivers tab, a checkmark emblem appears on the upper-right corner of the driver icon, indicating that it is installed.

Repository Repo Package Files

When you are installing packages, PackageKit , Yumex, and the dnf command automatically use the repo files to check your enabled repositories. One important exception to this rule is the initial install of the repository configuration files from third-party repositories. These configuration files (repo files) are usually contained in their own RPM packages. You download and install a repo package directly from the repository website, using your web browser. For example, the repo package for the RPM Fusion third-party Fedora DNF repository is rpmfusion-free-release-28.noarch.rpm. You download and install this package directly, using a web browser. Repository configuration files are located in the /etc/yum.repos.d directory and have the extension .repo.

Fedora Repository

The Fedora repository is already configured for use by DNF. To download any Fedora package, simply use GNOME Software, Packages, or enter the dnf command with the install option on a command line. The package will be detected, along with any dependent software, and you will be asked to confirm installation. The download and installation will be automatic. The first time you install a package from the Fedora repository, you are prompted to install the Fedora GPG key, used to authenticate the packages. Just click Yes to install the key.

RPM Fusion

The https://rpmfusion.org site provides access to popular software for many software applications, including multimedia applications such as MPlayer, as well as those not included with Fedora, due to licensing issues. Several of the more popular packages include the vendor NVIDIA graphics drivers (when available). RPM Fusion specializes in configuring sometimes difficult drivers for compatibility with Fedora. For example, you can download the NVIDIA Linux driver directly from the NVIDIA website and try to install it on your Fedora system. But there can be complications, and the driver could require additional configuration. As an alternative, RPM Fusion provides a version of the driver that has already been configured for Fedora.

To configure DNF on your system to access https://rpmfusion.org , just install the rpmfusion-free-release and rpmfusion-nonfree-release packages for your version of Fedora. These will install the rpmfusion-free.repo and rpmfusion-nonfree.repo configuration files in the /etc/yum.repos.d directory, as well as download the RPM Fusion GPG key. You can install the GPG manually or just wait until you install a package from RPM Fusion, in which case, DNF will install it for you, after prompting for approval. Check the RPM Fusion configuration page at http://rpmfusion.org for details. The name of the package will be something like rpmfusion-free-release.

You can download and install the package directly with the rpm command from within a terminal window. Use a preceding sudo command for administrative access. The RPM Fusion site’s configuration page provides a detailed example.

The GPG keys are included in the packages and installed automatically in the /etc/pki/rpm-gpg directory. They are named RPM-GPG-Key-rpmfusion-free-fedora and RPM-GPG-Key-rpmfusion-nonfree-fedora.

To see which packages are available on RPM Fusion, use your web browser to go to https://download1.rpmfusion.org . Here, you will find a listing of directories for each supported release. After selecting your release directory, you then choose your architecture, such as i386 (32-bit) or x86_64 (64-bit). Here, you will see a simple file listing of all available packages. Alternatively, on PackageKit, you could deselect all software sources except RPM Fusion, so that only the RPM Fusion packages are listed in the Software window.

Livna (dvdcss)

Adobe (Flash)

The Adobe repository provides access to the Adobe proprietary version of the Adobe Flash player for Linux. Adobe provides 32- and 64-bit software. The Fedora project Flash wiki explains the procedure in detail (see https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Flash ).

First, download the RPM package for the repository configuration. Select YUM for Linux.

https://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/

Software Sources will list the repository as Adobe Systems Incorporated. You can then use GNOME Software and Packages to search for Flash and select the Flash package for installation. The Flash plugin package is flash-plugin and has the title “Adobe Flash Player”.

The first time you install any package from the Adobe repository, you will be prompted to install its package key. A dialog will be displayed with the message “Do You Trust the Source of the Packages?”. Click Yes to install the Adobe repository package key.

Restart Firefox to enable your Flash plugin. On the Tools ➤ Add-ons Plug-ins tab, you will find an entry for Flash.

Google

For Linux-compatible Google applications , you should configure access to the Google repository, which allows you to install applications such as Picasa from PackageKit. Google installs a separate repository file for each major application. Google Chrome has a google-chrome.repo file, and Google Earth has a google-earth.repo file. The signing key is installed automatically. Follow the instructions for the RPM at: https://www.google.com/linuxrepositories/ .

/etc/dnf/dnf.conf

gpgcheck is a repository option that is set globally for the repo files. It checks for GPG software signatures. The installonly_limit option limits the number of packages that can be installed concurrently. The clean_requirements_on_remove option checks for and removes unused dependent packages (packages installed only as dependencies).

There are also general DNF options, such as logdir, which lists the location of DNF logs, and pluginspath, which specifies the location of DNF plugins. You can elect to keep the downloaded packages with keepcache.

Repository Files: /etc/yum.repos.d

The repository entries in the repo files begin with a bracket-enclosed server ID, a single-word unique name. Repository-specific options govern the access of software repositories. These include gpgcheck, which checks for GPG software signatures; gpgkey, which specifies the location of the signature; metalink, which references fast links from a mirror list; and mirrorlist, which references a URL holding mirror sites. The repository-specific name option provides a name for the repository. The URL reference is then assigned to the baseurl option. There should be only one baseurl option, but you can list several URLs for it, each on its own line. With the mirrorlist option, you can just list a URL for a list of mirrors, instead of listing each mirror separately in the baseurl option. The URL entries often use special variables, releasever and basearch. The releasever obtains the release information from the distroverpkg option set in the main segment. The basearch variable specifies the architecture you are using, as determined by DNF, such as i386. The enabled option actually turns on access to the repository. By setting it to 0, you choose not to access a specific repository. The gpgcheck option specifies that you should perform a GPG authentication check to make sure the download is intact. The enabled option will enable a repository, allowing DNF to use it. You can set the enable bit to 0 or 1 to turn off or on access to the repository.

The gpgkey option provides an authentication check on the package to make sure you have downloaded the appropriate version. Downloads can sometimes be intercepted and viruses inserted. The GPG key check protects against such attacks. It can also check to make sure the download is not corrupt or incomplete. The Fedora public GPG key may already be installed on your system. If you have already used DNF, you have already downloaded it. The Fedora GPG key allows you to access Fedora packages. The RPM Fusion free and non-free repositories use their own public keys, referenced with the gpgkey option in their repos files. The keys for all these repositories will be installed in the /etc/pki/rpmgpg directory.

Package Security Check

DNF automatically performs integrity and authentication checks on all software downloaded from Fedora-compliant repositories, confirming that the package was obtained from a valid source, and that it has not been modified. Each repository configuration file in the /etc/yum.repos.d directory will have its gpgcheck option set to 1. Should you want to turn off this check for a particular repository, you can set its gpgcheck option to 0.

For packages not downloaded from a DNF repository, you may want to manually check their integrity and authentication. To authenticate a package, you check its digital signature. Packages are signed with encrypted digital keys that can be decrypted using the public key provided by the author of the package. This public key has to be downloaded and installed on the encryption tool used on your system. Fedora, along with most Linux distributions, uses the GNU Privacy Guard (GPG) encryption tool. To use a public key to authenticate an RPM package, you first must install it in the RPM key database. For all RPM packages that are part of the Fedora distribution, you can use the Fedora public key, placed during installation in the /etc/pki/rpm-gpg/ directory. Here, you will find the RPM GPG keys for all your configured repositories, including RPM Fusion.

The Fedora key is RPM-GPG-KEY-fedora-28-primary. Several keys are links to this key, such as RPM-GPG-KEY-28-fedora and RPM-GPG-KEY-fedora-28-x86_64. The RPM Fusion keys will have the same structure, with a primary key, such as RPM-GPG-KEY-rpmfusion-free-fedora-28-primary, and links to it, such as RPM-GPG-KEY-rpmfusion-free-fedora-28.

If you have downloaded an RPM package from another site, you can also download and install its public key, with which you can authenticate that package. For example, there are public keys for both the RPM Fusion free and non-free Fedora DNF repositories. These are included in the RPM Fusion DNF configuration files, which you can download and install, such as rpmfusion-free-release-28.noarch.rpm for RPM Fusion repositories. The keys will be automatically installed with the configuration.

Extracting the Archive: Archive Manager (File Roller)

From the desktop, you can extract compressed archives with Archive Manager. Archive Manager is the Fileroller application. Archive Manager displays the top-level contents of the archive, which you can browse if you want, even reading such text files as README and INSTALL. You also can see which files will be installed. To extract the archive, click Extract.

Configure, Compile, and Install

Extracting the archive creates a directory with the name of the software , in this case, freeciv-2.3.4. Once it is extracted, you must configure, compile, and install the software, using command-line commands (terminal window).