Software Management on Fedora Desktop

Discover how to install, update, and manage software with ease

Managing Software on Fedora Desktop Fedora Icon

Fedora Desktop provides several ways to manage software. We'll cover both graphical and command-line methods.

Graphical Methods

1. GNOME Software

GNOME Software is a user-friendly application store for Fedora Desktop. To use it:

  1. 1 Open GNOME Software from the Activities overview
  2. 2 Browse or search for the software you want
  3. 3 Click on the application and then click "Install"

2. Software Updates

To keep your system and installed software up to date:

  1. 1 Open Software from the Activities overview
  2. 2 Click on the Updates tab
  3. 3 Click "Download" to fetch the updates
  4. 4 Click "Restart & Install" to apply the updates

Command-line Methods

Using DNF (Dandified Yum)

DNF is a powerful command-line tool for managing software. Here are some basic commands:

sudo dnf update

Update the package list and upgrade all installed packages

sudo dnf install [package-name]

Install a package

sudo dnf remove [package-name]

Remove a package

dnf search [keyword]

Search for packages

dnf info [package-name]

Show package details

Remember to use sudo for commands that require administrative privileges.

Software Repositories

Fedora uses software repositories to distribute and update software. The main types are:

•
Fedora Repository: Official Fedora packages
•
RPM Fusion: Additional free and non-free software
•
COPR: Community projects and third-party repositories

You can manage repositories using the dnf config-manager command or by editing files in the /etc/yum.repos.d/ directory.

Flatpak and Snap

Fedora Desktop also supports alternative package formats:

•
Flatpak: A universal package format that runs in a sandbox. Flatpak applications can be installed from GNOME Software or using the flatpak command.
•
Snap: Another universal package format. While not enabled by default in Fedora, you can install the Snap daemon if you want to use Snap packages.

Tips for Software Management

1 Regularly update your system to get the latest features and security patches.
2 Be cautious when adding third-party repositories or COPR projects.
3 If you're unsure about a package, research it before installing.
4 Use sudo dnf autoremove to clean up unused dependencies.