Fedora 42 ships with GNOME 48, Linux kernel 6.14, and DNF5 as the default package manager. The Workstation edition targets developers and desktop users who want a polished GNOME experience with access to the latest open-source software. This guide covers the essential post-install steps to get Fedora 42 ready for daily use – from system updates and multimedia codecs to development tools and gaming.
Every step below applies to a fresh Fedora 42 Workstation install running GNOME on Wayland. Most commands also work on Fedora 42 Spins (KDE, Xfce, etc.) with minor adjustments.
1. Update the System with DNF5
Fedora 42 uses DNF5 as the default package manager, replacing the older DNF4. Run a full system update before making any other changes. This pulls in the latest security patches, bug fixes, and kernel updates available since the release ISO was built.
$ sudo dnf5 upgrade --refreshReboot after the update finishes, especially if a new kernel was installed.
$ sudo rebootAfter rebooting, verify the running kernel version.
$ uname -r2. Enable RPM Fusion Repositories
Fedora’s default repos exclude proprietary software and some patent-encumbered codecs. RPM Fusion fills that gap with two repositories – Free (open-source software that Fedora excludes for other reasons) and Nonfree (proprietary drivers, codecs, and applications). Install both.
$ sudo dnf5 install \
https://mirrors.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm \
https://mirrors.rpmfusion.org/nonfree/fedora/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpmConfirm the repos are active.
$ dnf5 repolist | grep rpmfusion
rpmfusion-free RPM Fusion for Fedora 42 - Free
rpmfusion-free-updates RPM Fusion for Fedora 42 - Free - Updates
rpmfusion-nonfree RPM Fusion for Fedora 42 - Nonfree
rpmfusion-nonfree-updates RPM Fusion for Fedora 42 - Nonfree - UpdatesUpdate the AppStream metadata so GNOME Software can show RPM Fusion packages.
$ sudo dnf5 group update core3. Install Multimedia Codecs
A fresh Fedora 42 install cannot play MP3, H.264, H.265, or AAC media out of the box. With RPM Fusion enabled, install the full codec stack.
$ sudo dnf5 swap ffmpeg-free ffmpeg --allowerasingInstall additional GStreamer plugins for broader format support.
$ sudo dnf5 install gstreamer1-plugins-bad-free gstreamer1-plugins-bad-freeworld \
gstreamer1-plugins-ugly gstreamer1-plugin-libavFor hardware-accelerated video decoding (VA-API), install the appropriate driver for your GPU.
# Intel (recent integrated GPUs)
$ sudo dnf5 install intel-media-driver
# AMD
$ sudo dnf5 install libva-mesa-driver mesa-va-drivers-freeworldVerify codec availability by playing a test file with ffmpeg.
$ ffmpeg -codecs 2>/dev/null | grep -E "h264|hevc|aac"4. Set Up Flathub for Flatpak Apps
Fedora 42 includes Flatpak support by default, but only the filtered Fedora Flatpak remote is configured. Add the full Flathub repository to access thousands of additional applications.
$ flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepoIf Fedora’s filtered Flathub is already present, remove it first and add the unfiltered version.
$ flatpak remote-delete fedora-flathub --force 2>/dev/null
$ flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepoVerify flathub appears in the remote list.
$ flatpak remotes
Name Options
flathub systemRestart GNOME Software or reboot, and Flathub apps will appear alongside Fedora packages in the Software Center.
5. Install NVIDIA Proprietary Drivers
NVIDIA GPUs on Fedora use the open-source nouveau driver by default, which lacks proper 3D acceleration and power management. With RPM Fusion Nonfree enabled, install the proprietary NVIDIA driver.
$ sudo dnf5 install akmod-nvidia xorg-x11-drv-nvidia-cudaWait for the kernel module to finish building. This takes 3-5 minutes on most hardware. Check the build status before rebooting.
