Installing Software from Language Package Managers

Rowan Puttergill, Fedora Documentation Team Version F42 and newer Last review: 2026-05-08
Many programming language ecosystems include their own package managers for installing libraries and tools. This page explains how to use common language package managers on Fedora, and the important differences between them and DNF.

What are language package managers

Language package managers install software published within a specific programming language ecosystem. For example, you can install Python libraries and some Python applications by using tools such as pip. You can also install many JavaScript based applications by using tools such as npm. These tools operate independently and install packages outside of Fedora’s package management system.

Before using a language package manager, check whether the package you need is already available in the Fedora repositories. Many popular libraries are packaged for Fedora and can be installed with DNF:

$ dnf search package_name

Installing from Fedora repositories is preferred because those packages receive security updates through the normal Fedora update process and are tested for compatibility with your system.

Language package managers bypass DNF, which means:

  • Packages installed this way are invisible to DNF and do not receive updates through dnf upgrade

  • Packages might conflict with system packages if installed globally

  • Security updates must be managed separately, using the language package manager itself

  • Removing packages requires the language package manager, not DNF

  • Sources are not vetted by Fedora maintainers, so there is a higher risk of installing malicious or unmaintained software

For these reasons, install language packages at the user level or in isolated environments wherever possible, rather than system-wide.

Python - pip

Python’s package manager is pip. Many Python packages are available in Fedora repositories as python3-packagename and should be installed that way when possible.

Installing pip

pip is included with Python, which is pre-installed on Fedora. If pip is missing:

$ sudo dnf install python3-pip

Using virtual environments

Always use a virtual environment to isolate pip-installed packages from the system Python installation. Installing pip packages globally can conflict with system Python libraries and break system tools.

Create and activate a virtual environment:

$ python3 -m venv myenv
$ source myenv/bin/activate

Install a package inside the virtual environment:

$ pip install package_name

Deactivate the virtual environment when finished:

$ deactivate

Updating pip packages

Update all packages inside an active virtual environment:

$ pip install --upgrade package_name

Alternative Python package managers

You can use other Python package managers that create isolated environments, such as:

  • pipx - installs and manages Python command-line tools in isolated environments

  • uv - a modern Python package manager and environment manager that improves on pip and virtualenv

These tools can be installed either from Fedora repositories or by using pip.

For example, to install pipx, run:

$ sudo dnf install pipx

Or, to install uv, run:

$ sudo dnf install python3-uv

Node.js - npm

npm is the package manager for the Node.js ecosystem.

Installing Node.js and npm

Install Node.js and npm from the Fedora repositories:

$ sudo dnf install nodejs npm

Installing packages

Install a package locally for a specific project (recommended):

$ npm install package_name

Install a package globally to make a command-line tool available system-wide:

$ npm install -g package_name
Global npm installs may require elevated permissions depending on how Node.js was installed. To avoid permission issues, consider using a Node.js version manager such as nvm.

Updating npm packages

Update packages in the current project:

$ npm update

Rust - Cargo

Cargo is Rust’s package manager and build system. Cargo compiles packages from source, so builds can take some time.

Installing Rust and Cargo

Install Rust and Cargo from the Fedora repositories:

$ sudo dnf install rust cargo

Alternatively, use the official Rust toolchain installer rustup for more control over Rust versions.

Installing packages

Install a Rust package (called a "crate") and make it available as a command-line tool:

$ cargo install crate_name

Cargo installs binaries to ~/.cargo/bin/ by default. Ensure this directory is in your PATH.

Updating installed crates

$ cargo install --force crate_name

Ruby - gem

gem is Ruby’s package manager for installing Ruby libraries and tools (called "gems"). Many Ruby gems are available in the Fedora repositories as rubygem-packagename and should be installed that way when possible.

Installing Ruby and gem

Install Ruby from the Fedora repositories:

$ sudo dnf install ruby

gem is included with Ruby.

Installing gems

Install a gem for the current user:

$ gem install --user-install gem_name

Using --user-install avoids writing to system directories and does not require root access.

Updating gems

$ gem update gem_name

Go - go install

The Go toolchain includes go install for installing Go-based tools.

Installing Go

Install Go from the Fedora repositories:

$ sudo dnf install golang

Installing tools

Install a Go tool by its module path:

$ go install module_path@latest

For example:

$ go install golang.org/x/tools/cmd/goimports@latest

Go installs binaries to ~/go/bin/ by default. Ensure this directory is in your PATH.

Want to help? Learn how to contribute to Fedora Docs ›