Software Repositories & Tools

This page includes information about the software formats, tools and repositories that are included in Fedora Workstation.

Default Software Repositories

Workstation comes with a set of software repositories enabled out of the box. These allow preinstalled software to be updated, as well as new packages and apps to be installed.

Workstation’s default software repositories are:

  • Official Fedora RPM repositories. Workstation system components and applications are provided in RPM format, using the main Fedora repositories.

  • Fedora Flatpaks. Workstation comes with the Flatpak app distribution tool installed by default. It also includes a repository of Flatpak apps, which are built and hosted by the Fedora project, and which are available to be installed.

  • Linux Vendor Firmware Service (LVFS). Workstation uses fwupd to provide firmware updates from LVFS. This is enabled by default.

Third-Party Repositories

Fedora Workstation also includes a set of third-party repositories. These software repositories are provided by projects and organizations other than Fedora, and provide access to a wider range of software than the default offering. They can be enabled with the click of a button during initial setup, or in the Software app.

Installing & Updating Software

Workstation includes the GNOME Software app, which makes it easy to find and install apps, and to install software updates.

Workstation also comes with a set of command line tools that can be used for software management. These are:

  • dnf: Fedora’s default package manager. See this guide for information on how to get started with DNF.

  • flatpak: the Flatpak tool can be used to install and update graphical applications that are provided as Flatpaks. See this guide to get started with the Flatpak CLI.

  • fwupdmgr: the command line utility for fwupd. This can be used to update firmware.

Release Schedule, Updates & Upgrades

Fedora Workstation follows the standard Fedora release schedule: a new version is produced every six months, and each version receives updates for 13 months.

Fedora’s smooth upgrade process means that it’s easy to stay up to date, and transitioning from one version to the next is easy and pain free (though we still recommend that you backup before upgrading). Upgrading can be done using the Software app, which shows a notification when a new version is available. You can also upgrade using the command line.

Proprietary & Patent Encumbered Software

In accordance with Fedora principles and policy, Fedora Workstation only includes open source software. Workstation is also prevented from including patent-encumbered software. This poses challenges in cases where such software is required by particular hardware or multimedia formats.

Open source technologies are always the preferred option for Workstation. However, in important cases where no viable open source option exists, and where it is safe to do so, mechanisms are provided to gain access to particular proprietary and patent encumbered software.

NVIDIA Graphics

Fedora Workstation works to ensure that the open source Nouveau driver provides an excellent experience for NVIDIA hardware. However, when features that are exclusive to the proprietary driver are required, it can be installed by enabling the Third Party Repositories.

H.264 Codecs

Due to patent issues, Fedora cannot distribute the H.264 multimedia codec itself. However, Workstation does automatically install this codec for users, from a non-Fedora source.

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