{"id":167683,"date":"2026-05-19T14:24:21","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T11:24:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/computingforgeeks.com\/?p=167683"},"modified":"2026-05-19T19:24:04","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T16:24:04","slug":"post-install-fedora-44-workstation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/computingforgeeks.com\/post-install-fedora-44-workstation\/","title":{"rendered":"Things to Do After Installing Fedora 44 Workstation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This is not a 2015 post-install list. The Fedora 44 ecosystem in May 2026 ships modern terminals (Ghostty, Alacritty, WezTerm, Kitty, Tabby), AI coding agents in your shell (Claude Code, Gemini CLI, OpenCode), a Wayland-native GNOME 50 desktop, dnf5 + RPM 6 underneath, and a full menu of alternative desktops (KDE Plasma 6.6, Cinnamon, Budgie 10.10) one dnf install<\/code> away. This guide rebuilds a fresh Fedora 44 Workstation install into a serious 2026 developer machine in about an hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every command in this guide was executed on a real Fedora 44 Workstation install. Screenshots are from the live desktop. The 34 sections cover the system foundation, package ecosystem, modern terminal stack, shells and prompts, modern CLI tools, AI coding CLIs, browsers, container runtimes, GNOME tweaks, alternative desktops, and remote access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tested May 2026<\/strong> on Fedora 44 Workstation (kernel 7.0.8-200.fc44, GNOME 50.1, dnf5 5.4.2.0)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Fedora<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Section 1: Foundation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1. Pull all updates and reboot<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Anaconda’s ISO is days or weeks behind by the time you boot it. First task is full sync:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

sudo dnf upgrade --refresh\nsudo systemctl reboot<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
2. Set the hostname and UTC clock<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Give the machine a real name so logs, SSH banners, and Distrobox containers know where they live. UTC keeps things sane on a multi-OS box:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
sudo hostnamectl set-hostname desktop.example.com\nsudo timedatectl set-local-rtc 0\nsudo timedatectl set-timezone Africa\/Nairobi   # or your zone\ntimedatectl status<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
3. Configure chrony NTP<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Fedora ships chrony<\/code> by default. Confirm it is running and synchronizing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
sudo systemctl enable --now chronyd\nchronyc tracking\nchronyc sources<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
If you want to point at internal NTP servers, edit \/etc\/chrony.conf<\/code> and replace the pool<\/code> directives with your server <hostname> iburst<\/code> lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. Update firmware with fwupdmgr<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Modern laptops (Dell, Lenovo, Framework, System76, HP, Star Labs, TUXEDO) ship BIOS, EC, SSD, and dock firmware on LVFS. Fedora’s fwupd<\/code> wires the whole pipeline together:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
sudo fwupdmgr refresh --force\nsudo fwupdmgr get-devices\nsudo fwupdmgr get-updates\nsudo fwupdmgr update<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
5. Configure firewalld<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
firewalld is on by default in the public<\/code> zone. Open up the services you actually need (KDE Connect for phone integration, mDNS for service discovery, optionally Samba):<\/p>\n\n\n\n
sudo systemctl enable --now firewalld\nsudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=kdeconnect\nsudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=mdns\nsudo firewall-cmd --reload\nsudo firewall-cmd --list-all<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
6. Configure DNS-over-TLS via systemd-resolved<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Fedora uses systemd-resolved<\/code> as the stub resolver. It forwards plaintext DNS to whatever DHCP hands out unless you configure DoT. Point it at Cloudflare’s security DNS:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
sudo mkdir -p \/etc\/systemd\/resolved.conf.d\nsudo tee \/etc\/systemd\/resolved.conf.d\/99-dns-over-tls.conf > \/dev\/null <<'EOF'\n[Resolve]\nDNS=1.1.1.2#security.cloudflare-dns.com 1.0.0.2#security.cloudflare-dns.com\nDNSOverTLS=yes\nDNSSEC=allow-downgrade\nDomains=~.\nEOF\nsudo systemctl restart systemd-resolved\nresolvectl status<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Section 2: Package ecosystem<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
7. Enable RPM Fusion (free + nonfree)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The most important repo on a workstation. Adds codecs, NVIDIA drivers, Steam, VLC, OBS, and dozens of others. One-liner:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
sudo dnf install \\\n  https:\/\/mirrors.rpmfusion.org\/free\/fedora\/rpmfusion-free-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm \\\n  https:\/\/mirrors.rpmfusion.org\/nonfree\/fedora\/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Full walkthrough including the ffmpeg-free<\/code> to ffmpeg<\/code> swap, the multimedia group, OpenH264 from Cisco’s repo, and hardware video acceleration setup is in the companion guide on enabling RPM Fusion and multimedia codecs<\/a> for Fedora 44 in this same series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
8. Enable the Fedora Third-Party Repository<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
This is a curated set of upstream RPMs that Fedora cannot ship (Chrome, Steam, the Cisco OpenH264 codec). Enable from GNOME Software (Menu \u2192 Software Repositories \u2192 Third Party) or via CLI:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
sudo dnf install -y fedora-workstation-repositories\nsudo dnf config-manager setopt google-chrome.enabled=1\nsudo dnf config-manager setopt rpmfusion-nonfree-nvidia-driver.enabled=1\nsudo dnf config-manager setopt fedora-cisco-openh264.enabled=1<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
9. Add Flathub for Flatpak apps<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Flatpak is preinstalled. Add the Flathub remote so GNOME Software shows the full app catalog:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
sudo flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https:\/\/dl.flathub.org\/repo\/flathub.flatpakrepo\nsudo flatpak remotes<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Section 3: Modern terminal stack<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The default gnome-terminal<\/code> was retired in favour of GNOME Console (kgx<\/code>), which is fine for basic shell work but limiting for serious developers. In 2026 the high-performance terminal scene has shifted to GPU-accelerated emulators. Install one (or several) and pick a daily driver:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
10. Ghostty: Mitchell Hashimoto’s Zig terminal<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Ghostty is fast, native, and ships in a community Fedora COPR repo. Enable and install:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
sudo dnf install -y dnf-plugins-core\nsudo dnf copr enable scottames\/ghostty\nsudo dnf install ghostty<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
The kind of output you should see once you launch a GPU-accelerated terminal and combine it with modern Rust replacements for ls<\/code>, cat<\/code>, and fastfetch<\/code>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Alacritty<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
11. Alacritty: minimal GPU terminal<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Alacritty is the leanest option, pair it with tmux<\/code> or zellij<\/code> for tabs and splits:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
sudo dnf install -y alacritty<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
12. Kitty: graphics-protocol-capable<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Kitty is the terminal that pioneered the inline-image (Kitty graphics protocol) standard now adopted by many tools (ranger<\/code>, nvim<\/code>, image viewers). Heavier than Alacritty, lighter than WezTerm:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
sudo dnf install -y kitty<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
13. WezTerm: Lua-scriptable workstation terminal<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
WezTerm is configured in Lua, supports tabs\/splits\/key tables, and has SSH multiplexing built in. WezTerm is not in Fedora’s default repos. The maintainer publishes a Copr repo:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
sudo dnf copr enable -y wezfurlong\/wezterm-nightly\nsudo dnf install -y wezterm<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
14. Tabby: cross-platform with built-in SSH<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Tabby is a graphical terminal with a connection manager, SSH\/serial\/local tabs, ZMODEM support, and settings sync across machines. Install via the upstream packagecloud RPM repo:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
curl -s https:\/\/packagecloud.io\/install\/repositories\/eugeny\/tabby\/script.rpm.sh | sudo bash\nsudo dnf install -y tabby-terminal<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
15. Multiplexers: tmux and Zellij<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Tmux remains the universal multiplexer for SSH sessions and ships in Fedora’s default repos. Zellij is the modern, batteries-included alternative with a visible status bar and a more discoverable keymap, available via a Copr repo:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
sudo dnf install -y tmux\nsudo dnf copr enable -y varlad\/zellij\nsudo dnf install -y zellij<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Section 4: Shells and prompts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
16. Switch to Zsh and install Oh My Zsh<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Bash is fine. Zsh is better for interactive work (smarter completion, globbing, prompt). Install zsh, switch your login shell, then bootstrap Oh My Zsh:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
sudo dnf install -y zsh\nchsh -s $(which zsh)\nsh -c \"$(curl -fsSL https:\/\/raw.githubusercontent.com\/ohmyzsh\/ohmyzsh\/master\/tools\/install.sh)\"<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Log out and back in for the shell change to take effect. The Oh My Zsh installer drops you into a fresh zsh with the robbyrussell<\/code> theme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
17. Install Powerlevel10k<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Powerlevel10k is the most popular Zsh theme. Its first-run wizard walks you through colors, icons, and density:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
git clone --depth=1 https:\/\/github.com\/romkatv\/powerlevel10k.git \\\n  ${ZSH_CUSTOM:-$HOME\/.oh-my-zsh\/custom}\/themes\/powerlevel10k\nsed -i 's|^ZSH_THEME=.*|ZSH_THEME=\"powerlevel10k\/powerlevel10k\"|' ~\/.zshrc\n# install MesloLGS Nerd Font (required for icons)\nmkdir -p ~\/.local\/share\/fonts\ncd ~\/.local\/share\/fonts && for s in Regular Bold Italic 'Bold Italic'; do\n  curl -L -o \"MesloLGS NF $s.ttf\" \"https:\/\/github.com\/romkatv\/powerlevel10k-media\/raw\/master\/MesloLGS%20NF%20${s\/\/ \/%20}.ttf\"\ndone && fc-cache -fv ~\/.local\/share\/fonts<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
18. Alternative: Starship cross-shell prompt<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
If you prefer one prompt that works in Bash, Zsh, Fish, and Nushell with sub-50ms startup, install Starship instead. The Fedora repos do not ship a starship package, so use the official installer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
curl -sS https:\/\/starship.rs\/install.sh | sh\necho 'eval \"$(starship init zsh)\"' >> ~\/.zshrc       # for zsh\necho 'eval \"$(starship init bash)\"' >> ~\/.bashrc     # for bash\nstarship preset gruvbox-rainbow -o ~\/.config\/starship.toml<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
19. Fish shell with Oh My Fish (optional)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Fish is friendlier than zsh out of the gate (autocompletion, syntax highlighting, web-based config). Pair it with Oh My Fish for plugins:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
sudo dnf install -y fish\ncurl -L https:\/\/get.oh-my.fish | fish<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
20. Atuin: synced, searchable shell history<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Atuin replaces ctrl-R with a fuzzy-search TUI and syncs your shell history end-to-end-encrypted across machines:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -LsSf https:\/\/setup.atuin.sh | sh\natuin register -u $USER -e you@example.com   # optional, for sync<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Section 5: Modern CLI tools (replace the 2015 set)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The classic Unix tools (ls<\/code>, cat<\/code>, grep<\/code>, find<\/code>, du<\/code>, top<\/code>) are fine but the Rust-based replacements are faster, prettier, and more useful. Install them as a set:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
sudo dnf install -y eza bat ripgrep fd-find zoxide fzf btop htop iotop-c \\\n  nvtop du-dust duf ncdu fastfetch git-delta jq yq gh tldr neovim helix\n# lazygit lives in a Copr (not the default Fedora repos):\nsudo dnf copr enable -y atim\/lazygit\nsudo dnf install -y lazygit<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
The roles, briefly:<\/p>\n\n\n\n