Fedora

This guide walks you through setting up your Fedora system with Nvidia drivers, Asus tools, power management tweaks, backup solutions, multimedia codecs, DNF configuration, fonts, Steam installation, and more.

Step 1: Enable RPM Fusion

Fedora doesn't ship certain stuff like proprietary drivers and codecs out of the box. RPM Fusion adds that in. You’ll need both free and nonfree versions.

Enable RPM Fusion Free and Non-Free repositories


sudo dnf 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.rpm

Step 2: GPU Driver Installation and Asus Software Setup

2.1 NVIDIA Driver Setup

Make sure Secure Boot is turned off or the Nvidia driver won’t load.

Start by updating the system:

sudo dnf update

Install Nvidia packages:

sudo dnf install akmod-nvidia
sudo dnf install xorg-x11-drv-nvidia-cuda

After installing, wait 3–6 minutes for the kernel module to build in the background.

Enable Nvidia power management:

sudo systemctl enable nvidia-hibernate.service nvidia-suspend.service nvidia-resume.service nvidia-powerd.service

2.2 Asus Linux Tools

These give you access to GPU modes, fan profiles, and Aura lighting control.

# Enable the ASUS tool repository
sudo dnf copr enable lukenukem/asus-linux

# Install the tools
sudo dnf install asusctl supergfxctl rog-control-center

# Enable the service for GPU switching
sudo systemctl enable --now supergfxd.service

Ignore the "Asus kernel isn't loaded" message in rog-control-center. It’s safe.

2.3 GPU Switching (Hybrid/Integrated/Discrete)

GNOME users: supergfxctl-gex
KDE users:Install the supergfxctl-plasmoid:

sudo dnf copr enable jhyub/supergfxctl-plasmoid
sudo dnf install supergfxctl-plasmoid

Reload Plasma:

Reboot for the changes to take effect.

Set Hybrid GPU mode:

supergfxctl --mode Hybrid

Switching to/from Hybrid mode needs logout. Ultimate mode requires a reboot.

Step 3: Fix Hotkeys (Asus Only)

Some hotkeys are BIOS-level and can’t be remapped.

To test remap capability: press the key while adding a shortcut. If nothing registers, it can't be reassigned.

For GNOME

Settings → Keyboard → Shortcuts → “+”

For KDE

System Settings → Shortcuts → Custom Shortcuts → New Global Shortcut

Add the following Commands:

rog-control-center: Launch GUI
asusctl aura -n: Toggle Aura lighting
asusctl profile -n: Change power profile

Step 4: Power Management

If you notice that your battery life on Linux is significantly shorter compared to Windows, you may benefit from additional power management tools. Two of the most commonly recommended options are TLP and CPU AutoFreq. These tools help optimize power usage, particularly on laptops, by dynamically adjusting CPU frequencies and managing various power-related settings.

**Important**: Only install **one** of these tools. Running both simultaneously can cause conflicts and lead to unexpected behavior.

4.1 TLP

TLP is a feature-rich command-line utility for Linux that helps extend battery life without requiring manual tuning. Its default configuration is already optimized and implements many of Powertop’s recommendations.

Install TLP:

sudo dnf install tlp

Enable TLP:

sudo systemctl enable tlp
sudo systemctl start tlp

TLP conflicts with power-profiles-daemon. Remove it or mask its service:

systemctl mask power-profiles-daemon.service

4.2 CPU AutoFreq

CPU AutoFreq is a real-time CPU frequency and power optimizer. It monitors your system load, battery level, and temperature to dynamically manage CPU scaling for better battery life.

Manual Install:

git clone https://github.com/AdnanHodzic/auto-cpufreq.git && cd auto-cpufreq && sudo ./auto-cpufreq-installer

If power-profiles-daemon is installed, disable it:

systemctl mask power-profiles-daemon.service

After installation, open the cpu-auto-freq app and verify if it’s working properly.

Step 5: Enable Flatpak Support

By default, Fedora restricts the set of available Flatpak apps. You can unlock full Flatpak support by enabling third-party repos during the initial setup, or manually with the following command:

flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

Step 6: Multimedia and Hardware Codecs

Add full multimedia support by installing codecs and tools for playing all common audio and video formats.

6.1 Get the Basics

sudo dnf install libavcodec-freeworld
sudo dnf swap ffmpeg-free ffmpeg --allowerasing
sudo dnf update @multimedia --setopt="install_weak_deps=False" --exclude=PackageKit-gstreamer-plugin
sudo dnf group install -y multimedia sound-and-video

6.2 Enable Hardware Acceleration

Intel:

sudo dnf install intel-media-driver

AMD: Since Fedora 37 and later, hardware acceleration is disabled by default. Use the *-freeworld versions.

# For 64-bit
sudo dnf swap mesa-va-drivers mesa-va-drivers-freeworld
sudo dnf swap mesa-vdpau-drivers mesa-vdpau-drivers-freeworld

# For 32-bit (Steam, Wine, etc.)
sudo dnf swap mesa-va-drivers.i686 mesa-va-drivers-freeworld.i686
sudo dnf swap mesa-vdpau-drivers.i686 mesa-vdpau-drivers-freeworld.i686

NVIDIA: NVIDIA doesn't support VAAPI natively, but there's a wrapper available.

sudo dnf install libva-nvidia-driver.{i686,x86_64}

Step 7: DNF Configuration

You can configure DNF to increase download speeds by enabling parallel downloads and selecting the fastest mirror.

Edit the config file:

sudo nano /etc/dnf/dnf.conf

Add these lines at the end:

max_parallel_downloads=10
fastestmirror=1

Step 8: Create a Backup

1. System Settings Backup with Timeshift

Timeshift is a powerful Linux backup tool that functions similarly to System Restore on Windows or Time Machine on macOS. It protects your system by creating incremental snapshots of your file system at regular intervals. These snapshots allow you to restore your system to a previous state, undoing any system changes or issues.

Installation:

sudo dnf install timeshift

How to Use Timeshift:

Select Snapshot Type: Choose between RSYNC and BTRFS based on your file system.

If your system is using the BTRFS file system, it is recommended to use the BTRFS snapshot option for better performance. If not, select RSYNC.

Choose Snapshot Location: Select the disk or partition where snapshots will be saved.
Configure Snapshot Schedule: Enable periodic snapshots if desired and select a snapshot frequency (daily, weekly, or on boot).
Create a Snapshot: Click Create to manually create a snapshot at any time.
Restore a Snapshot: To undo system changes, select a previous snapshot and click Restore.

Restoring a Broken System Using Timeshift:

Boot from a Linux ISO with Timeshift installed.
Select the same snapshot type (BTRFS or RSYNC) as used before.
Choose the location where your backup is stored.
Select the desired backup from the list shown.
Click Restore to revert your system to the previous working state.

Timeshift does not back up personal user files such as documents, pictures, or downloads. It focuses exclusively on system files and settings.

2.Backup Personal Files with Pika Backup

Pika Backup is a user-friendly tool designed for personal data backup. It leverages the BorgBackup engine for secure and efficient backups. Note that Pika Backup does not support full system restoration.

Installation

Install Pika Backup via Flatpak:

flatpak install flathub org.gnome.World.PikaBackup

Creating a Backup

Open Pika Backup
Select Storage Location: Choose a USB drive or external disk for storing backups. Using a USB drive is recommended.
Enable Encryption: Choose to encrypt your backups if you want added security.
Create the Backup: Click on " Backup Now" to create a backup.

Restoring Files from a Backup

Go to the Archives Tab in Pika Backup.
Select the Preferred Backup you want to restore.
Click the Drop-down Arrow next to the archive entry.
Choose "Browse Saved Files".
A file browser will open showing the backed-up contents.
Manually Copy the desired files or folders to your main directory or another location.

Step 9: Install Steam

Make sure RPM Fusion is enabled first.

sudo dnf install steam

Step 10: Install Fonts (Fix weird web text)

Some websites or apps might look broken without these:

# Microsoft and emoji fonts
sudo dnf install msttcore-fonts-installer
sudo rpm -i https://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/mscorefonts2/rpms/msttcore-fonts-installer-2.6-1.noarch.rpm
sudo dnf install google-noto-emoji-color-fonts

# Rebuild font cache
fc-cache -f

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Last updated 2 months ago