Things to Do After Fedora 24 Workstation

The first thing to do after installing Fedora 24 Workstation is to run a full system update and enable the RPM Fusion repositories, which give you access to multimedia codecs and software that Fedora cannot ship by default. After that, you can customize the GNOME desktop, install essential applications, and configure basic privacy and performance settings.

Why Fedora 24 Still Matters

Fedora 24 was released in June 2016 and introduced GNOME 3.20, the new DNF package manager by default, and improved Wayland support. While it is now long past end-of-life (EOL), many users still install it for legacy hardware, offline labs, or to explore the state of Linux in that era. Knowing the post-install steps for Fedora 24 is also useful because the same core workflow applies to later Fedora releases, with only minor changes in tool names or defaults.

Run a Full System Update

Even if you installed from the latest Fedora 24 media, there will be hundreds of updated packages. Open a terminal and run:

1. sudo dnf upgrade – updates all packages to the latest versions available in the Fedora 24 repositories.
2. Reboot if the kernel was updated, so you boot into the new kernel.
3. Check for firmware updates if you have a laptop or a system with UEFI.

Unlike older Fedora versions that used yum, Fedora 24 uses DNF, which is faster and has better dependency resolution. If you have a slow internet connection, you can use sudo dnf upgrade --best to ensure all dependencies are met, but this is not normally needed.

Enable RPM Fusion for Multimedia and Extra Software

Fedora’s official repositories only include open-source software and codecs that are legally distributable in the US. To play MP3, H.264, or install proprietary drivers, you need the RPM Fusion repositories. For Fedora 24, run:

sudo dnf install https://download1.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-24.noarch.rpm
sudo dnf install https://download1.rpmfusion.org/nonfree/fedora/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-24.noarch.rpm

After enabling, you can install gstreamer1-plugins-bad-free, gstreamer1-plugins-ugly, and gstreamer1-libav for full multimedia support. For NVIDIA or AMD proprietary drivers, RPM Fusion also provides them, but be careful: if you have a very new GPU, the drivers in RPM Fusion for Fedora 24 may be too old to support it.

Install Essential Applications

Fedora 24 comes with a minimal set of applications: Firefox, LibreOffice, and a few GNOME utilities. Most users will want to add:

• Media players: VLC (sudo dnf install vlc) or MPV for video, and Rhythmbox or Clementine for music.
• Communication: Pidgin for instant messaging, or Slack and Skype (if you can still find the RPMs).
• Development tools: sudo dnf groupinstall "Development Tools" for GCC, make, and related tools.
• System utilities: htop, gnome-tweak-tool (now called GNOME Tweaks in later versions), and file-roller for archive management.

For a more complete set, you can install the “Fedora Workstation� group that was not fully installed if you used a minimal netinstall.

Customize GNOME 3.20

GNOME 3.20 on Fedora 24 is fairly stock. To make it more usable, install GNOME Tweaks:

sudo dnf install gnome-tweak-tool

With Tweaks you can:

• Enable minimize and maximize buttons on the title bar (Windows style).
• Change the font scaling factor if you have a high-DPI display.
• Add a “Show Desktopâ€� icon or change the clock format.
• Manage extensions – for example, install gnome-shell-extension-top-icons-plus or dash-to-dock from the Fedora repos.

If you prefer a more traditional layout, you can install Cinnamon or Xfce from the repos, but GNOME is the default and works well once you adjust to the Activities overview.

Set Up Printing and Scanning

Fedora 24 uses CUPS for printing. Most USB printers are detected automatically, but for network printers you may need to add them manually via Settings > Printers. If your printer is not detected, install the HPLIP package for HP printers:

sudo dnf install hplip

For scanning, install simple-scan and the appropriate SANE drivers. Many all-in-one printers work out of the box, but some require proprietary drivers from the manufacturer’s website – which may be tricky to install on Fedora 24 due to missing dependencies.

Configure Firewall and Security Basics

Fedora 24 enables firewalld by default. To check its status:

sudo systemctl status firewalld

If you need to open a port (for example, for SSH), use:

sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=ssh
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

Also consider installing fail2ban if you run SSH on the internet – it is in the EPEL repository, which you can enable with sudo dnf install epel-release. For daily use, keep SELinux enforcing (it is by default) and avoid disabling it unless you know exactly what you are doing.

Handle Driver and Hardware Issues

Fedora 24 may not support the very latest hardware out of the box. Common issues:

• Wi-Fi: If your wireless card is not recognized, check if it needs a proprietary firmware (e.g., for Broadcom). Install broadcom-wl from RPM Fusion nonfree.
• Graphics: For NVIDIA, install akmod-nvidia from RPM Fusion. For AMD, the open-source driver is usually fine, but you may need to add rd.driver.blacklist=radeon if you have a newer card that requires amdgpu.
• Touchpad: GNOME 3.20 has basic touchpad support, but for more gestures you may need to install libinput-gestures (not in the repos – you would have to build it).

If you have a very new laptop, consider using a later Fedora release instead, because the kernel in Fedora 24 (4.5) is quite old by modern standards.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Fedora 24 still supported?

No, Fedora 24 reached end-of-life in August 2017. It no longer receives security updates, so it is not safe to use on an internet-connected machine for daily work. Consider it only for offline or isolated testing.

How do I upgrade from Fedora 24 to a newer version?

You cannot upgrade directly to a current Fedora release because the upgrade path only supports one or two versions ahead. You would need to upgrade to Fedora 25, then 26, and so on, which is impractical. A fresh install of a supported release is recommended.

Why can’t I play MP3 files after installing Fedora 24?

MP3 codecs are not included by default due to patent licensing. After enabling RPM Fusion, install gstreamer1-plugins-ugly and gstreamer1-libav, then restart any media player. For VLC, the codecs are bundled, so installing VLC alone may be enough.

How do I install NVIDIA drivers on Fedora 24?

Enable RPM Fusion nonfree, then run sudo dnf install akmod-nvidia. After installation, reboot. If you have a very new GPU, the driver version may not support it; in that case, you would need to download the driver from NVIDIA’s website, but that is more complex and not recommended.

Can I use the same steps for Fedora 25 or later?

Yes, the general steps are identical: update, enable RPM Fusion, install codecs, and customize. However, the repository URLs change with each release (e.g., release-25 instead of release-24), and some package names may differ. For current Fedora releases, you can use the same workflow.

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