Accessing the RPM Fusion repository from a CentOS system

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Sometimes you may find that a software package that you would like to use on a CentOS Linux system is unavailable from the default software repositories, aka "repos." In such cases adding alternative repos, such as Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux (EPEL) or RPM Fusion may allow you to locate the desired package. E.g., the VLC media player is available in the RPM Fusion repository, but not the default ones nor in EPEL. RPM Fusion has two separate software repositories, one that contains free and open-source software (FOSS) and another named "nonfree". Packages in the "nonfree" repository still won't cost you anything, but there may be restrictions on the use of the software, e.g., you may be forbidden from using the software for commercial use. The RPM Fusion site defines the nonfree repo as being 'for redistributable software that is not Open Source Software (as defined by the Fedora Licensing Guidelines); this includes software with publicly available source-code that has "no commercial use"-like restrictions.'

To add the "free" repository to a CentOS 7 system, you can issue the command yum install https://download1.rpmfusion.org/free/el/rpmfusion-free-release-7.noarch.rpm from the root account.

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# yum install https://download1.rpmfusion.org/free/el/rpmfusion-free-release-7.n
oarch.rpm
Loaded plugins: fastestmirror, langpacks
rpmfusion-free-release-7.noarch.rpm                      | 6.3 kB     00:00     
Examining /var/tmp/yum-root-ejoKIt/rpmfusion-free-release-7.noarch.rpm: rpmfusio
n-free-release-7-4.noarch
Marking /var/tmp/yum-root-ejoKIt/rpmfusion-free-release-7.noarch.rpm to be insta
lled
Resolving Dependencies
--> Running transaction check
---> Package rpmfusion-free-release.noarch 0:7-4 will be installed
--> Finished Dependency Resolution

Dependencies Resolved

================================================================================
 Package                 Arch    Version
                                        Repository                         Size
================================================================================
Installing:
 rpmfusion-free-release  noarch  7-4    /rpmfusion-free-release-7.noarch  3.6 k

Transaction Summary
================================================================================
Install  1 Package

Total size: 3.6 k
Installed size: 3.6 k
Is this ok [y/d/N]: y
Downloading packages:
Running transaction check
Running transaction test
Transaction test succeeded
Running transaction
  Installing : rpmfusion-free-release-7-4.noarch                            1/1 
  Verifying  : rpmfusion-free-release-7-4.noarch                            1/1 

Installed:
  rpmfusion-free-release.noarch 0:7-4                                           

Complete!
#

Once the repo package is installed you can view details on it with rpm -qi rpmfusion-free-release-7-4.noarch.

# rpm -qi rpmfusion-free-release-7-4.noarch
Name        : rpmfusion-free-release
Version     : 7
Release     : 4
Architecture: noarch
Install Date: Fri 08 Mar 2019 05:00:36 PM EST
Group       : System Environment/Base
Size        : 3732
License     : BSD
Signature   : RSA/SHA1, Tue 19 Jun 2018 03:56:18 PM EDT, Key ID 758b3d18f5cf6c1e
Source RPM  : rpmfusion-free-release-7-4.src.rpm
Build Date  : Tue 19 Jun 2018 10:45:12 AM EDT
Build Host  : buildvm-02.online.rpmfusion.net
Relocations : (not relocatable)
Packager    : RPM Fusion
Vendor      : RPM Fusion
URL         : http://rpmfusion.org
Summary     : RPM Fusion (free) Repository Configuration
Description :
RPM Fusion repository contains open source and other distributable software for
EL + EPEL. It is the merger of the Dribble, FreshRPMs and Livna repositories.

This package contains the RPM Fusion GPG key as well as Yum package manager
configuration files for RPM Fusion's "free" repository, which holds only
software that is considered as Open Source Software according to the Fedora
packaging guidelines.
#

Related articles:

  1. Using the EPEL repository for a CentOS 7 system
  2. Installing support for the EPEL repository on CentOS