Some days ago we explain What is it RPMFusion. We did it with some brevity, but we did provide the necessary information to add it to any compatible distribution, among which are Fedora in all its editions, including the Atomic Desktop. In short, there are several repositories that allow you to install software that is not in the official ones. What we are going to do here today is explain what we can find there and whether it is worth always adding them or not.
I already tell you that no, It is not always necessary to add them. Comparisons are odious, but they can be explained by looking at its main competition, if there is such a thing in the Linux world: Ubuntu already offers a lot of software in its official repositories, and it is foolish to add any other if we are not going to use what is available. offer in it. Looking at distros that use RPM packages, sometimes it will be enough to add a single repository, that of the program we need. As examples, Vivaldi or Visual Studio Code.
Popular packages in RPM Fusion
aMule
I was going to start this point by asking if there was anyone who didn't know about this P2P download program, but surely there are young people or people who have never needed it who are unaware of its existence. aMule, which my partner Diego used again months ago and He told us his experience, is the non-Windows version of the popular peer-to-peer or node-to-node downloader. That is, from one team to another.
He has always used the eD2k network, also known as eDonkey2000 or simply eDonkey, and if there was a time when this was not the case, I can be corrected. Emule was the "normal" thing about 20 years ago to download movies, games and all kinds of software. If memory serves, before Napster, Kazaa and Ares were used and then they moved to the Torrent network, direct downloads and now it is watched directly in streaming. Needless to say, we are talking about content not obtained by paying for it.
Avidemux
We do not have an article specifically for Avidemux, but Diego also told us about him in a list of simple open source video editors. Little more needs to be added to his headline and the point he added in his article. It is not the best program for editing videos and it is not on par with Kdenlive or OpenShot, but that is not its intention either. Among its editions, it allows, for example, to extract audio or cut videos, and all this with a learning curve almost equal to zero.
Cinelerra
The thing is about video editors. I know the existence of Cinelerra for a long time, but I can't talk at length about it either because it's not something I use every day. Isaac spoke to us wrote an article a little over two years ago, and defined it as a revolutionary application for video editing. It is a complete editor, one that allows us to move clips along different timelines, cut, add effects...
cmus
If you're looking for very light music player or you simply want a more Linux-like one, because it runs in the terminal, cmus it is what you are looking for. Works on Unix-based computers, and allows you to have a library, play songs, records, lists and almost the same thing as any music player, minus the interface. Of course, there are no covers, but it can handle everything else.
The reason for its lightness has to do with where it runs: although it is true that it requires a terminal emulator, these types of emulators have to render fewer widgets than more complex software like Elisa or VLC. When running on something like Alacritty on i3-wm, its resource consumption is even lower.
DeSmuME (and other emulators)
Un emulador Nintendo DS one of the best there is. There are plenty of presentations. As for other emulators, they are practically all of them, and the list includes MAME, PPSSPP, PCSX and several more. If they are not found in the official repositories, RPM Fusion is the savior.
Doom (shareware)
Another one that needs no introduction is the game Doom, famous for running even in a plain text editor or in a pregnancy test. Perhaps less known is the part of the story that explains that there is at least one complete version, with 3 episodes, the Ultimate, with one more, and the shareware, which offers us all the levels of the first of the three. RPM Fusion allows us to install the latter.
ffmpeg
RPM Fusion also offers us this package, which is by default in many other Linux distributions. It is the base library of many programs, and is generally used to manage or manipulate multimedia content. If you want to convert one audio file to another, FFmpeg can. If you want to cut it, too. That and so much more.
FreeCAD
FreeCAD is to CAD and AutoCAD what GIMP is to images and Photoshop. Or at least that's how I see it. People, such as architects, will be more inclined to work with AutoCAD, but this alternative can work in many cases.
HandBrake
En this article We explain what HandBrake is, but we could summarize it as an interface or frontend for FFmpeg. It allows you to make edits such as converting multimedia files to other formats, cutting them, cropping them (which is not the same thing) and much more.
Kodi, reason to add RPM Fusion
To whom LinuxAdictos We have talked at length about Kodi, and what remains, since it has even been part of the Linux Foundation for not long. It is a program that is used to play multimedia content, and by adding accessories you can do practically anything. For example, having "an official Movistar application«, see the quotes, on Linux. We also find it in RPM Fusion and I would dare say that it is more than enough reason to activate it... although later we will say the opposite...
Mixxx
Mixxx the open source alternative to virtualDJ
If you are a DJ and prefer something free that is for Linux, Mixxx It is one of the best options, if not the best. In fact, I think they take more care of us than users of other operating systems, but it may just be a personal impression.
Those dedicated to mixing hold it in high regard for everything it offers at the price it offers (free), and I have only heard complaints regarding how long it takes to load the audio (a few seconds... total).
Shotcut
If I were asked to name the three video editors for Linux that would occupy a podium, Shotcut It would be in my third drawer. It is a good video editor, and if I put it behind Kdenlive and OpenShot it is more out of preference or habit than anything else. It is very capable and a favorite of the Linux community.
Steam, reason to add RPM Fusion if you like to play
Do you need an introduction? Another reason that in itself would be enough to add the RPM Fusion repositories. Of course, for those who want to play and do so with the Steam catalog.
VirtualBox
Although I prefer GNOME Boxes for reasons that I won't detail here, VirtualBox It is the best option for running virtual machines with Linux as the host. Or at least that's the case if you need a simple interface and maximum compatibility with host systems. I also think it is best if you want to use the same software regardless of the host system, since it is available for Linux, macOS, Windows, and even some BSD.
voko screen
Speaking of software to use on all our computers, voko screen would be my choice if I hadn't gotten used to OBS and SimpleScreenRecorder didn't exist. It allows you to record the screen, with or without sound, and the results are very good, not like those of some recorders that end up recording blurry videos.
Perhaps the most important thing that RPM Fusion offers
Many packages that we find in RPM Fusion are libraries and drivers, and the latter may be reason enough to install add RPM Fusion. If we have a computer with an NVIDIA graphics card, the best way to install the proprietary drivers is by using RPM Fusion.
When RPM Fusion is not necessary
As we explained at the beginning of this article, it is not always necessary to add one, several or all of the repositories that are part of RPM Fusion. To give a few examples, it is not necessary when/for:
- Install Google Chroome. Chrome on systems like Fedora and derivatives is installed by adding its official repository, and it is also not in RPM Fusion.
- I don't need special libraries or drivers.
- I like the flatpaks. If you are comfortable with the flatpak packages, and all the software you need is there, there is no need to add the RPM Fusion repositories. To give an example, I don't need FFmpeg for video editing if I install Flathub's Kdenlive.
- When, simply, nothing is missing. Why add repositories if I need them? This is also counterproductive (more loading time, more possible errors when checking its content...).
- My system has the option to add partial support. If we want to use only Steam, Fedora in its Workstation edition allows us to add RPM Fusion support for Steam from GNOME Software. In theory, it adds only what is necessary for Steam.
RPM Fusion, a plugin
RPM Fusion exists to complement or reduce the shortcomings of the official repositories of distributions that rely on RPM packages. Accessories are not always necessary, and now it is up to you to decide if you need them or not.