Quite some time ago, I recall installing the “Fedora Workstation” group to add Gnome Desktop to an existing Fedora Server installation:
sudo dnf group install “Fedora Workstation”
I’ve just tried it with Fedora 30, and whether or not it worked in the past, it definitely doesn’t work now. I get:
Error:
Problem: problem with installed package fedora-release-server-30-1.noarch
package fedora-release-server-30-1.noarch conflicts with system-release provided by fedora-release-workstation-30-1.noarch
package fedora-release-workstation-30-1.noarch conflicts with system-release provided by fedora-release-server-30-1.noarch
conflicting requests
Apparently Fedora Workstation and Fedora Server represent mutually exclusive software installations (now, if not before).
I’ve found group installs for several other desktop environments (Mate, Cinnamon, Xfce, etc), but nothing that installs Gnome in a singular cohesive step. I’ve tried installing it and gdm piecemeal, but while it sort-of works it’s clear that numerous parts are missing and/or broken (gnome-terminal won’t even start, giving a cryptic error).
The only seemingly relevant results I get from a google search for “installing gnome on fedora server” are pages on discussion.fedoraproject.org which have apparently all been deleted en masse.
What is the correct approach for setting up the Gnome desktop on a Fedora installation that doesn’t already have it?
Welcome to the forum @manualdidact — askbot is now read-only at https://askbot.fedoraproject.org. It is still searchable. We’ve got to updated the 404 page to say so—still looking into that bit.
If you do find any information that you think are common queries, please open a ticket or pull-request at the quick-docs project. https://pagure.io/fedora-docs/quick-docs
As I said, I have found no Yum/DNF group install in Fedora 30 that installs GNOME completely in a single step. “GNOME Desktop Environment” does not exist on any Red Hat system I work with.
For what it’s worth, I’ve found that RHEL 7 has “Server with GUI” which I recall does install GNOME. Oddly, my CentOS 7 server is different, it has “Server with GUI” and “GNOME Desktop” (but not “GNOME Desktop Environment”). My RHEL 6 system has some “Desktop” related groups that probably include GNOME, but none which include it in the name explicitly.
Neither Fedora 29 nor Fedora 30 Server have any of these.
Is there some repository I need to add or enable, to have access to these? Surely adding GNOME to Fedora must be pretty common. (And again, I recall that I’ve run into this problem before, which I believe in the past was fixed by just installing the Fedora Workstation group on top of a Server installation. Is it intentional that this no longer works?)
I’ve found the answer to my initial question, but the answer creates another question.
From the archived site (a page which I couldn’t read earlier because the link from Google no longer works), I learned that the required command is
sudo dnf groupinstall gnome
which produces a list of components a mile long that I’d missed in my attempt to install GNOME manually. Including, at the end, the helpful message that it’s installing the group “GNOME”.
By what means (other than reading a forum post, i.e. googling and praying) are we to know what groups actually exist, since we now have proof that “sudo dnf grouplist” does not actually provide the full list?
What other groups are there? How does one get the full list?
I’ve used your command to view (what is hopefully) the full, actual list of groups, and again I don’t see a “GNOME Desktop Environment” group. (see paste below). At the end I even tried installing it anyway (in case it actually exists, but I’m still not getting the full list even with “hidden”) and it produces the error included at the end of the pasted output. It appears that “GNOME” or its alias “gnome-desktop” are the only viable group names for it, in Fedora.
Why are groups “hidden” at all? And why such an important, fundamental software system like “GNOME”? (Again, this group is hidden in other Fedora variants as well, though apparently not for other Red Hat OSes.)
It appears that this forum has inexplicably started to refuse links to Pastebin, so I’ll paste the results here.
Loaded plugins: builddep, changelog, config-manager, copr, debug, debuginfo-install, download, generate_completion_cache, needs-restarting, playground, repoclosure, repodiff, repograph, repomanage, reposync
DNF version: 4.2.2
cachedir: /var/cache/dnf
Unknown configuration value: failovermethod=priority in /etc/yum.repos.d/fedora-updates-modular.repo; Configuration: OptionBinding with id "failovermethod" does not exist
Unknown configuration value: failovermethod=priority in /etc/yum.repos.d/fedora-updates-modular.repo; Configuration: OptionBinding with id "failovermethod" does not exist
Unknown configuration value: failovermethod=priority in /etc/yum.repos.d/fedora-updates-modular.repo; Configuration: OptionBinding with id "failovermethod" does not exist
repo: using cache for: fedora-modular
not found other for: Fedora Modular 30 - x86_64
not found deltainfo for: Fedora Modular 30 - x86_64
not found updateinfo for: Fedora Modular 30 - x86_64
fedora-modular: using metadata from Sat 27 Apr 2019 04:39:22 AM CDT.
repo: using cache for: updates-modular
not found other for: Fedora Modular 30 - x86_64 - Updates
not found deltainfo for: Fedora Modular 30 - x86_64 - Updates
updates-modular: using metadata from Mon 29 Apr 2019 09:44:19 PM CDT.
repo: using cache for: updates
not found other for: Fedora 30 - x86_64 - Updates
not found modules for: Fedora 30 - x86_64 - Updates
updates: using metadata from Tue 30 Apr 2019 07:36:44 PM CDT.
repo: using cache for: fedora
not found other for: Fedora 30 - x86_64
not found modules for: Fedora 30 - x86_64
not found deltainfo for: Fedora 30 - x86_64
not found updateinfo for: Fedora 30 - x86_64
fedora: using metadata from Sat 27 Apr 2019 04:42:56 AM CDT.
Last metadata expiration check: 0:51:25 ago on Wed 01 May 2019 10:35:14 AM CDT.
Completion plugin: Generating completion cache...
Available Environment Groups:
Fedora Custom Operating System (custom-environment)
Minimal Install (minimal-environment)
Fedora Workstation (workstation-product-environment)
Fedora Cloud Server (cloud-server-environment)
KDE Plasma Workspaces (kde-desktop-environment)
LXDE Desktop (lxde-desktop-environment)
LXQt Desktop (lxqt-desktop-environment)
Cinnamon Desktop (cinnamon-desktop-environment)
MATE Desktop (mate-desktop-environment)
Sugar Desktop Environment (sugar-desktop-environment)
Deepin Desktop (deepin-desktop-environment)
Development and Creative Workstation (developer-workstation-environment)
Web Server (web-server-environment)
Infrastructure Server (infrastructure-server-environment)
Basic Desktop (basic-desktop-environment)
Installed Environment Groups:
Fedora Server Edition (server-product-environment)
Xfce Desktop (xfce-desktop-environment)
Installed Groups:
Administration Tools (admin-tools)
base-x (base-x)
Core (core)
Dial-up Networking Support (dial-up)
Fonts (fonts)
GNOME (gnome-desktop)
Guest Desktop Agents (guest-desktop-agents)
Hardware Support (hardware-support)
Headless Management (headless-management)
Input Methods (input-methods)
Multimedia (multimedia)
Common NetworkManager Submodules (networkmanager-submodules)
Printing Support (printing)
Python Science (python-science)
Fedora Server product core (server-product)
Standard (standard)
Xfce (xfce-desktop)
Available Groups:
3D Printing (3d-printing)
Anaconda tools (anaconda-tools)
ARM Tools (arm-tools)
Audio Production (audio)
Authoring and Publishing (authoring-and-publishing)
Basic Desktop (basic-desktop)
Books and Guides (books)
Buildsystem building group (buildsys-build)
C Development Tools and Libraries (c-development)
Cinnamon (cinnamon-desktop)
Cloud Infrastructure (cloud-infrastructure)
Cloud Management Tools (cloud-management)
Cloud Server Tools (cloud-server)
Compiz (compiz)
Container Management (container-management)
Critical Path (Applications) (critical-path-apps)
Critical Path (Base) (critical-path-base)
Critical Path (Deepin desktop) (critical-path-deepin-desktop)
Critical Path (GNOME) (critical-path-gnome)
Critical Path (KDE) (critical-path-kde)
Critical Path (LXDE) (critical-path-lxde)
Critical Path (LXQt) (critical-path-lxqt)
Critical Path (Xfce) (critical-path-xfce)
D Development Tools and Libraries (d-development)
Deepin Desktop Environment (deepin-desktop)
Deepin Desktop Applications (deepin-desktop-apps)
Media packages for Deepin Desktop (deepin-desktop-media)
Deepin Desktop Office (deepin-desktop-office)
Design Suite (design-suite)
Development Libraries (development-libs)
Development Tools (development-tools)
Directory Server (directory-server)
DNS Name Server (dns-server)
Dogtag Certificate System (dogtag)
Domain Membership (domain-client)
Fedora Eclipse (eclipse)
Editors (editors)
Educational Software (education)
Electronic Lab (electronic-lab)
Engineering and Scientific (engineering-and-scientific)
Enlightenment (enlightenment-desktop)
Epiphany Web Browser (epiphany)
Fedora Packager (fedora-packager)
Firefox Web Browser (firefox)
Font design and packaging (font-design)
FreeIPA Server (freeipa-server)
FTP Server (ftp-server)
Games and Entertainment (games)
Extra games for the GNOME Desktop (gnome-games)
GNOME Software Development (gnome-software-development)
Graphical Internet (graphical-internet)
Graphics (graphics)
Guest Agents (guest-agents)
High Availability (ha)
HAProxy (haproxy)
Haskell (haskell)
Java (java)
Java Development (java-development)
Java Application Server (javaenterprise)
KDE Applications (kde-apps)
KDE (kde-desktop)
KDE Educational applications (kde-education)
KDE Multimedia support (kde-media)
KDE Office (kde-office)
KDE Software Development (kde-software-development)
KDE Telepathy (kde-telepathy)
KDE Frameworks 5 Software Development (kf5-software-development)
Legacy Fonts (legacy-fonts)
Legacy Network Server (legacy-network-server)
Legacy Software Development (legacy-software-development)
Legacy Software Support (legacy-software-support)
LibreOffice (libreoffice)
LibreOffice Development (libreoffice-development)
Load Balancer (load-balancer)
Applications for the LXDE Desktop (lxde-apps)
LXDE (lxde-desktop)
Multimedia support for LXDE (lxde-media)
LXDE Office (lxde-office)
Applications for the LXQt Desktop (lxqt-apps)
LXQt (lxqt-desktop)
Translations of LXQt (lxqt-l10n)
Multimedia support for LXQt (lxqt-media)
LXQt Office (lxqt-office)
Mail Server (mail-server)
MATE Applications (mate-applications)
MATE (mate-desktop)
Medical Applications (medical)
Milkymist (milkymist)
MinGW cross-compiler (mingw32)
MongoDB (mongodb)
MariaDB (MySQL) Database (mysql)
Network Servers (network-server)
News Server (news-server)
OCaml (ocaml)
Office/Productivity (office)
Online Help and Documentation (online-docs)
Pantheon Desktop (pantheon-desktop)
Perl Development (perl)
Perl for Web (perl-web)
PHP (php)
VMware Platform Support (platform-vmware)
Python Classroom (python-classroom)
Robotics (robotics-suite)
RPM Development Tools (rpm-development-tools)
Ruby (ruby)
Ruby on Rails (rubyonrails)
Security Lab (security-lab)
Server Configuration Tools (server-cfg)
Hardware Support for Server Systems (server-hardware-support)
Windows File Server (smb-server)
Sound and Video (sound-and-video)
PostgreSQL Database (sql-server)
Additional Sugar Activities (sugar-apps)
Sugar Desktop Environment (sugar-desktop)
System Tools (system-tools)
Text-based Internet (text-internet)
Tomcat (tomcat)
Vagrant with libvirt support (vagrant)
Virtualization (virtualization)
Headless Virtualization (virtualization-headless)
Basic Web Server (web-server)
Window Managers (window-managers)
Fedora Workstation ostree support (workstation-ostree-support)
Fedora Workstation product core (workstation-product)
X Software Development (x-software-development)
Applications for the Xfce Desktop (xfce-apps)
Extra plugins for the Xfce panel (xfce-extra-plugins)
Multimedia support for Xfce (xfce-media)
Xfce Office (xfce-office)
Xfce Software Development (xfce-software-development)
XMonad (xmonad)
XMonad for MATE (xmonad-mate)
[chris@xiphos ~]$ sudo dnf group install "GNOME Desktop Environment"
Fedora Modular 30 - x86_64 39 kB/s | 15 kB 00:00
Fedora Modular 30 - x86_64 - Updates 54 kB/s | 16 kB 00:00
Fedora 30 - x86_64 - Updates 41 kB/s | 13 kB 00:00
Fedora 30 - x86_64 48 kB/s | 14 kB 00:00
Warning: Module or Group 'GNOME Desktop Environment' does not exist.
Error: Nothing to do.
does list them all. Certainly lists Gnome here. The suggested way of installing a GNOME system is to use the Workstation install. A server installation is intended as a headless one, which can be administered using tools such as cockpit.
I am not sure why it lists the other desktops but not Gnome—worth a bug perhaps.
Groups are defined in xml file on repositories server maybe dnf on my device use another server ( server close to my location) and have different information (different xml comps file).
I think GNOME is the same ‘GNOME Desktop Environment’.
I think these groups are hidden because they are part of other groups.
Group “Fedora Workstation” includes group GNOME And so on…
sudo dnf group info “Fedora Workstation”
By the way there is a formatting problem here try this command It will fail but from terminal delete " " and type him again will succeed .
I am confused at why you’re claiming that “sudo dnf grouplist” lists all groups, in contradiction to the evidence I’ve shown here that it doesn’t even come close. The “hidden” keyword is indeed required on the command line, as Youssef pointed out.
And I understand the presumed typical use case for Fedora Server is headless command line and web administration, and you may feel that the proper conclusion is that because it’s unusual it should be forbidden or purposely difficult to use it in any other way. On the other hand my question would also apply to any minimal install of Fedora, on which one wants to subsequently add GNOME. A user in that situation would run into these same problems – namely that the installation of a major software package can only be done by knowing to install a hidden group.
Those wanting to install Cinnamon or LXDE for example, would easily see their desired desktop options in the group list. As I’ve shown here, this is not true for GNOME in Fedora, an exclusion that is inconsistently applied across Red Hat’s distros.
I’ve installed the “Fedora Workstation” group in the past to set up GNOME on a Fedora Server installation that didn’t have it.
I posted this question here because that no longer works, giving the error I quoted in the initial post in this thread. I’m still curious about whether this is intentional – that the Workstation group is not compatible (i.e. “conflicting requests”) with the Server group.
Have you tried that though? It’ll be interesting to see. A minimal install will not include the fedora-release package for a server, and therefore should not conflict with fedora-release for the workstation.
Fedora is not RedHat, and the policies used for Fedora’s releases are not the policies used for RedHat’s releases. RedHat’s policies are defined by their core team, whereas Fedora’s are by members of the Fedora community, While the overlap in software makes it likely that policies from Fedora will eventually reach a RedHat release, this should not be assumed to happen for everything—their use cases and development models are very different.
That would be the trust system limiting the number of links you can post.
Please post the outputs here anyway—pastebins posts are temporary so if someone runs into this query in a week or two, they may not be able to see the info on pastebin.