How to Install Kodi on Fedora Linux

Kodi transforms your Fedora system into a complete media center for playing videos, music, podcasts, and streaming content from local drives, network shares, or the internet. Whether you want to organize a movie library, stream live TV through IPTV add-ons, or build a dedicated home theater PC, Kodi provides a unified interface optimized for big-screen navigation with remotes and controllers.

This guide walks you through installing Kodi on Fedora using either the RPM Fusion repository or Flatpak, configuring FirewallD for remote access, and launching the application. By the end, you will have a working Kodi installation ready for media library setup and add-on configuration.

Choose Your Kodi Installation Method

Before diving into the installation steps, consider which method suits your workflow. Fedora offers two primary ways to install Kodi, each with different trade-offs for updates and system integration.

Method	Channel	Version	Updates	Best For
RPM Fusion	RPM Fusion Free	Latest stable	Automatic via dnf upgrade	Users who prefer native packages integrated with system libraries
Flatpak	Flathub	Latest stable	Automatic via flatpak update	Users who want sandboxed installation with cross-distro portability

For most users, the RPM Fusion method is recommended because it integrates directly with Fedora’s package management and receives updates alongside system packages. The Flatpak method provides sandboxing and is useful if you prefer isolated application environments.

Install Kodi via RPM Fusion

Import the RPM Fusion Repository

First, you must add RPM Fusion on Fedora before installing Kodi on your Fedora Linux system. RPM Fusion provides additional software packages that are unavailable in the official Fedora repositories, and Kodi is one of these packages.

To import the RPM Fusion repository, execute the following command in the terminal:

sudo dnf install -y 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

This command downloads and installs both the RPM Fusion free and non-free repositories on your Fedora system. Once the installation completes, you should verify the repositories are active by running the following command:

dnf repolist | grep rpmfusion

Expected output showing both repositories:

rpmfusion-free            RPM Fusion for Fedora XX - Free
rpmfusion-free-updates    RPM Fusion for Fedora XX - Free - Updates
rpmfusion-nonfree         RPM Fusion for Fedora XX - Nonfree
rpmfusion-nonfree-updates RPM Fusion for Fedora XX - Nonfree - Updates

Install the Kodi Package

Now that you have added the RPM Fusion repository, you can install Kodi. Run the following command to install Kodi along with its dependencies:

sudo dnf install -y kodi

The -y flag automatically confirms the installation prompt, which is useful for scripted deployments but means you won’t see the package list before installation proceeds. Once installation completes, verify Kodi is available by checking the installed package:

rpm -q kodi

Expected output confirming the installation:

kodi-X.X-X.fcXX.x86_64

Install Kodi via Flatpak

Alternatively, you can install Kodi using Flatpak from Flathub. Since Flatpak is pre-installed on Fedora Workstation, you only need to ensure Flathub is configured as a remote.

Enable Flathub Repository

First, add the Flathub repository if it’s not already configured:

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

Next, verify that Flathub is available:

flatpak remotes

Expected output showing Flathub:

Name    Options
fedora  system,oci
flathub system

Install Kodi from Flathub

With Flathub configured, you can now install Kodi:

flatpak install flathub tv.kodi.Kodi -y

After the installation completes, verify that Kodi is properly installed by checking its details:

flatpak info tv.kodi.Kodi

Expected output showing installation details:

Kodi - Ultimate entertainment center

          ID: tv.kodi.Kodi
         Ref: app/tv.kodi.Kodi/x86_64/stable
        Arch: x86_64
      Branch: stable
      Origin: flathub
     Version: X.X-Omega

Configure FirewallD for Kodi Remote Access

This section is optional. FirewallD configuration is only needed if you plan to access Kodi’s web interface or control Kodi remotely from other devices on your network. Skip to the “Launch Kodi” section if you only need local playback.

Before configuring firewall rules, it’s helpful to understand which ports Kodi uses. The following table lists the default ports for each service:

Service	Port	Protocol	Purpose
Web Interface	8080	TCP	Browser-based remote control
JSON-RPC	9090	TCP	Third-party app communication
EventServer	9777	UDP	Remote device input
UPnP/SSDP	1900	UDP	Device discovery

Check FirewallD Status

Fedora Linux defaults to using FirewallD as its firewall management tool. Before configuring firewall rules for Kodi remote access, verify that FirewallD is running on your system:

sudo systemctl status firewalld

If FirewallD is active, you will see output similar to:

● firewalld.service - firewalld - dynamic firewall daemon
     Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/firewalld.service; enabled)
     Active: active (running)

However, if your system does not have FirewallD installed, use the following command to install and enable it:

sudo dnf install -y firewalld
sudo systemctl enable --now firewalld

Create FirewallD Service Rules for Kodi

To allow external access to Kodi while keeping security intact, create custom FirewallD service files for each Kodi service you need. The following example creates a service file for HTTP web interface access.

First, create the service file:

sudo nano /etc/firewalld/services/kodi-http.xml

Next, insert the following XML content into the file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<service>
  <short>Kodi HTTP</short>
  <description>Allow access to Kodi via HTTP</description>
  <port protocol="tcp" port="8080"/>
</service>

After saving and closing the file, reload the FirewallD configuration and add the new service to your active firewall zone:

sudo firewall-cmd --reload
sudo firewall-cmd --add-service=kodi-http --permanent
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

Upon successful execution, each command outputs:

success

Finally, verify the service was added:

sudo firewall-cmd --list-services | grep kodi

Expected output:

kodi-http

To enable other Kodi services, create additional XML files following the same pattern. For JSON-RPC, use port 9090/tcp. For EventServer, use port 9777/udp. For UPnP discovery, use port 1900/udp. Modify the <port> tag accordingly and repeat the reload and add-service steps for each file.

Launch Kodi on Fedora

Launch from Terminal

Once installed, you can launch Kodi from the terminal using the following command:

For RPM Fusion installation:

kodi

For Flatpak installation:

flatpak run tv.kodi.Kodi

After launching, Kodi opens in a new window. From here, you can add media sources, install add-ons, and customize the interface.

Launch from Applications Menu

Alternatively, you can open Kodi from your desktop environment:

1. First, press the Super key or click “Activities” to open the GNOME overview.
2. Then, type “Kodi” in the search bar. The Kodi media player icon should appear in the search results.
3. Finally, click on the Kodi icon to launch the application.

Update Kodi on Fedora

To ensure you’re using the latest version of Kodi with all the newest features and security patches, keep it updated using your package manager.

For RPM Fusion installation:

sudo dnf upgrade --refresh

For Flatpak installation:

flatpak update

Troubleshooting Kodi on Fedora

Kodi Fails to Start with Graphics Errors

In some cases, Kodi crashes on launch with OpenGL errors, which usually means your graphics drivers need updating. First, check your current driver status:

glxinfo | grep "OpenGL renderer"

When the output shows “llvmpipe” instead of your GPU name, this indicates your hardware drivers aren’t loading correctly. For NVIDIA users, install the proprietary drivers from RPM Fusion. For AMD and Intel users, ensure Mesa is up to date:

sudo dnf upgrade mesa*

No Audio Playback

Similarly, if Kodi plays video but produces no audio, check your audio output settings. First, verify that PipeWire is running:

systemctl --user status pipewire

In cases where the service is inactive, start it with the following command:

systemctl --user enable --now pipewire pipewire-pulse

Then, within Kodi, navigate to Settings → System → Audio and ensure the correct audio device is selected.

Remote Access Not Working

For remote access issues, if you cannot access Kodi’s web interface from another device, verify that the firewall rules are active and the web server is enabled in Kodi:

1. First, in Kodi, navigate to Settings → Services → Control.
2. Next, enable “Allow remote control via HTTP” and note the port number (default: 8080).
3. Finally, verify the firewall rule is active: sudo firewall-cmd --list-services | grep kodi

Otherwise, if the service doesn’t appear in the output, re-add it using the commands from the FirewallD configuration section above.

Remove Kodi from Fedora

When you no longer need Kodi on your Fedora system, remove it using the appropriate command for your installation method.

Remove RPM Fusion Installation

To remove Kodi installed via RPM Fusion, run the following command:

sudo dnf remove kodi

As a result, DNF automatically removes orphaned dependencies when removing packages. To verify that Kodi was uninstalled successfully, check that the package is no longer present:

rpm -q kodi

Expected output confirming removal:

package kodi is not installed

Remove Flatpak Installation

To remove Kodi installed via Flatpak, run these commands:

flatpak uninstall tv.kodi.Kodi -y
flatpak uninstall --unused

Additionally, the second command removes any unused runtimes that were installed as dependencies. To verify removal, run:

flatpak list | grep -i kodi

If Kodi was successfully removed, this command produces no output.

Remove Kodi User Data

Warning: The following commands permanently delete all Kodi user data including your media library configuration, installed add-ons, watch history, and custom settings. Back up any important configurations before proceeding.

Beyond the package itself, Kodi stores user settings, library databases, and add-on data in your home directory. To completely remove all Kodi data, delete the appropriate directory:

For RPM Fusion installation:

rm -rf ~/.kodi

For Flatpak installation:

rm -rf ~/.var/app/tv.kodi.Kodi

Conclusion

You now have Kodi installed on Fedora using either RPM Fusion or Flatpak. To get started, add your media sources through Settings → Media → Library, then explore add-ons for live TV, streaming services, and enhanced playback features. For streaming to other devices, consider pairing Kodi with Plex Media Server on Fedora or VLC for lightweight playback. To enhance media playback with additional codecs, see our guide on installing FFmpeg on Fedora.