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I Tried Fedora Everything: How to Build a Linux Desktop Without the Bloat

Fedora Everything is Fedora's online installer, which lets you pick packages during setup. Here is how it works, what it needs, and how to build a lean desktop.
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Fedora Everything is Fedora’s online installer. Unlike the standard offline Fedora installer, it lets you choose software packages during installation, so you can start from a smaller base instead of a ready-made desktop with a full default app set. The trade-off is that it needs a working internet connection or a local Fedora mirror, and “no bloat” is only as good as the choices you make on the software selection screen.

What Fedora Everything actually is

The official Fedora download page describes Everything as the online installer and says it allows package selection during installation. The standard Fedora release images are offline installers, which carry a set of software on the media itself. Fedora Everything does not try to bundle the whole distribution. Fedora says it has too much software to fit in the installer, so the installer fetches what you select over the network.

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That distinction matters for the title’s promise. Fedora Everything is not an image with every Fedora package pre-loaded, and it is not a stripped desktop image. It is a tool that asks you what you want before it installs anything beyond the core system.

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Does Fedora Everything need internet access?

Yes, in practice. The official page says the installer requires either a working internet connection or a local Fedora mirror. If your machine cannot reach a Fedora repository during setup, the package selection step cannot complete, so plan your network before you boot the installer. A wired connection is the least likely to cause trouble partway through an install.

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Which version and architecture should you download?

Release numbers change, so use the official page as the source of truth rather than any version written in an older article. When checked on 7 October 2026, the Fedora Everything download page listed Fedora Everything 44 network installation images for x86_64, aarch64, ppc64le, and s390x. Pick the image that matches your processor architecture. Most desktop PCs and laptops from the last several years are x86_64, but confirm this for your own hardware instead of assuming it.

Preparing the installer

Before you start, check the official download page and follow its verification instructions. Fedora recommends verifying a downloaded image by confirming that its checksum matches the value published alongside it, and that the checksum file carries a valid signature from a Fedora OpenPGP certificate. Skipping this step is the easiest way to end up debugging a corrupted image later.

  1. Open the official Fedora Everything download page at https://fedoraproject.org/everything/download/ and note the current release and your architecture.
  2. Download the network installation image and the checksum and signature files the page lists for it.
  3. Verify the checksum matches, then verify the checksum file’s signature against a Fedora OpenPGP certificate.
  4. Write the verified image to a USB flash drive. Any drive large enough for the image will do, but everything on it will be erased, so back up its contents first.
  5. Boot the target machine from the drive and start the installer, with the network cable connected or Wi-Fi configured.

The Fedora Installation Guide at https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/fedora/f35/install-guide/index.html covers the general process of booting installation media. It is written for Fedora 35, so treat it as background on media and booting rather than a guide to current installer screens.

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Choosing software during installation

The software selection step is where the “no bloat” approach is decided. Fedora Everything presents base environments and optional add-ons, and the exact labels and layout depend on the release you installed. Read each option before accepting it, and avoid defaulting through the screen because a preselected group is easy to keep without noticing.

A minimal selection still has to produce a working system. That means a base set of packages plus the desktop environment you want to run. The official source establishes that you can select packages during installation, but it does not define a universal minimal desktop recipe, and the groups that best fit a given machine will vary. Expect to adjust your choices after your first boot if something you need is missing.

Decisions to make before you click through

  • Desktop environment: choose one, and avoid installing several in parallel unless you need to compare them.
  • Base tools: decide whether you want a terminal-only base with a desktop added, or a graphical base with fewer extras.
  • Office, media and browsers: leave these unselected if you plan to add only what you use.
  • Printing, Bluetooth and similar services: include them only if your hardware needs them, and note that you can usually add them later.

Adding applications after installation

Choosing packages during setup is not the only way to add software. Fedora Docs lists Fedora-packaged RPM software and the updates repository as core sources, with optional Fedora Flatpaks, EPEL and test repositories alongside them. That overview at https://docs.fedoraproject.org/zh_Hans/quick-docs/finding-and-installing-linux-applications/ applies to Fedora 36 and newer and was last reviewed on 14 May 2024, so check it for any changes before you rely on specific repository behavior.

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This means a minimal install does not lock you out of anything. You can add an application when you actually need it, which is usually a better test of whether you need it at all than deciding in advance.

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What “bloat” means in practice

Bloat is a judgment, not a measurement. One person’s bloat is another’s essential tool, so the useful question is which packages you specifically do not want on your machine. Write that list before you install. It might include a preinstalled office suite, a media player you already replaced, or background services you do not use.

Be cautious about claims that a minimal install is faster, lighter or more secure by a particular amount. The official sources cited here describe how the installer works. They do not provide size, memory, boot-time or app-count figures, so any benefit you notice should be judged on your own hardware.

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Common problems and what to do

  • The package selection step stalls or fails: check the network connection, or point the installer at a reachable local mirror.
  • The installer will not start from the drive: re-check the checksum and signature, then rewrite the drive, since a damaged image is a common cause.
  • Your desktop loads but an app is missing: install it from the Fedora repositories or as a Flatpak rather than reinstalling the whole system.
  • Something you need is missing after a minimal install: it was probably not in the groups you selected, so add the group rather than assuming the install is broken.

Who this approach suits

Fedora Everything suits people who are comfortable reading installer options, have a reliable network connection during setup, and want to decide what runs on their machine. It is a poor fit if you want a fully configured desktop out of the box, or if your machine cannot reach a Fedora mirror during installation.

The Bottom Line

Fedora Everything gives you a Linux desktop built from the packages you choose, but only if you have a working network during setup and you read the software selection screen carefully. Verify the image, decide your desktop and base in advance, and add applications later only when you need them.

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