Linux, a powerful open-source computing operating system, has evolved to become a favorite amongst tech enthusiasts and developers. One key feature that sets Linux apart is its user-friendly command-line interface (CLI) shells. Among these, Fish Shell stands out with its remarkable simplicity, robust features, and user-friendly nature.

Preparing for the Installation

Before we dive into the installation process, it’s essential to ensure that your system meets the following requirements:

  • Your server is running Fedora 39.
  • It’s recommended to use a fresh OS install to prevent potential issues.
  • You have access to the terminal to execute commands. If you’re using Fedora 39, you can find the Terminal application in the Applications menu.
  • You have a network connection or internet access to download the Fish Shell repository.
  • You have access to a non-root sudo user or the root user. However, we recommend acting as a non-root sudo user to prevent potential system damage.

Installation Steps

Step 1: Update Your Fedora System

Before you start with the installation process, you must update your Fedora system. Ensure all existing packages are up to date using the command:

sudo dnf clean all
sudo dnf update

Check if Fish Shell is already installed on your system by running fish --version. If this command returns a version number, Fish is already installed. If not, proceed with the installation. Although Fish has minimal dependencies, ensuring your system is fully updated is a good practice.

Step 2: Installing Fish Shell on Fedora 39

To install Fish on Fedora 39, use the DNF package manager with the following command:

sudo dnf install fish

To make Fish your default shell, first, install the util-linux-user package:

sudo dnf install util-linux-user

Then, you can change the default shell with:

chsh -s /usr/bin/fish

Remember to log out and back in for the change to take effect.

Step 3: Configuring Fish Shell

Configuring Fish Shell allows you to tailor your command-line experience to your preferences. Here’s how:

  • Create a Configuration File : Fish’s configuration file can be found (or created if it doesn’t exist) at ~/.config/fish/config.fish for per-user settings, or /etc/fish/config.fish for system-wide settings.
  • Customize Prompt : For a visually appealing prompt, consider installing Oh My Fish with curl -L https://get.oh-my.fish | fish, then install the bobthefish theme with omf install bobthefish.
  • Set Environment Variables : Easily add directories to your PATH with set -gx PATH $PATH ~/bin.
  • Create Aliases : Simplify commands with aliases, e.g., alias ll='ls -lh'.
  • Autocomplete and Syntax Highlighting : Fish’s built-in features enhance your command-line experience by predicting commands and highlighting syntax.

Step 4: Accessing Fish Shell on Fedora

Once Fish Shell is installed, you can start using it immediately by opening a terminal and entering the fish command. This switches your current terminal session to Fish Shell, allowing you to experience its features such as syntax highlighting, autosuggestions, and tab completions.

Step 5: Uninstalling Fish Shell

If you decide to uninstall Fish, revert your default shell back to Bash (if Fish was set as default) with chsh -s /bin/bash, then remove Fish using DNF:

sudo dnf remove fish

Optionally, you can clean up configuration files by removing the ~/.config/fish directory.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Fish Shell on your Fedora 39 system. For additional information, we recommend checking the official Fish Shell website.

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