The article walks readers through installing the EPEL repository on Rocky Linux 9 and explains why that extra package pool is useful when the default repos fall short. It covers the essential prerequisites, showing how to pull in dnf‑plugins-core for repo management tools and then fetch the epel-release package that drops two .repo files into /etc/yum.repos.d/. Readers learn how to confirm the new repo’s activation with a quick repolist command and can optionally enable the experimental EPEL‑Next source for bleeding‑edge packages, complete with cautions about stability. Finally, the guide gives a concise recap of the steps—install the core plugin, add epel-release, verify, toggle epel-next if needed, double‑check both repos, then install any desired packages like htop or newer experimental builds.

Install & Enable EPEL and EPEL‑Next on Rocky Linux 9 – Quick Guide

If you’re working on a Rocky 9 box that needs packages not shipped with the base repo, you’ll probably want to tap into EPEL. And when you need bleeding‑edge stuff (think newer GNOME or updated drivers), there’s also the optional EPEL‑Next repository.

What You’ll Learn

• How to make sure you have the tooling needed to play with repos.
• The simplest way to add the official EPEL repo.
• When and how to enable the experimental EPEL‑Next repo.
• A quick sanity check that everything is wired up correctly.

Step 1: Make Sure You Have dnf‑plugins-core

config-manager lives in this package, and you’ll need it to toggle repos on or off.

sudo dnf install -y dnf-plugins-core

If you skip this, the next command will just spit out a “command not found” error.

Step 2: Grab the Official EPEL Package

Rocky 9 is essentially RHEL 9, so the Fedora‑maintained EPEL package works perfectly.

sudo dnf install -y epel-release

Why this matters: The epel-release RPM installs two .repo files under /etc/yum.repos.d/. Those files tell DNF where to find packages that live outside the base set. Without them, you’re stuck with whatever’s in Rocky’s official repos.

After installing, refresh the metadata so DNF knows about all the new packages:

sudo dnf makecache

Step 3: Verify EPEL Is Active

A quick sanity check keeps the whole thing from feeling like a magic trick.

dnf repolist all | grep epel

You should see something like:

epel                    Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux 9 - $basearch  Enabled

If it shows Enabled, you’re good to go. If not, double‑check the .repo file or try reinstalling epel-release.

Step 4: (Optional) Enable EPEL‑Next

EPEL‑Next contains packages that are newer than their stable counterparts but aren’t fully vetted for RHEL 9 compatibility yet. Use it when you need a feature that’s not in the main repo, or if you’re testing something on a staging system.

sudo dnf config-manager --set-enabled epel-next

Why bother? Because without this flag, the epel-next repo is left dormant and nothing from it will install. And remember: “newer” doesn’t always mean “safer.” I once pulled in an experimental kernel version from EPEL‑Next and my machine failed to boot until I rolled back.

Step 5: Double‑Check Everything

Run the list again, but this time look for both repos:

dnf repolist all | grep epel

You should now see two lines, one for epel and another for epel-next, with Enabled status.

If you ever need to turn EPEL‑Next off (good practice after a test run), just flip the flag back:

sudo dnf config-manager --set-disabled epel-next

Step 6: Install Your Packages

You’re ready for any package that lives in those repos. For example, installing htop from EPEL is as simple as:

sudo dnf install -y htop

If you wanted the newer, experimental build from EPEL‑Next (when it exists), you’d specify its name if it differs or just let DNF pick the highest version.

Quick Recap

1. Install dnf-plugins-core to get config-manager.
2. Install epel-release for the official repo.
3. Verify EPEL is enabled.
4. Enable epel-next if you need bleeding‑edge packages.
5. Double‑check both repos are active.
6. Start installing.

That’s all the heavy lifting. Happy hacking, and remember: if a package from EPEL‑Next starts giving you grief, just disable it and you’re back to the safe zone.