Fedora users who rely on Telnet for legacy scripts often find it missing from fresh installations, so this guide shows how to add it back with just a few commands. First you refresh your repositories with “dnf check‑update,” install the telnet package via “dnf install telnet,” and verify the installation by running “telnet -V” to see its version number. A quick test against an open server such as towel.blinkenlights.nl reveals whether networking works, while a firewall blocking TCP port 23 can cause timeouts that need adjustment. For extra safety you may move the binary out of path and create an alias to re‑enable it when needed, with the TL;DR section neatly summarizing the four essential steps.

How to Install Telnet on Fedora Linux

If you’re still using Telnet for legacy scripts or quick‑and‑dirty network tests, Fedora’s default install leaves the client out of the box. This guide shows you how to add it back without pulling in a ton of unnecessary packages.

Why You’ll Need It

I’ve seen this happen after a major security patch: your automated backup script suddenly stops working because telnet got removed from the image. The fix is one line, but knowing why the command matters will save you a lot of head‑scratching later.

Step 1: Open a Terminal and Update Repos

sudo dnf check-update

Running this first guarantees you’re pulling the latest mirror list. It’s not just polite to the Fedora team; it also ensures you get the correct package version for your release.

Step 2: Install telnet via DNF

sudo dnf install telnet

The telnet client is part of the core repository, so no extra repos or keys are needed. If you’re on an older Fedora that still ships with telnet as part of the default set (pre‑22), this command will simply confirm it’s already there.

Step 3: Verify the Installation

telnet -V

You should see something like telnet 0.17. If you get a “command not found” error, double‑check that you typed the package name correctly and that your DNF cache is up to date (sudo dnf clean all && sudo dnf makecache).

Step 4: Test It Out

Try connecting to an open Telnet echo server:

telnet towel.blinkenlights.nl

You should see a star wars animation. If the connection times out, it’s probably your firewall blocking outbound TCP port 23—adjust that if you need regular use.

Optional: Keep It Out of Your PATH

If you’re paranoid about accidentally running Telnet on production machines, you can move the binary:

sudo mv /usr/bin/telnet /usr/local/bin/disabled-telnet

Then add an alias for quick access when needed:

echo "alias telnet='~/.local/bin/enable-telnet'" >> ~/.bashrc

Now telnet will only be available after you run the script that re‑enables it.

TL;DR

1. Update repo metadata (sudo dnf check-update).
2. Install with DNF (sudo dnf install telnet).
3. Confirm with telnet -V.
4. Test on an open server.

That’s it—no extra bloat, no unnecessary dependencies.