How to Install Network Simulator 3 (NS-3.46) on Fedora Linux

While most network simulation tutorials focus on Ubuntu or Linux Mint, Fedora is a powerful, cutting-edge distribution that is excellent for research and engineering. In this guide, we’ll walk through the complete process of installing Network Simulator 3 (specifically version 3.46.1) on Fedora.

Prerequisites & System Updates

Before starting the installation, ensure your system is fully up to date. Fedora uses the DNF (or YUM) package manager. Open your terminal and run:

sudo dnf update

Note: If this is your first time updating, it might download a significant amount of data (around 1GB–4GB), so ensure you have a stable connection.

(Follow step-by-step instructions from here.)

Step 1: Install Development Tools

To compile NS-3 from source, you need a suite of development libraries. Start by installing the GNOME Software Development Kit via the Fedora Software Center or terminal. After that, install the NS-3 dependencies using the command provided in the video description. These include essential compilers and libraries like C++, Python, and CMake.

Step 2: Download and Extract NS-3

1. Visit nsnam.org and download the ns-allinone-3.46.1.tar.bz2 package.
2. Move the downloaded file to your Home folder for easier management.
3. Extract the archive using the terminal: tar xjvf ns-allinone-3.46.1.tar.bz2
4. Navigate into the extracted directory: cd ns-allinone-3.46.1/ns-3.46.1

Step 3: Configure and Build

Now, it’s time to configure the environment to include examples and tests. Run the following command:

./ns3 configure --enable-examples --enable-tests

Once the configuration is successful, start the build process:

./ns3 build

Pro Tip: This step can take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes, depending on your system's hardware resources (CPU and RAM).

Step 4: Verify the Installation

To ensure everything is working correctly, run the provided "first" example script:

./ns3 run first

If you see output lines showing packets being sent from "client to server" and "server to client," congratulations! Your NS-3 installation on Fedora is successful.

Summary

Installing NS-3 on Fedora follows a similar logic to Ubuntu but requires specific Fedora-based commands and package names. This setup allows you to leverage Fedora's performance for your networking projects. For more advanced tutorials on using NS-3 for specific research projects, feel free to explore my other videos on the channel!