Improving DNF Update Speeds with max_parallel_downloads

When managing a Fedora or RHEL-based system, downloading updates can sometimes be time-consuming, especially when dealing with a slow network connection or multiple large packages or sometimes too many small packages 😀. By default, the DNF package manager downloads 1/3 package at a time, which can slow down the process. However, you can significantly improve download times by tweaking the max_parallel_downloads setting.

What is max_parallel_downloads?

max_parallel_downloads is a configuration option in DNF that controls how many packages are downloaded simultaneously during system updates. By increasing the number of parallel downloads, you can take full advantage of your available network bandwidth and reduce the overall time needed for downloading updates.