Use the %packages command to begin a kickstart file section that lists the packages you would like to install (this is for installations only, as package selection during upgrades is not supported).

You can specify packages by group or by their package names. The installation program defines several groups that contain related packages. Refer to the variant/repodata/comps-*.xml file on the Fedora DVD for a list of groups; alternatively, you can use the yum grouplist hidden -v command to obtain a list of package groups if you have a working installation available already. Each group has an id, user visibility value, name, description, and package list. If the group is selected for installation, the packages marked mandatory in the package list are always installed, the packages marked default are installed if they are not specifically excluded elsewhere, and the packages marked optional must be specifically included elsewhere even when the group is selected.

Specify groups, one entry to a line, starting with an @ symbol, a space, and then the full group name or group id as given in the comps.xml file or in the yum grouplist hidden -v command's output. For example:

%packages 
@ X Window System 
@ Desktop 
@ Sound and Video

Note that the Core and Base groups are always selected by default, so it is not necessary to specify them in the %packages section.

Specify individual packages by name, one entry to a line. You can use asterisks as wildcards to glob package names in entries. For example:

sqlite
curl
aspell
docbook*

The docbook* entry includes the packages docbook-dtds, docbook-simple, docbook-slides and others that match the pattern represented with the wildcard.

Use a leading dash to specify packages or groups to exclude from the installation. For example:

-@ Graphical Internet 
-autofs
-ipa*fonts

Using a kickstart file to install every available package by specifying * will introduce package and file conflicts onto the installed system. Packages known to cause such problems are assigned to the @Conflicts (variant) group, where variant is Client, ComputeNode, Server or Workstation. If you specify * in a kickstart file, be sure to exclude @Conflicts (variant) or the installation will fail:

*
-@Conflicts (Server)

Note that the Fedora Project does not support the use of * in a kickstart file, even if you exclude @Conflicts (variant).

The following options are available for the %packages option: