Is there any way to set up an software update notifier like the ones in Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Manjaro, Sparky, etc.? I know you can check manually or set up automatic updating. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. Thanks.
Hi, if you have the workstation version of Rocky (and possibly other versions, I am only familiar with the workstation version) then the install will include the Gnome Software package.
You can find it by searching for it by name like any other package.
In the Software package, there is a tab at the top called Updates.
There you can check for updates. There is also a settings button (hamburger icon) that has a setting called Update preferences.
There you can enable auto updates and update notifications.
Update notification will pop up at the top of the screen like any other notification from any other package. Just had an update notification this morning actually 
Under Settings > Notifications you need to ensure notifications are allowed to popup and that you have the correct settings for each individual package including Software.
If you use this auto update method, this replaces having to do manual updates using dnf and this method includes updates of minor versions eg from 8.4 to 8.5.
Hope this helps.
If you have Gnome desktop, it will keep telling you about updates.
If you don’t have GUI, perhaps retval from check-update, but you’d need to clarify what you mean by ‘notifier’, how exactly does it notify you?
I installed Rocky 8.5 Xfce and also installed the MATE desktop which seems to be running fairly well even though there are some minor issues which I can deal with. A notifier in the Panel in some distros (Linux Mint, MX Linux) shows updates when they are available. In Sparky it pops up in the lower right corner. In Ubuntu it shows up in the lower Panel when updates are available.
In the Xfce menu Settings in Rocky there is nothing there called Notifications. I will install the Gnome-Software package and then get back to you. Thanks.
Isn’t PackageKit the thing that brings up those notifications?
In Gnome desktop “classic”, there are many notifications that appear in the top left corner near the date/time. If you use evolution for email / calendar it will show things like when a new email arrives or when you have a meeting.
There’s also a config panel under “Settings : Notifications”
There seems to be a misunderstanding about my original post. I wanted to know how to set up an update notifier that will notify me on the Desktop or in the Panel when updates are AVAILABLE, not when they have already been applied. As I stated, this function is available in at least several other distros that I know of: Ubuntu and derivitives, Linux Mint, MX Linux, Sparky, Manjaro, PCLinuxOS, and Debian, if it can be set up in Debian, which I was able to do in a few previous releases.
I have installed PackageKit but am not sure if this is all there is to do to have a functioning notifier of available updates. If anyone has been able to set up something like this then please post the instructions here. Thanks a bunch. 
With the Gnome (not classic) with default setup there are those notifications too. There is a popup (about available packages) when (presumably) PackageKit checks repos and there are updates and/or when you are about shutdown there is a dialog asking whether to install the available updates.
In other words, the (GUI) notifications that you did ask for should be there by default.
Some machines never have any GUI. It was not clear from OP whether yours is such (as we do not necessarily know Debian family and that “notification” there is a GUI thingy).
The answer I gave about update notifications is when they are available.
To clarify to everyone, my preferred desktop is MATE which I installed from the instructions here: MATE Desktop Environment - Documentation.
I originally installed the Xfce version of Rocky 8.5. I never liked Gnome because it is simply too heavy memory wise. I’ve been using the Gnome 2 style desktop since the days of Ubuntu 5.xx. All 5 of my laptops are Lenovo Thinkpads T/L series (400, 420, 430, 450).
Will either of these two desktops show available updates with PackageKit installed? Thanks.
Some packages may require gnome-shell-extension-appindicator to be installed. I don’t have Rocky with a desktop environment installed, so not sure if this is there by default or not.