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Fedora Linux

Fedora Linux is a and open-source sponsored by and developed collaboratively by the global community, serving as the upstream development platform for (RHEL). It emphasizes innovation by incorporating the latest upstream open-source technologies, with a focus on , , and , and releases a new major version approximately every six months, each supported for about 13 months. As of November 2025, the current stable release is Fedora Linux 43, which became available on October 28, 2025. Originating as the successor to , Fedora was launched with its first preview release, Fedora Core 0.94, on September 25, 2003, following Red Hat's decision to shift commercial efforts toward the enterprise-focused RHEL while maintaining a community-driven distribution for testing and innovation. The operates under four foundational principles—Freedom, Friends, Features, and First—prioritizing , community collaboration, cutting-edge functionality, and upstream contributions to broader open-source ecosystems. Development follows an "upstream first" philosophy, where changes are contributed back to upstream projects before integration into Fedora, ensuring the distribution remains a testing ground for technologies that later influence RHEL and other variants. Fedora Linux offers multiple editions tailored to different use cases, including Fedora Workstation, the flagship desktop variant featuring the GNOME desktop environment, essential productivity applications like Firefox and LibreOffice, and utilities for development and multimedia; Fedora Server for scalable digital services; and Fedora KDE Plasma Desktop for users preferring the KDE interface. Additional options include Spins with alternative desktops such as Xfce or Cinnamon, Atomic Desktops like Silverblue for enhanced immutability and security, and specialized Labs for tasks like IoT or robotics. Key security features, enabled by default, include SELinux for mandatory access control, a firewall via firewalld, full-disk encryption support, and compile-time buffer checks, making it a robust choice for desktops, servers, clouds, and containers. The project maintains extensive documentation, community forums, and tools like DNF for package management, fostering accessibility for users ranging from beginners to advanced developers.

History

Origins and founding

Fedora Linux originated as a community-driven project initiated by , Inc., in 2003, following the decision to discontinue the consumer-oriented distribution after version 9. This shift aimed to foster innovation through collaborative development, positioning Fedora as a testing ground for technologies that would later influence (RHEL). The project was established as a between Red Hat and global volunteers to promote rapid advancement of . The inaugural release, Fedora Core 1 (codenamed Yarrow), launched on November 6, 2003, marking the debut of the Fedora Project's software offerings. It featured the newly released Linux kernel 2.6.0, along with a commitment to principles, ensuring all included code was licensed under approved open terms to guarantee user freedoms for modification and redistribution. This release provided a complete operating system environment, including 2.4 desktop and essential tools, while adhering to guidelines that excluded components. The is a community-led effort primarily sponsored by , which provides infrastructure and resources while maintaining separation to encourage independent contributions. It serves as the upstream development platform for RHEL, where innovations are prototyped and refined before integration, embodying a model of collaborative, transparent . Early Fedora Core releases pioneered key technologies, including (SELinux) for , which was included and enabled by default to enhance system security beyond traditional discretionary models. Additionally, the Yellowdog Updater, Modified (Yum) was introduced as the primary tool for dependency-resolved software installation and updates from repositories. In version 7, released in 2007, the project rebranded by dropping "Core" to unify its package ecosystem.

Evolution through major versions

Fedora 7, codenamed and released on May 31, 2007, marked a significant by dropping the "Core" designation and unifying the previously separate Fedora Core and Fedora Extras repositories into a single distribution called simply Fedora. This change streamlined packaging and maintenance, allowing for a cohesive ecosystem without the prior that had limited third-party contributions to Extras. In July 2007, the established the Fedora Board as its top-level governance body, replacing the prior advisory-only structure to provide more robust leadership and . By 2008, this framework had evolved to include key community representatives, fostering coordinated oversight amid growing project complexity. Fedora 9, codenamed Sulphur and released on May 13, 2008, solidified as the default , incorporating GNOME 2.22 with enhancements for usability and integration. This shift emphasized a consistent, modern interface, aligning with Fedora's focus on upstream innovation while supporting alternative environments like the newly defaulted 4. Starting with Fedora 25 in November 2016, the project began experimenting with the display protocol as the default for GNOME sessions, replacing X11 to improve security, performance, and smoothness in graphical rendering. Key audio advancements arrived in Fedora 34, released in April 2021, where became the default multimedia framework, unifying handling of audio and video streams previously managed separately by and JACK. Fedora 41, released in October 2024, removed the default X11 session for , fully committing to and aligning with upstream GNOME's deprecation of X11 support to prioritize a more secure and efficient display stack. In Fedora 42, released in April 2025, was elevated to an official core edition, maintained by the , offering users a robust alternative to with enhanced customization and performance. The introduction of atomic desktops began with Fedora Silverblue in version 28, released in May 2018, which adopted an immutable, OSTree-based design for greater reliability and easier updates through layered images rather than traditional package management. By Fedora 42, this approach had expanded the core editions to six, incorporating variants like Silverblue, Kinoite, and others alongside Workstation and Server to cater to diverse workflows such as container-focused development. Fedora 43, released on October 28, 2025, introduced 49 as a fully Wayland-only , aligning with upstream developments, along with 6.17 and the Anaconda WebUI as the default installer for , enhancing accessibility and modernizing the experience.

Development

Development model and processes

Fedora Linux adheres to an upstream-first philosophy, which prioritizes contributing improvements directly to the original open-source —known as upstream—rather than maintaining custom patches in the distribution itself. This approach ensures that enhancements benefit the entire ecosystem, reduces long-term maintenance efforts for the , and fosters collaboration with upstream communities. As a testing ground for technologies that often flow into (RHEL), Fedora enables early validation and refinement of features before their enterprise adoption. Notable contributions include active involvement in like and for advancements, as well as the for stability and performance improvements. The development process revolves around two primary branches: Rawhide, a continuously rolling repository that integrates the latest package builds daily for cutting-edge testing, and branched releases, which diverge from Rawhide to stabilize toward a new version's general availability. Once branched, updates undergo testing and approval through Bodhi, a system that automates package update creation, testing, and release for stable distributions, allowing maintainers to push refinements while minimizing disruptions. Fedora Infrastructure supports these workflows with specialized tools, including for comprehensive bug tracking and issue management across the project. Source code is hosted and managed via Pagure, a lightweight git-based platform that facilitates and collaboration for packages and modules. Builds are orchestrated by Koji, an RPM-centric build system that creates isolated environments to compile and sign packages reproducibly before distribution. Major features and changes follow a structured overseen by the Fedora Engineering Steering Committee (FESCo), where submitters tickets outlining details, timelines, and impacts for review and approval. Each release cycle includes predefined freeze schedules, such as beta and final freezes, to lock in features, conduct , and ensure timely milestones like branching from Rawhide. Fedora emphasizes (FOSS) principles, packaging only software with permissive licenses and excluding proprietary components or binary blobs from core repositories to maintain ideological purity. Exceptions are limited to specific community spins or third-party repositories, where non-FOSS elements may be included for niche use cases without compromising the main distribution's standards.

Community structure and governance

The Fedora Project operates as a community-driven initiative sponsored by , fostering collaboration among volunteers, contributors, and professionals to develop and promote the Fedora Linux distribution. This structure emphasizes open participation, with decision-making distributed across various bodies to ensure and inclusivity. The project's organizational is informal yet guided by key governing entities that oversee strategic direction, technical changes, and community . At the apex of is the Fedora Council, the top-level body responsible for the overall stewardship of the project, including policy formulation and community representation. Composed of appointed and elected members from diverse community segments, the Council addresses high-level issues such as ethical guidelines and project vision. Complementing this is the Fedora Engineering Steering Committee (FESCo), which focuses on by reviewing and approving proposed changes to the distribution's aspects, such as implementations and release criteria. These bodies ensure balanced input from the community while maintaining alignment with Fedora's principles of freedom and innovation. Community engagement is facilitated through structured contributor paths that lower barriers for newcomers. The Mentors program pairs aspiring participants with experienced members to guide involvement in areas like development, documentation, and testing, promoting skill-building and retention. Aspiring packagers undergo a sponsorship process, where established maintainers review and endorse their work to join the official package repository, ensuring quality and adherence to guidelines. Translators contribute via platforms like Weblate, localizing software, documentation, and websites to support global adoption through the Fedora Localization (L10N) Project. Outreach and events play a central role in community building, with the Fedora Ambassadors program enabling regional representatives to promote the project through local activities, media engagement, and educational workshops worldwide. Historical events like FUDCon evolved into , an annual contributor conference that facilitates in-person collaboration, hack sessions, and discussions on project direction, alternating between international locations to encourage broad participation. Diversity and inclusion are prioritized through the Fedora Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Team, which organizes initiatives like the Fedora Week of Diversity to celebrate underrepresented contributors and foster equitable participation. The project adopted a formal in alignment with broader open-source standards, emphasizing respectful interactions and anti-harassment measures to create a welcoming . In October 2025, the Fedora Council approved a allowing AI-assisted contributions—provided they include proper and . The project continues to support mobile and variants.

Core Features

Package management system

Fedora Linux employs DNF (Dandified YUM) as its primary , a tool designed for installing, updating, and removing software packages in RPM format. DNF succeeded the older YUM package manager starting with Fedora 22 in 2015, offering improved performance and dependency resolution capabilities. It leverages the libsolv library for efficient dependency solving, enabling faster and more reliable package operations compared to its predecessor. At its core, DNF operates on the RPM (Red Hat Package Manager) format, which serves as the standard for packaging software in Fedora and related distributions. To address the limitations of providing only a single version of certain software stacks per release, Fedora introduced modular repositories in Fedora 28 in 2018. These repositories allow users to install and maintain parallel versions of applications and runtimes, such as multiple streams of (e.g., versions 14, 16, or 18), without conflicts, by grouping related packages into modules with defined streams and profiles. For handling containerized and immutable deployments, particularly in Fedora's atomic variants like Silverblue and Kinoite, DNF integrates with for universal application packaging and for atomic system updates. Flatpak enables sandboxed, distribution-agnostic app installation, while OSTree manages the base system as an immutable filesystem tree, allowing layered RPM packages via rpm-ostree commands that complement DNF for traditional package management. DNF supports a range of command-line operations for package handling. Common commands include dnf install <package> to add software, dnf update to refresh the system, and dnf search <keyword> to query available packages. For graphical interfaces, tools like provide a user-friendly frontend to DNF, facilitating package discovery, installation, and updates through an intuitive interface. Fedora's repository structure is organized to ensure stability and timely updates, consisting of the main repository for initial release packages, the updates repository for stable post-release fixes, and updates-testing for packages under validation before promotion. Third-party repositories, such as RPM Fusion, extend this ecosystem by providing additional software not included in official Fedora sources, including both free and non-free packages that adhere to Fedora's guidelines.

Security mechanisms

Fedora Linux enforces (SELinux) by default since Fedora Core 2 in 2004, providing to confine processes and limit potential damage from vulnerabilities. The system uses a targeted policy that applies strict controls primarily to system services while allowing standard user applications to operate with fewer restrictions, reducing administrative overhead without compromising core protections. Tools like setroubleshoot assist in diagnosing SELinux denials by analyzing audit logs and suggesting policy adjustments or fixes, enabling users to resolve issues efficiently. Firewalld serves as Fedora's primary dynamic firewall management tool, allowing zone-based configuration for different network interfaces and runtime changes without disrupting connections. Since Fedora 33 in 2020, firewalld has integrated nftables as its backend, replacing the legacy iptables for improved performance and rule expressiveness in modern networking scenarios. While SELinux remains the primary security module, Fedora provides support for AppArmor as an alternative mandatory access control system through available packages, allowing users to install and configure it for path-based confinement on specific applications. Automatic security updates are facilitated by dnf-automatic, a DNF plugin that schedules checks, downloads, and installations of patches, ensuring timely remediation of vulnerabilities without manual intervention. The in Fedora incorporates hardening features such as (ASLR) to randomize memory addresses and mitigate exploitation of memory corruption vulnerabilities, along with historical protections like Exec-Shield for non-executable stack and heap segments in earlier versions. In certain community spins, users may apply grsecurity patches for additional kernel-level protections including enhanced auditing and exploit mitigations, though these are not part of the standard Fedora kernel. For atomic editions like Fedora CoreOS and Silverblue, 2025 updates in Fedora 43 introduced RPM package multi-key signing with RPM 6.0 to bolster integrity in immutable, containerized environments. Fedora aligns with (CIS) benchmarks through tools like ComplianceAsCode, which generate profiles for auditing and hardening configurations against established standards for systems. The Security Lab spin offers a dedicated environment for testing, including tools for CVE identification and to support proactive research and tracking. Fedora's repositories employ GPG package signing to verify authenticity and prevent tampering during updates.

Software availability and repositories

Fedora Linux Workstation edition features the desktop environment by default, with available in community spins for users preferring alternative interfaces. Preinstalled applications include the web browser for internet access, the office suite for document editing, and core utilities such as the file manager and Settings configuration tool. In Fedora 43, released on October 28, 2025, the default stack incorporates , providing improved support for modern hardware including AMD Ryzen processors. The official Fedora repositories, maintained by the , contain over 75,000 (FOSS) packages, enabling users to install a wide range of applications via the DNF . For software compatible with , the Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux (EPEL) repository offers additional high-quality extras built from Fedora sources. Fedora enforces a strict FOSS policy, prohibiting , drivers, or codecs in its core repositories to uphold principles of freedom and openness. Proprietary components, such as NVIDIA graphics drivers, must be obtained from third-party sources like the RPM Fusion repositories, which users enable separately to access multimedia codecs and hardware-specific modules. Fedora integrates emerging technologies to support modern workflows, including Podman as the daemonless container engine preferred over for its rootless operation and security focus. The tool facilitates creating isolated, mutable container environments for and testing. In October 2025, the approved a policy permitting AI-assisted contributions to its packages and documentation, provided they are disclosed and transparent.

Installation and Configuration

Anaconda installer

Anaconda serves as the primary installation program for Fedora Linux, providing both graphical and text-based interfaces to guide users through the setup of the operating system on a target machine. Developed as a free and open-source tool, it handles hardware configuration, , software selection, and network setup during the process. Since its introduction with Fedora Core 1 in 2003, Anaconda has been integral to Fedora installations, evolving from earlier roots in distributions dating back to 1999. Written primarily in , it consists of modular scripts and libraries that enable flexible customization. Starting with Fedora 42, Anaconda introduced a new Web UI for a simplified and more user-friendly experience, which became the default across all Fedora editions including in Fedora 43. In Fedora 43, Anaconda switched to DNF5 for backend package management and increased the default /boot partition size to 2 GiB to accommodate larger boot data. A key feature of Anaconda is its support for automated installations via Kickstart files, which allow predefined configurations for large-scale or unattended deployments by scripting responses to installer prompts. During the process, it performs hardware detection to identify and configure components such as storage devices, interfaces, and peripherals. For disk partitioning, Anaconda's automatic partitioning uses with subvolumes for the root filesystem in editions and on Logical Volume Manager (LVM) for editions, offering options for manual including via LUKS. setup is integrated, enabling configuration of IPv4/IPv6 addresses, DNS, and connectivity for package downloads or remote storage access. Users can select package groups through the Software Selection screen, choosing base environments like or along with add-ons for specific functionalities. Significant updates to Anaconda include its modular redesign starting with Fedora 28 in 2018, which separated core logic into DBus-accessible modules for improved stability, extensibility, and testing. This architecture allows third-party add-ons and easier maintenance. In Fedora 41, released in 2024, Anaconda gained native support for live environments, replacing X11 dependencies and enabling remote installations via RDP instead of VNC for better security and performance. Fedora Media Writer is the recommended tool for creating bootable media from ISO images, verifying checksums and supporting persistent storage options for testing before . Common scenarios involve setup; users should ensure the selected matches their physical keyboard during LUKS passphrase entry to avoid boot issues. Another frequent problem is configuring LVM on LUKS, which requires careful manual partitioning to ensure the bootloader can access the encrypted volumes without errors. For Fedora Atomic editions, such as Silverblue or CoreOS, Anaconda facilitates the but deploys an immutable OSTree-based managed by rpm-ostree, differing from traditional editions that use standard RPM via DNF for mutable updates.

Post-installation setup

Upon completing the with Anaconda and rebooting the , Fedora Linux launches the Initial Setup wizard on first login, which guides users through essential configurations. This tool, introduced in Fedora 18 to replace the older Firstboot, runs as a unit before the login screen and includes both graphical and (TUI) modes. It facilitates the creation of accounts, selection of and layout, and adjustment of , such as services and online account integration. In GNOME-based editions like Fedora Workstation, it transitions seamlessly to the GNOME Initial Setup for additional desktop-specific customizations, while KDE editions utilize a similar flow for these steps. For multimedia support, users often enable additional repositories post-installation to access proprietary codecs. The RPM Fusion repositories, a community-maintained , provide these packages after via command line: sudo dnf install https://download1.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm for , followed optionally by the nonfree repository. Once enabled, codecs can be installed using [sudo](/page/Sudo) dnf group install [multimedia](/page/Multimedia) on Fedora 41 and later, which includes support for formats like H.264 and without manual plugin configuration. adjustments are also common; for instance, in Fedora Server, the service manages rules, and users can add services like via [sudo](/page/Sudo) firewall-cmd --add-service=cockpit --permanent before reloading with [sudo](/page/Sudo) firewall-cmd --reload. System updates and application management integrate with GNOME Software, the default graphical tool in Workstation editions, which handles DNF-based package updates alongside installations. Users access updates through the application's interface, where security patches and new versions appear in the Updates tab; from Flathub are supported natively, enabling sandboxed app deployment without additional setup. require separate installation of snapd via sudo dnf install snapd and enabling classic confinement if needed, though they do not integrate directly with GNOME Software since Fedora 31. In atomic desktop editions like Silverblue or Kinoite, post-installation upgrades use rpm-ostree for immutable system management, allowing rebasing to new versions such as from Fedora 42 to with rpm-ostree rebase fedora:fedora/43/x86_64/silverblue followed by a . For server editions in headless environments, provides web-based administration; pre-installed on Fedora Server, it is enabled with sudo systemctl enable --now cockpit.socket and accessed via https://hostname:9090, supporting tasks like storage and networking configuration remotely. Accessibility features are configurable post-installation, with tools like the available for activation via Alt + Super + S or through Settings > Accessibility. To enable automatic startup, users navigate to Settings > Universal Access and toggle Orca, or set environment variables like export GNOME_ACCESSIBILITY=1 in ~/.bash_profile for broader compatibility across and applications. Hardware drivers, such as the open-source Nouveau for GPUs, load by default and can be verified with lsmod | [grep](/page/Grep) nouveau; proprietary alternatives from RPM Fusion are optional for enhanced performance but require blacklisting Nouveau via kernel parameters.

Editions and Variants

Workstation and desktop editions

Fedora Workstation is the flagship desktop edition of Fedora Linux, featuring the desktop environment as its default since the introduction of the Workstation variant in Fedora 21, released in December 2014. This edition emphasizes a modern, streamlined user experience optimized for productivity and creative workflows, with providing intuitive gesture-based navigation and integration with core system tools. A key component is GNOME Boxes, a user-friendly application included by default, which leverages /KVM to simplify the creation and management of virtual machines for testing or development purposes. In parallel, the Desktop edition serves as a prominent official variant, elevated to full edition status in Fedora 42, released in April 2025, and built around 6. This release marks 6's integration as the core desktop, exclusively utilizing as the display server protocol by default to enhance security, smoothness, and , with X11 available only via manual . Default applications in the edition include the file manager for seamless file handling, while the edition employs for intuitive software management and updates. Both editions incorporate performance optimizations such as fractional scaling for high-DPI displays—enabled experimentally in via Mutter settings—and (VRR) support in recent versions (since 47) and 6 to reduce and improve fluidity on compatible monitors. Users seeking alternatives to the default or experiences can opt for community-maintained integrated into the Fedora ecosystem, such as the for a lightweight yet feature-rich interface or the for a more traditional desktop layout reminiscent of GNOME 2. These allow customization without altering the core or KDE editions, providing options for varied hardware or preference needs. Hardware compatibility in 2025 releases, including Fedora 42 and 43, spans x86_64 architectures with support for recent and CPUs—dropping pre-2008 processors—alongside () for devices like and enterprise servers, ensuring broad accessibility for desktop use.

Server and enterprise editions

Fedora Server is an edition of Fedora Linux tailored for production server environments, emphasizing stability, security, and efficient resource utilization in headless configurations. It provides a minimal, text-based environment without a default , making it suitable for deployment on physical , machines, or instances. The edition features the web console, which is pre-installed and enables remote system management through a secure , covering tasks like storage, networking, and service monitoring. Podman, a daemonless engine for running OCI-compliant containers without elevated privileges, has been available out-of-the-box since Fedora 28, supporting modern containerized workloads in settings. During installation via the Anaconda installer, users can select role-based kits to configure common server functions, such as web serving with Apache HTTP Server or Nginx, database management using MariaDB, and virtualization hosting through libvirt and KVM hypervisor. A minimal install option strips down the package set to essentials, ideal for lightweight or customized deployments where only core system components are needed. As the upstream platform for (RHEL) Server, Fedora Server tests and refines enterprise features ahead of their integration into RHEL, including for centralized identity management, authentication, and policy enforcement. In 2025, enhancements include deeper integration for Kubernetes-based orchestration on Fedora Server nodes and improved support for AI workloads via ROCm libraries and frameworks like , enabling GPU-accelerated computing in releases such as Fedora 41 and later.

Specialized editions (IoT, CoreOS, Atomic)

Fedora IoT is a lightweight edition designed for embedded devices and ecosystems, offering a minimal footprint optimized for resource-constrained environments such as industrial gateways, infrastructure, and / edge analytics. Introduced with Fedora 31 in 2019, it supports bootloaders like U-Boot for ARM-based , enabling efficient deployment on devices like and other single-board computers. The edition emphasizes container-based workflows with tools like Podman and rpm-ostree for atomic updates, ensuring scalability and remote recovery capabilities. In recent developments as of 2025, Fedora IoT has enhanced features for , including integration of the Device Onboarding (FDO) stack for zero-touch provisioning, which facilitates secure, automated device ownership transfer in distributed networks. Fedora CoreOS serves as an immutable operating system tailored for container orchestration in clustered environments, functioning as a minimal host optimized for running workloads. Launched in 2020 as the official successor to the original CoreOS , it employs Ignition for initial system configuration on first boot and as a declarative to generate human-readable configs that compile into Ignition files, streamlining deployment across or bare-metal setups. This edition prioritizes automatic updates and mechanisms to maintain system integrity in production clusters, with a strong emphasis on security through SELinux enforcement and minimal . By 2025, Fedora CoreOS has deepened its integration, supporting advanced customization for dedicated workloads and enhancing scalability for containerized applications in hybrid edge- scenarios. The Atomic Desktops represent immutable variants of aimed at desktop users seeking reliable, container-friendly experiences, including Silverblue with and Kinoite with . Introduced in Fedora 28 in May 2018, these editions utilize rpm-—a hybrid of OSTree for image-based deployments and DNF for RPM —to deliver updates that apply on , preserving the base system while allowing selective package overlays via containers like . This approach contrasts with the traditional mutable RPM-based updates in Fedora Workstation, where changes directly modify the filesystem, potentially leading to inconsistencies; Atomic Desktops instead maintain a read-only filesystem for enhanced and easier rollbacks. As of Fedora 43 in October 2025, these variants have seen refinements in mechanics and container support to better accommodate workflows.

Community spins and labs

Fedora community spins are official variants of the distribution tailored by Special Interest Groups (SIGs) to feature desktop environments or window managers, providing users with customized experiences beyond the default edition. These spins are built using the same kickstart files and tools as the core releases, ensuring consistency in package management and security features. Examples include the Spin, which offers a lightweight and classic desktop interface; the Spin for minimal resource usage; the Spin emphasizing traditional desktop metaphors; the Spin with a modern yet familiar layout; the Spin for an elegant and intuitive workflow; the i3 Spin utilizing a for productivity; and the Spin, a Wayland-compatible to i3. In Fedora 43, released in October 2025, several were updated or added, including the , , , , i3, and variants, reflecting ongoing community contributions to diversify desktop options. The creation process begins with a SIG proposing a Self-Contained Change, followed by review and integration into the official build system by , allowing spins to be composed from the Fedora package repositories without introducing third-party dependencies. Fedora Labs complement spins by offering themed live images that bundle specialized software for particular workflows, rather than serving as complete desktop editions. These labs are curated by community members and focus on purpose-driven tools, such as the Security Lab, which includes penetration testing and forensics applications like and for secure auditing environments; the Games Lab, showcasing a variety of open-source games across genres; and the Design Suite, providing multimedia tools for , including and . Other labs include the Jam for audio production with JACK and Ardour, and the Scientific Lab for numerical computing with KDE-based interfaces and tools like and . Unlike spins, labs are not intended for permanent installations but for testing and exploration. While third-party remixes like exist as customized derivatives, the project emphasizes officially hosted and labs to maintain quality and alignment with Fedora guidelines. Recent developments in 2025 include the introduction of the COSMIC in Fedora 42, featuring System76's Rust-based for enhanced responsiveness and customization, and mobile variants such as the , which adapts the Plasma desktop for touch-based devices, alongside the Mobility Phosh Image for compatibility. These efforts build upon the base to extend Fedora's reach to emerging form factors.

Supported architectures

Fedora Linux has officially supported the architecture (also known as or ) as its primary platform since the distribution's inception in 2003, providing comprehensive compatibility with modern and processors. This architecture serves as the default for most editions, including , , and specialized variants, ensuring broad hardware availability for desktops, laptops, and servers. The architecture (ARM64) received full official support starting with Fedora 21 in November 2014, enabling deployment on a wide range of ARMv8-based systems from high-end servers to single-board computers. This support includes dedicated installation images and package repositories, with ongoing enhancements for compatibility with devices like the series. Among alternative architectures, Fedora maintains support for ppc64le (little-endian PowerPC64), targeted at and OpenPOWER hardware, with builds available for and newer processors. Similarly, s390x support caters to mainframes, accommodating z13 and later models for enterprise computing environments. RISC-V, an open , has been experimentally supported since Fedora 31 in 2019, with images for platforms like the StarFive VisionFive 2 and SiFive Premier P550, though it remains a secondary architecture with dedicated maintainer oversight. Installation media for these architectures are provided as architecture-specific ISO images, generated through the Koji build system, which facilitates native compilation on dedicated hardware or virtualized environments for secondary architectures to ensure reliability. While full cross-compilation for user-space packages is not standard, Koji supports cross-building for kernels and select components across architectures. As of November 2025, Fedora Linux 43 continues to emphasize and as primary targets, with bolstered integration for and embedded applications, including initial minimal images for 5. Support for 32-bit x86 (i686) applications via multilib on systems persists, despite ongoing discussions and withdrawn proposals to phase it out, maintaining compatibility for legacy software. Fedora does not provide official support for platforms or dedicated mobile phone hardware, though community spins may offer experimental adaptations.

Releases

Release schedule and cycle

Fedora Linux follows a biannual release cycle, producing two major versions each year, typically targeted for the fourth Tuesday of and . This schedule ensures a predictable rhythm, allowing users and developers to anticipate updates while incorporating the latest stable technologies from upstream projects. Each release undergoes approximately six months of development, beginning with branching from the Rawhide continuous development stream, followed by alpha and testing phases to refine stability before general availability. Each Fedora release receives approximately 13 months of support, extending until four weeks after the subsequent second release (e.g., Fedora N ends support shortly after Fedora N+2 launches). This support window includes security updates, bug fixes, and enhancements, after which the release reaches end-of-life (EOL) status, with no further maintenance. EOL announcements are published through official channels like Fedora Magazine, urging users to upgrade to a supported version. Fedora systems provide automatic notifications via desktop environments—such as or —alerting users to impending EOL and available upgrades. Upgrading between releases is facilitated by the DNF system-upgrade plugin, which enables seamless transitions from the command line by downloading and installing packages for the next version after ensuring the current system is fully updated. Alternatively, users can boot from installation media created with to perform an offline upgrade, preserving existing data and configurations. For example, Fedora 41 reached end-of-life on November 19, 2025, shortly after the release of Fedora 43. In 2025, Fedora aligned its release cadence more closely with upstream desktop environments, particularly and , both of which adopted semi-annual cycles to synchronize with Fedora's April and October timelines starting with versions 42 and 43. Rawhide serves as the primary pre-release testing ground, integrating ongoing development for upcoming stable releases.

Rawhide development branch

Rawhide serves as Linux's perpetual development branch, continuously integrating the latest package versions to prepare for the next release. It functions as a rolling where all packages are built and updated daily, allowing developers and testers to access cutting-edge software before it reaches channels. The branch is maintained through automated builds in Koji, Fedora's build system, with composes generated nightly at 05:15 UTC using if the build succeeds; successful composes are then synced to public mirrors. This daily update cycle ensures Rawhide mirrors the most recent changes from 's source , including experimental features and dependency updates. Primarily intended for developers, package maintainers, and early testers, Rawhide provides an environment to validate new software integrations, such as updates to core components like or , before they propagate to stable releases. However, its bleeding-edge nature carries significant risks, including system breakage from incompatible updates or incomplete features; users are advised to employ strategies like installing from compose —pre-built images that undergo basic validation—or using tools such as dnf downgrade to revert problematic packages. To switch to Rawhide from a Fedora installation, users can enable the Rawhide in /etc/yum.repos.d/fedora.repo and perform an upgrade via sudo dnf system-upgrade download --releasever=rawhide --allowerasing followed by sudo dnf system-upgrade [reboot](/page/Reboot), or for image-based like Silverblue, use rpm-ostree rebase. Rawhide draws from the latest packages in the updates-testing , serving as an upstream testing ground that feeds into updates after validation. In the Fedora release cycle, remains the active development trunk until approximately two months before general availability () of the next version, at which point it branches to form the new stable release tree, allowing Rawhide to reset and begin development for the subsequent version. This branching aligns with Fedora's six-month release cadence, providing a clear transition from development to stabilization. As of 2025, Rawhide benefits from enhanced automation in its workflows, particularly for atomic images and container-based variants, through integration with Fedora's (CI) pipelines that test OSTree compositions and enforce gating via tools like Bodhi and Greenwave to catch integration failures early. These practices, including automated testing for Atomic Hosts and containers, improve reliability for image-based editions like Silverblue, reducing manual intervention in daily composes.

Version history and upgrades

Fedora Linux began its version history with Fedora Core 1, released on November 6, 2003, as a community-driven successor to Red Hat Linux, featuring the Linux kernel 2.4.22, GNOME 2.4 as the default desktop environment, and the introduction of the yum package manager for easier software handling. Subsequent early releases from Fedora Core 2 (May 2004, kernel 2.6.5, codename Tettnang) to Fedora 10 (November 2008, kernel 2.6.27, codename Cambridge) focused on kernel evolutions toward better hardware support and performance optimizations, such as the adoption of the 2.6 series for improved multiprocessing and device drivers. Desktop environments saw gradual shifts, with GNOME remaining prominent but incorporating enhancements like better integration with KDE options and the unification of Fedora Core and Extras repositories in Fedora 7 (May 2007, kernel 2.6.21, codename Zod), streamlining package availability. From Fedora 11 (June 2009, kernel 2.6.29, codename Leonidas) to Fedora 30 (November 2019, kernel 5.3), the project emphasized stability and innovation, introducing significant technologies like Btrfs as the default filesystem in Fedora 33 (though prototyped earlier, fully adopted post-30 for snapshots and compression). Systemd was adopted as the init system in Fedora 15 (May 2011, kernel 2.6.38, codename Lovelock), replacing Upstart for faster boot times and service management. The Silverblue prototype, an immutable and atomic desktop variant using OSTree for image-based updates, emerged in Fedora 28 (May 2018, kernel 4.16), aiming to enhance reliability through containerized applications and rollback capabilities. These mid-period releases also saw desktop refinements, including GNOME 3's debut in Fedora 15 and ongoing kernel advancements for security features like SELinux enhancements. Recent releases have accelerated desktop and kernel innovations. Fedora 38 (April 18, 2023) introduced 44 with improved support and unrestricted Flathub access for apps. Fedora 39 (November 7, 2023) shipped with 6.5 for enhanced GPU support. Fedora 40 (April 23, 2024) featured 46 and a refreshed Software interface. Fedora 41 (October 29, 2024) featured 47, DNF 5 for faster package management, and the spin, with continuing to default to while retaining X11 session support. Fedora 42 (April 15, 2025) promoted Desktop to official edition status with 6.3 and introduced the COSMIC desktop environment. Fedora 43 (October 28, 2025) added a new Anaconda WebUI installer for , 49 with -exclusive support, and RPM 6.0, while removing X11 packages entirely. Upgrades between versions are typically straightforward using the dnf system-upgrade command, which handles package transitions and updates, but certain releases present challenges requiring user intervention. For instance, 31 (October 29, 2019) involved a significant 3 migration, where 2 was fully deprecated, necessitating adjustments for legacy scripts and dependencies in environments like virtualenvs to avoid breakage during upgrades. Post- 43 details remain incomplete as of November 2025, with ongoing Rawhide testing providing early previews of future changes.
VersionRelease DateKernelMajor Features
38April 18, 20236.2GNOME 44, unrestricted Flathub, new Budgie and Sway spins
39November 7, 20236.5Improved AMD GPU support, GNOME 45
40April 23, 20246.8GNOME 46, refreshed GNOME Software
41October 29, 20246.11GNOME 47, DNF 5, Miracle spin
42April 15, 20256.14KDE Plasma official edition, COSMIC desktop, streamlined installer
43October 28, 20256.17GNOME 49, Anaconda WebUI for spins, RPM 6.0, Wayland-exclusive GNOME