Welcome to Fedora Linux 44! This release brings several important updates for Atomic Desktop variants such as Silverblue, Kinoite, Sway Atomic, Budgie Atomic, and COSMIC Atomic. Below, we break down the most significant changes in a convenient Q&A format.
What major changes are coming to Fedora Atomic Desktops in Fedora Linux 44?
Fedora Linux 44 introduces several modifications that affect all Atomic Desktop variants. Key updates include the migration of the issue tracker to the new Fedora forge, the launch of unified documentation (though translations need redoing), and the removal of FUSE version 2 libraries. The latter impacts AppImages and certain Plasma Vault backends on Kinoite. Additionally, compatibility for the legacy pkla Polkit rules format has been dropped. These changes aim to streamline development, improve security, and align with upstream deprecations. Users should review the specifics for each change, especially if they rely on AppImages or encrypted vaults.
Where can I file issues or coordinate work across Atomic Desktop variants?
Cross-variant issue tracking has moved to the new Fedora forge. This is the recommended place to report problems that affect multiple Atomic Desktop flavors or to coordinate collaborative efforts. For issues specific to a particular desktop environment, each special interest group (SIG) maintains its own tracker. You can find links to these individual trackers in the README of the atomic-desktops organization. This separation helps keep discussions focused—use the cross-variant tracker for broad issues and SIG trackers for environment-specific bugs.
What happened to the unified documentation and translations?
The long-awaited unified documentation for all Atomic Desktops is now live on the new Fedora forge. Unfortunately, the previous translations were not carried over during the migration. Once the translation infrastructure is fully operational on the new forge, we will need volunteers to retranslate the content. The good news is that most of the work involves copy-pasting from the old documentation, and this time translations only need to be done once for all variants, rather than separately for each new desktop environment. For updates, follow the tracking issue atomic-desktops#10.
Why is FUSE version 2 removed and what does it mean for AppImages?
FUSE version 2 libraries have been deprecated and unmaintained for some time, so they have been removed from Fedora Atomic Desktop images. This primarily affects AppImages that still rely on the old AppImage runtime, which depends on FUSE 2 being present on the host system. To check if an AppImage uses the outdated runtime, refer to the Fedora Discussion thread for guidance. If your AppImages stop working after the upgrade, consider these steps: first, look for a Flatpak version of the application; second, report the issue to the upstream project so they can update to a newer runtime. You can also help upstream package their app as a Flatpak.
How does the removal of FUSE 2 affect Plasma Vault on Kinoite?
On Kinoite, the removal of FUSE 2 libraries impacts Plasma Vault when using the EncFS or CryFS backends, as these rely on FUSE version 2. KDE upstream no longer recommends these backends due to maintenance concerns. Users currently employing EncFS or CryFS vaults should migrate their data to a new vault using the only maintained backend, gocryptfs. It is best to perform this migration before updating to Fedora Linux 44. If you have already upgraded and need access to your encrypted data, you can temporarily layer the necessary packages (cryfs or fuse-encfs) using rpm-ostree install, migrate your data, and then reset the layers with rpm-ostree reset.
What should I do if my AppImages or Plasma Vaults break after upgrading?
If you encounter broken AppImages after updating to Fedora Linux 44, first confirm the AppImage uses the old FUSE 2-dependent runtime. If it does, look for a Flatpak alternative or contact the upstream developer. For Plasma Vault users with EncFS/CryFS backends, follow the migration steps to gocryptfs. In both cases, temporary workarounds exist: layering the old FUSE 2 packages via rpm-ostree install for vault access, but this should be a short-term solution. The long-term fix is to transition to supported technologies—Flatpak for applications and gocryptfs for vaults. Detailed instructions are available in the Fedora Change and the tracking issue atomic-desktops#50.
What is the change regarding pkla Polkit rules?
Fedora Linux 44 drops compatibility for the legacy pkla Polkit rules format. This change is part of a broader effort to move to the more modern JavaScript-based rules format. It is unlikely that many users relied on pkla rules, as they were primarily used by older software or custom configurations. If you have custom pkla rules in place, you will need to convert them to the new format to continue functioning. Most graphical applications that manage Polkit rules will automatically use the new format. For assistance, refer to the Fedora documentation on Polkit administration.