The Fedora Project today announced the release of the Fedora Linux 41 beta, inviting the public to test and provide feedback on pre-release features. This beta includes the most recent Linux 6.11 kernel and introduces the GNOME 47 desktop environment in its main Fedora Workstation version. This edition is exclusively based on Wayland and has re-enabled the ability to install NVIDIA drivers with Secure Boot. The new release also features KDE Plasma 6.1 on its Fedora KDE Spin.
Significant updates in Fedora Linux 41 include the adoption of DNF5 for improved package management, the enhancement of default system services security through systemd service hardening, and the acceleration of GnuTLS with Kernel TLS (KTLS). Additionally, it supports ROCm 6.2 for AMD users, implements bootupd for Fedora Atomic Desktops and Fedora IoT, and more.
Additionally, Fedora Linux 41 introduces a new command-line tool, fedora-repoquery, which enables repoqueries across several repositories, including Fedora Linux, EPEL, eln, and CentOS Stream. It also introduces support for self-encrypting drives within the Fedora Installer, support for Intel IPU6 cameras, defaults to composefs for Fedora CoreOS and Fedora IoT editions, and separates /usr/bin/dtrace from systemtap-sdt-devel into its own package to streamline many buildroots.
As anticipated, the Fedora Linux 41 beta includes a modern selection of default software such as the latest LibreOffice 24.8 and Mozilla Firefox 130. The update also features the latest GNU toolchain with GCC 14, GNU Binutils 2.42, GNU C Library 2.40, and GDB 14. Additional updates include RPM 4.20, Python 3.13, Go 1.23, LLVM 19, Perl 5.40, and Node.js 22.
The forthcoming release also improves the Fedora image-mode user experience by delivering familiar DNF commands both client-side and during container image construction with the inclusion of DNF5 and rpm-ostree. It sets “tuned” as the default power profile management daemon in Fedora Workstation, KDE Plasma, and Budgie editions, and introduces reproducible package builds.
Moreover, Fedora Linux 41 introduces a new Fedora Spin featuring the innovative Miracle-WM tiling window manager based on Mir. Named Fedora Miracle, this Spin provides a robust Wayland experience designed to support a wide array of platforms, including low-end ARM and x86 devices.
The final release of Fedora Linux 41 is expected sometime in late October or early November 2024. Until then, you can download the beta version from the official website, but keep in mind that it may contain unresolved bugs or unfinished features so do not install it on a production system. More details are available on the release announcement page.
Last updated 10 hours ago