Fedora 39, the latest version Fedora Linux released on November 7, 2023. With tons of new updates and features, this release is sure to make your Linux experience even better. In this article, we’ll cover all the important feature highlights of Fedora 39 so you can get the most out of it. Let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
Fedora 39: Best New Features
Linux Kernel 6.5
Let’s kick things off with the powerhouse of any Linux distribution – the kernel. Fedora 39 ships with Linux Kernel 6.5, bringing many performance improvements, security enhancements, and hardware support. This means better compatibility with the latest hardware and a smoother and more secure computing experience. Key highlights of the Kernel 6.5 include the initial Wifi-7 support and many more, which you can read in this detailed Kernel 6.5 guide.
GNOME 45: A Fresh Look and Feel
For Fedora’s Workstation edition 39, GNOME 45 takes centre stage. This update introduces an elegant refresh to your desktop environment, with new Adwaita styles featuring split headerbars and improved system settings dialogs. But that’s not all; GNOME 45 brings some nifty additions:
- Speedier file search: Finding your files has never been quicker, thanks to a global search feature that lets you “search everywhere.” It’s a productivity boost that you’ll appreciate in your day-to-day tasks.
- Enhanced usability: Fedora Workstation now boasts new workspace icons for a more user-friendly experience. You’ll find it easier than ever to organize your workspace and access your applications.
- Loupe replaces ‘Eyes of GNOME’: The new ‘Loupe’ application takes over from the ‘Eyes of GNOME’ image viewer. While it’s still a work in progress, this change opens up exciting possibilities for image viewing on Fedora.
- Keyboard backlight control: GNOME 45 also introduces a dedicated control in quick settings, allowing you to adjust your keyboard backlight intensity with a convenient slider.
That’s not all, a huge set of additional changes are also coming as part of this release. You can learn more here: GNOME 45: Best new features.
Auto-Updates in Fedora Kinoite
For Fedora Kinoite users, there’s a significant improvement in the form of auto-updates enabled by default. Plasma Discover now supports automatic updates through rpm-ostree staged updates. This means you’ll effortlessly receive bug fixes and updates as they roll out in this immutable Fedora-spin featuring KDE Plasma, ensuring your system stays secure and up to date.
Fedora Onyx: A New Immutable spin with Budgie
Another exciting addition is the birth of ‘Fedora Onyx,’ an official Fedora immutable variant featuring the sleek Budgie Desktop environment. This complements the existing Fedora Budgie Spin and expands the array of immutable options available to Fedora users.
Introduced a few months back, Fedora Onyx is designed for users who value the Fedora computing platform and Budgie Desktop environment but need the added immutability and atomic capabilities that rpm-ostree provides.
No more custom Qt theming
Fedora Workstation is bidding farewell to custom Qt theming. Instead, it’s embracing what Qt upstream has to offer. This change streamlines the Qt application experience, offering better compatibility and reducing potential issues.
Today, the Fedora workstation uses QGnomePlatform and Adwaita-qt packages to make the Qt applications look like GNOME apps. So, the Qt apps may look slightly different, but they will be stable and likely bug-free.
Fedora on Azure Cloud
Fedora 39 now offers an official Fedora Cloud image on Azure, opening up a world of possibilities for Fedora users in the cloud. It’s a strategic move that promises to expand Fedora’s user base and provide more choices for cloud deployments.
Retiring modularity
In a significant shift, Fedora will discontinue building modules for Fedora Linux 39 and beyond. This change will lead to the retirement of the ‘fedora-repos-modular’ and ‘fedora-repos-rawhide-modular’ packages, marking the end of modular repositories. This transition streamlines the Fedora ecosystem and paves the way for a more straightforward packaging process.
Colourful Bash Prompt
Finally, Fedora 39 introduces a small yet impactful change: a coloured shell prompt. Say goodbye to monochrome prompts and hello to a more visually appealing and user-friendly experience. You can even customize it to match your taste!
Core Module Updates
Fedora 39 packs essential core module updates, including:
- Firefox 117
- Python 3.12
- LibreOffice 7.6
- RPM 4.19
- Perl 5.38
- GCC 13.2
- Binutils 2.40
- GLIBC 2.38
- GDB 13.2
- Golang 1.21
Spins updates
Fedora Linux features almost all major desktop environments and window managers as “Spins”. This release brings KDE Plasma 5.27 in the KDE spin, whereas the Xfce 4.18 version with the latest fixes and improvements graces in the Xfce edition. You can also get the latest version of MATE desktop, Budgie desktop, LXQt, i3 and Sway spins.
Missed features
New web-based installer
Due to several ongoing bugs, the new web-based installer is dropped from Fedora 39 release, which was planned to replace the Anaconda installer.
As we reported earlier, this installer has been under development for quite a few months.
Here are some of the planned screenshots of the planned installer. This might land for Fedora 40 in 2024.
When you hit install, the installer launches the following web-based wizard for you to proceed with several installation options. One thing to point out here is that the disk partition module still uses Blivet-gui and will be launched separately when you click on “modify storage”.
So, overall it’s a good step, considering its simple UI and more user friendly – compared to the prior installer.
Download
If you want to upgrade to this version from earlier releases, read this exclusive guide:
To download Fedora 39, visit the below page.
All spins ((Budgue, KDE Plasma, Xfce, LXQt, MATE, Cinnamon, i3, Sway, etc.), Kinoite and other torrents are available in the below link:
Current bug list: Fedora QA
Closing notes
With these updates, Fedora continues to embrace the latest technologies and tools, ensuring that you have access to cutting-edge software for your daily tasks. In conclusion, Fedora 39 is a good release that brings numerous enhancements and optimizations to the distribution ecosystem.
Via changelog
