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Slightly off-topic, please excuse the question:
I'm new to Fedora (and Linux Desktop in general) and saw the update for 40 yesterday. Is it save to simply hit the update button and let it do the update, or should I take any precautions, or anything afterwards which is expected to reset (settings, applications, etc? idk).
Data and such is savely backed up. That's not a concern.
I've been using Fedora for many years (Nobara is just a fling) and updates were always remarkably stable. That being said, if you've played around with the configuration you might have issues, but if you stay with the standard install you shouldn't expect problems.
I explain a lot about release schedules for context, but you could skip to the last paragraph for the more direct answer to your question if you don't care.
Fedora is on a semi-rolling release schedule, which only really means that its release schedule is in between that of Debian (fixed release schedule) and Arch (rolling release). A fixed release schedule freezes packages at the time of release and keeps major packages at the same version (plus bug/security updates) for the lifetime of the operating system (usually 2-4 years, LTS support can last longer for some distros). Major versions will have next fixed package versions, hence the need to perform a full system upgrade when going to a new version. Rolling release distros don't fix packages at specific versions, and you'll hear them referred to as "bleeding edge", because they always get the newest updates quickly. Since they don't fix package versions, there are no "major versions", they just updates constantly (Arch is just Arch; there's no Arch 10 or Arch 11). Semi-rolling release (Fedora) fixes some packages at a specific major version; usually large packages that could be troublesome to update to a new major version of because of dependencies (i.e. the DE, core system components, it depends on the distro). So when you perform an upgrade to a new major version of a semi-rolling release distro, you're changing fewer packages, and there is (usually) less of a gap between versions than fixed releases among the packages that are fixed.
Fedora releases a new major version every 6 months, which they support for 1 year. Since I assume you're coming from Windows, the new Fedora major versions are kind of like Windows feature upgrades. For the most part, much of the system is exactly the same, but there are some new features included and packages are updated to newer versions. Fedora doesn't have the real fixed "major" releases like you see from Windows 10 to Windows 11, or any other version. Every major update is just a minor bump, all things considered. In fact, you can even skip a version when upgrading (say from Fedora 37 to Fedora 39 without updating to 38). The differences between major Fedora versions are generally minor enough that you can just press the button and let it do its thing. This is even easier for their atomic distros, but you're likely just using Workstation. There are some cases where new major versions of packages will necessitate config updates (like upgrading to KDE Plasma 6 did with Fedora KDE users), but that's generally rare. So yes, you can just hit the button and upgrade.
Thanks a lot for the detailed explanation!
I did, no issues.
You can check the release notes to be sure, but generally you can just perform the update and move on with life. Backing up your data is always a smart precaution.
Thank you
Just use Bazzite. It updated automatically to F40 just a few hours after upstream, still has all security settings intact and is a joy to use.
Reading about Bluefin got me so interested that I just installed it on my laptop. After updating, it's still at 39. How do I update it to 40?
EDIT: just figured it out:
sudo rpm-ostree rebase ostree-image-signed:docker://ghcr.io/ublue-os/bluefin-dx:latest
Is bazzite good for general purpose use also?
I use it for general stuff and even to work, no issues.
It can be, but for that, I would rather recommend Aurora or Bluefin. They are almost the same, but without gaming stuff.
Both links in your comment rendered invalid. Providing the correct links for other readers, based on the README from https://github.com/ublue-os/bluefin :
Oh I guess, I meant to say is it good for general purpose use alongside gaming.
Yeah, of course it is. I use it too for 3D-modeling, image editing and more.
For general purpose, it's pretty normal. Its' main advantages really only shine in gaming stuff.
But, to be fair, I don't know if the tweaks optimised for gaming don't negatively affect other stuff. I didn't notice anything yet, but you can't be sure.
Yes it is, I personally daily drive it and it's great 🙌
Addtionaly, there is this post asking about the same. Might be worth reading the comments of you're curios🌻
Or Universal Blue in general. They also make Aurora and Bluefin, both are amazing!
Well @[email protected] suggested bazzite as it is the image built for gamers and OP is asking about nobara which is also packaged specifically for gamers. In general though all the ublue images are great
True, just wanted to mention that they make other great stuff. You can basically game on every Linux distro, it doesn't have to be gaming-focused.
Never heard about this. They're website is awesome, they have a extensive list of changes they made. Don't agree with removing SELinux though. It stops enough security issues and it doesn't seem good to have such a change while likely (didn't check) rely on Fedora for package updates.
Kind of wonder how old certain changes are, e.g. Fedora did change the vm.max_map_count.
Edit: forgot to say that I do like it. I like opinionated software/projects even if I might not use it myself.
probably once it's ready.
Thanks, kind person!
Fedora 39 still have some lifetime until 12-11-2024, so Nobara 40 release is some time between now and that date, but also sooner rather than later.