Fedora 41 Released

The highly anticipated Fedora 41 has finally arrived, bringing a host of exciting new features, software upgrades, and performance improvements. As one of the most popular and influential Linux distributions, Fedora continues to push the boundaries of open-source innovation with this latest release. Let’s dive into the key highlights and changes that make Fedora 41 a significant milestone in the Linux ecosystem.

GNOME 47 Desktop Environment: A Fresh Look and Feel

At the heart of Fedora 41’s visual and functional improvements is the inclusion of GNOME 47, the latest version of the popular desktop environment. True to Fedora’s philosophy, this implementation offers a vanilla GNOME experience, free from unnecessary extensions or modifications. This approach ensures users get the purest and most stable GNOME experience possible.

GNOME 47 introduces several noteworthy features:

• Accent Colors: Users can now personalize their desktop with custom accent colors, adding a touch of individuality to the interface.
• Enhanced Small-Screen Support: Improved layouts and controls make GNOME more usable on smaller displays, benefiting laptop and tablet users.
• Files App Overhaul: The file manager now boasts an updated file chooser, redesigned sidebar, and overall improved user interface, enhancing file management efficiency.
• Hardware-Accelerated Screen Recording: Intel and AMD GPU users will appreciate the added support for hardware encoding during screen recording, potentially improving performance and reducing CPU load.
• Unified Modal Dialogs: A more consistent look across the system with standardized modal dialogs improves the overall user experience.
• Settings App Enhancements: The Settings application has been refined for easier navigation and configuration of system preferences.

Additionally, various GNOME core applications have received updates, including improvements to the lock screen, Maps, Epiphany web browser, and the Calls application.

Wayland-Only GNOME: A Bold Step Forward

In a significant move towards modernizing the Linux graphics stack, Fedora 41 now ships with a Wayland-only GNOME implementation on its Workstation edition install media. This decision reflects Fedora’s commitment to embracing cutting-edge technologies and improving system performance and security.

For users who still prefer or require X11, the necessary packages remain available in Fedora’s repositories. However, new installations will default to Wayland, and those wishing to use X11 will need to manually install the required packages post-installation.

This shift to Wayland promises better performance, improved security, and a more modern foundation for future graphical innovations on the Linux desktop.

Proprietary NVIDIA Drivers with Secure Boot Support

One of the most significant changes in Fedora 41 is the introduction of proprietary NVIDIA graphics drivers with UEFI Secure Boot support. This development is a game-changer for users with NVIDIA hardware, especially on laptops where Secure Boot is often enabled by default.

Previously, using proprietary NVIDIA drivers on a Secure Boot-enabled system was a complex process. Now, Fedora Workstation users can easily install these drivers for optimal gaming performance or AI workloads, making Fedora an even stronger choice for CUDA and machine learning tasks.

The installation process has been streamlined, prompting users to create an authentication password during setup. After a system reboot, users can complete the process using this password, ensuring a secure and straightforward installation experience.

New Spins and Editions: Expanding Fedora’s Reach

KDE Plasma Mobile Spin

Fedora 41 introduces the KDE Plasma Mobile Spin, along with its Atomic variant, Kinoite Mobile. Built on the solid foundation of the KDE Plasma Desktop, this new spin is designed to work seamlessly across a range of devices, from smartphones to tablets and 2-in-1 laptops. It offers users the flexibility and touch-friendly experience of KDE in a mobile-optimized package.

Fedora Miracle Spin

Another exciting addition is the new official Fedora Miracle Spin. Miracle is a cutting-edge tiling window manager built on the Mir compositor library, supporting numerous Wayland protocols. Notably, Fedora 41 is the first distribution to feature this spin, providing users with a top-notch Miracle experience out of the box.

The Miracle spin includes support for NVIDIA drivers and is available for both ARM and x86 platforms. Users interested in exploring this new Wayland tiling window manager can either install the “miracle-wm” package or try out the new spin available on Fedora’s official website.

Package Management Updates: Faster and More Efficient

DNF 5: A Major Leap Forward

One of the most anticipated changes in Fedora 41 is the inclusion of DNF 5 as the default package manager. This major update addresses one of Fedora’s long-standing pain points: slow package management operations. DNF 5 brings substantial speed improvements, a reduced memory footprint, and a consolidated API.

Key benefits of DNF 5 include:

• Drastically improved operation speeds
• Unified cache for better resource management
• Enhanced query processing
• Replacement of both ‘dnf’ and ‘microdnf’, simplifying the package management ecosystem

These improvements will help users and system administrators save time and system resources, making package management in Fedora more efficient than ever.

RPM 4.20: Enhanced Package Building

Complementing the DNF 5 update, Fedora 41 also ships with RPM 4.20. This new version introduces various improvements, including:

• A new declarative build system for more straightforward package creation
• Enhanced support for file triggers, improving package installation and update processes

These updates to the core package management tools ensure that Fedora 41 provides a more robust and efficient software management experience for both users and developers.

Network Management Changes

In the realm of network management, Fedora 41 brings some notable changes. NetworkManager no longer supports ifcfg connection profiles, and the legacy “network-scripts” package has been removed. While this change might require some adjustment for users familiar with the old system, it paves the way for more modern and efficient network management practices.

Python 2 Retirement: Embracing the Future

In a move towards modernization and improved security, Fedora 41 officially drops support for Python 2. The “python2.7” package has been retired without replacement, meaning Python 2 will no longer be available in Fedora 41 or future releases, except through PyPy.

This change has significant implications for packages that require Python 2 at runtime or build time. Such packages will need to be updated to use Python 3 or be retired from the distribution. While this might cause some short-term inconvenience, it’s a necessary step to ensure Fedora remains at the forefront of software security and performance.

Developer-Friendly Updates: Empowering Creators

Fedora 41 comes packed with updates that cater to developers and power users, keeping the development environment current and capable. Some of the key updates include:

• Golang 1.23: The latest version of Go, bringing performance improvements and new features
• Perl 5.40: An updated version of the versatile scripting language
• LLVM 19: The newest release of the popular compiler infrastructure
• Node.js 22.0: The latest major version of the JavaScript runtime

For machine learning enthusiasts and professionals, Fedora 41 includes support for PyTorch 2.4 and AMD’s ROCm 6.2, enhancing the distribution’s capabilities in AI and data science workflows.

The GNU Toolchain has also been updated to the latest versions, ensuring developers have access to the most recent compilers and development tools.

A significant addition for cloud-native developers is the inclusion of multiple versioned Kubernetes packages. This feature allows users to run various supported Kubernetes versions concurrently, a major upgrade from previous releases where only one version was available at a time.

Other Notable Changes

TaskWarrior 3 Update

Desktop users will see an update to TaskWarrior 3, a popular command-line task manager. Users should note that migrating to this new version requires manual migration steps. For those who prefer to stick with version 2, a compatibility package is provided.

LXQt 2.0 Desktop Environment

The LXQt desktop environment has been updated to version 2.0, featuring experimental Wayland support and compatibility with Qt 6. This update provides users of this lightweight desktop environment with access to the latest features and improvements.

How to Download and Install Fedora 41

Ready to experience all these new features firsthand? You can download Fedora 41 from the official Fedora Project website’s download section. The installation process remains straightforward, with the user-friendly Anaconda installer guiding you through the setup.

Conclusion

Fedora 41 represents a significant step forward for the distribution, bringing a host of new features, performance improvements, and modernizations. From the sleek GNOME 47 desktop environment to the powerful DNF 5 package manager, and from enhanced NVIDIA driver support to the retirement of legacy components, this release showcases Fedora’s commitment to innovation and user experience.

Whether you’re a long-time Fedora user or considering trying it for the first time, Fedora 41 offers something for everyone. Its blend of cutting-edge features, stability, and developer-friendly tools makes it an excellent choice for both personal and professional use. We encourage you to download Fedora 41 and experience these improvements for yourself. Happy exploring in the world of Fedora 41!