Fedora 43 Officially Released

The Fedora Project has officially launched Fedora Linux 43 on October 28, 2025, marking a significant milestone in the distribution’s evolution. This release brings groundbreaking changes including a complete transition to Wayland-only sessions for GNOME, Linux kernel 6.17, and the introduction of RPM 6.0 package management. After overcoming several critical blocker bugs that delayed the initial October 16 target date, the development team delivered a polished, production-ready system that pushes the boundaries of modern Linux computing.

Fedora 43 represents nearly a decade of careful planning and execution, particularly with the removal of legacy X11 support. The release includes GNOME 49 as the default desktop environment, a modernized Anaconda web-based installer, and substantial performance improvements across the entire system stack. Whether you’re a developer seeking cutting-edge toolchains, a system administrator managing enterprise infrastructure, or a desktop user wanting the latest open-source innovations, this release delivers compelling upgrades.

Release Timeline and Development Journey

The path to Fedora 43’s final release encountered unexpected challenges that tested the quality assurance process. Originally scheduled for release in mid-October, the Fedora QA team made a critical “No-Go” decision on October 16, 2025, citing several unresolved blocker bugs that threatened system stability and user experience.

Critical Blocker Bugs and Resolution

Four major issues prevented the initial release. The initramfs bloat problem emerged from the new default hostonly-mode=sloppy configuration, which significantly increased the initial RAM filesystem size and impacted boot performance. Engineers identified that this change, intended to improve hardware compatibility, inadvertently bundled excessive drivers and modules.

The 7zip library linking failure presented another critical obstacle. When users invoked the compression utility using its full path, the command failed to locate required shared libraries, rendering the tool unusable in certain scripting scenarios. This affected backup operations and automated compression workflows.

The Anaconda Web UI experienced dropdown menu malfunctions specifically in the KDE Plasma environment. Users couldn’t select installation options, partition schemes, or software packages through the graphical interface, making standard installations impossible without workarounds.

Perhaps most concerning was the GRUB bootloader regression affecting Windows dual-boot configurations with BitLocker encryption enabled. Systems with encrypted Windows partitions failed to boot either operating system, leaving users locked out of their machines.

Final Go Decision

By October 23, 2025, dedicated engineering teams resolved all four blockers through targeted patches and extensive validation testing. The Fedora QA team conducted comprehensive regression testing across multiple hardware configurations, virtual machines, and real-world deployment scenarios. With confidence restored, the project leadership issued the “Go” decision, setting October 28 as the official release date with backup contingencies on November 4 and November 11 if last-minute issues emerged.

Core System Updates and Improvements

Fedora 43 introduces fundamental changes to the operating system foundation that enhance performance, security, and hardware compatibility across diverse computing environments.

Linux Kernel 6.17 Foundation

The Linux kernel 6.17 serves as the backbone of this release, bringing months of upstream development directly to Fedora users. This kernel version includes improved support for modern processors from Intel, AMD, and ARM manufacturers, with specific optimizations for 13th and 14th generation Intel Core processors and AMD Ryzen 7000 series chips.

Hardware enthusiasts will appreciate expanded driver support for cutting-edge peripherals. Network interface cards, storage controllers, and graphics adapters receive better initialization routines and power management capabilities. The kernel now handles NVMe storage devices more efficiently, reducing latency for random read operations by approximately 15% compared to previous releases.

Security enhancements within kernel 6.17 address several CVE vulnerabilities and strengthen system call filtering mechanisms. The implementation of improved memory protection features helps mitigate potential exploits targeting kernel space operations.

RPM 6.0 Package Manager Revolution

Fedora 43 becomes the first major distribution release to ship with RPM 6.0, representing the most significant package management upgrade in years. This version fundamentally reimagines how software packages are signed, verified, and trusted within the Linux ecosystem.

The new OpenPGP implementation allows package maintainers to reference cryptographic keys by full fingerprint rather than truncated key IDs. This prevents key collision attacks where malicious actors could potentially create keys with matching short IDs. Multiple signatures per package enable redundant verification pathways, ensuring that package integrity can be confirmed through alternative trust chains if one signature source becomes compromised.

Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) support future-proofs Fedora’s security infrastructure against emerging quantum computing threats. While quantum computers capable of breaking current encryption don’t yet exist, RPM 6.0’s support for quantum-resistant algorithms ensures the distribution remains secure as computational capabilities evolve.

The integration of Sequoia-sq as an alternative to GnuPG for package signing provides flexibility and redundancy. Sequoia implements the OpenPGP standard in Rust, offering memory safety guarantees and modern API design that reduces potential security vulnerabilities in the signing toolchain itself.

For end users, these changes operate transparently. Package installation, updates, and system upgrades continue working exactly as before, but with dramatically improved security guarantees protecting against supply chain attacks and package tampering.

Fedora Workstation 43: The Wayland-Only Era

The most visible and controversial change in Fedora 43 is the complete removal of X11 session support for GNOME desktop environments. This transition concludes a nearly decade-long migration strategy that positioned Wayland as the future of Linux graphics.

Understanding the X11 to Wayland Transition

Since 2016, Fedora has progressively defaulted to Wayland sessions while maintaining X11 as a fallback option. This gradual approach allowed application developers to adapt their software, driver maintainers to improve Wayland support, and users to test compatibility with their workflows. Fedora 43 marks the end of that transitional period.

The legacy gnome-session-xsession packages have been completely removed from Fedora 43 repositories. Users running X11 sessions on Fedora 42 will be automatically migrated to Wayland during the upgrade process. This forced migration has sparked debate within the community, but the technical benefits justify the decision.

Wayland Performance Benefits

Wayland’s architecture delivers immediate performance improvements that users notice during daily operations. Triple buffering eliminates screen tearing during video playback, window animations, and rapid scrolling. Where X11 sessions often exhibited visual artifacts when dragging windows across multiple monitors, Wayland provides silky-smooth rendering.

Hardware compatibility improvements extend beyond just smoother visuals. Intel Xe graphics cards, which struggled with X11’s aging driver model, now operate at full potential under Wayland. Systems using NVIDIA Optimus technology for switchable graphics benefit from seamless transitions between integrated and discrete GPUs without the configuration headaches that plagued X11 setups.

Hybrid graphics mode, particularly important for gaming laptops, finally works reliably. The Wayland compositor intelligently routes rendering workloads to appropriate GPUs based on application demands and power profiles, maximizing both performance and battery life.

GNOME 49 Desktop Environment

GNOME 49 arrives with polish and refinements that enhance productivity without disrupting established workflows. The Settings application received a complete UI overhaul, organizing system configuration options more logically and improving search functionality to help users quickly locate specific settings.

Multiple display support sees substantial improvements in Fedora 43. Mixed DPI configurations, where users combine 4K and 1080p monitors, now scale properly without forcing uniform scaling factors. Each display independently manages its scaling, ensuring sharp text and properly sized interface elements regardless of monitor resolution differences.

Screenshot and screen recording workflows have been streamlined through an updated interface that reduces the number of clicks required to capture screen content. The new Focus Mode feature helps minimize distractions by temporarily hiding notifications, dimming inactive windows, and providing visual cues that you’re in a concentrated work session.

Background resource throttling represents one of GNOME 49’s most impactful under-the-hood improvements. Applications running in the background consume fewer CPU cycles and memory resources, extending laptop battery life by up to 20% during typical workloads. This intelligent resource management happens transparently, resuming full application performance the moment you switch back to background tasks.

COLRv1 Color Vector Emoji Fonts

Fedora 43 switches from traditional bitmap emoji fonts to COLRv1 format Noto Color Emoji. This technical change delivers practical benefits across all display types. Vector emoji scale perfectly to any size without pixelation, ensuring consistent visual quality on 4K displays, standard 1080p monitors, and HiDPI laptop screens.

The scalable nature of vector fonts reduces overall system storage requirements. Instead of bundling multiple resolution versions of each emoji character, a single vector definition serves all display scenarios, saving hundreds of megabytes of filesystem space.

Fedora KDE Plasma 43 Desktop Edition

Users preferring Qt-based environments rather than GTK have compelling reasons to choose the KDE Plasma 43 spin of Fedora. This edition ships with Plasma 6.4.5, KDE Frameworks 6.8, and KDE Gear 25.08.2, providing a complete, polished desktop experience.

KDE Plasma 6.4.5 Features

Plasma 6.4.5 introduces per-workspace tiling configurations, allowing power users to define different window management behaviors for distinct virtual desktops. Your coding workspace might use automatic tiling for efficient screen space utilization, while your creative workspace maintains floating windows for flexible application placement.

Accessibility improvements include better screen reader integration, enhanced keyboard navigation throughout system settings, and improved high contrast theme support. These changes make Fedora more accessible to users with visual impairments or motor control challenges.

Drawing tablet support receives significant attention in this release. Pressure sensitivity curves can be customized per-application, button mappings work reliably across all supported tablet models, and stylus calibration tools provide pixel-perfect accuracy for digital artists and designers.

Why Choose KDE Over GNOME

The KDE edition offers distinct advantages for specific use cases. Customization capabilities far exceed GNOME’s intentionally minimalist approach. Users can modify virtually every aspect of the desktop appearance, behavior, and functionality without installing third-party extensions.

Resource usage patterns differ substantially between the two environments. On systems with 4GB RAM or less, KDE Plasma typically consumes 200-300MB less memory than GNOME 49, leaving more resources available for applications and user workloads.

The application ecosystem also varies. KDE’s suite includes Dolphin file manager with split-pane views and embedded terminal, Konsole with extensive configuration options, and Okular document viewer supporting dozens of file formats. Users heavily invested in Qt applications may prefer the consistency of an entirely Qt-based desktop environment.

Anaconda Installer Modernization

The Anaconda installer undergoes its most significant transformation in Fedora 43, affecting all spins and editions of the distribution.

Web-Based User Interface Deployment

Previously introduced as default for Fedora Workstation 42, the Anaconda WebUI now extends to all Fedora Spins including KDE Plasma, XFCE, LXQt, Cinnamon, MATE, and Sway editions. This unified installation experience ensures consistent behavior regardless of which desktop environment users ultimately choose.

The web-based architecture brings several advantages. Browser technology enables richer interactive elements, better internationalization support, and more responsive layouts that adapt to different screen sizes. The underlying web stack also simplifies future development, as changes benefit from decades of web development tooling and best practices.

DNF 5 Package Manager Integration

The installer switches from DNF 4 to DNF 5 for package installation operations during system setup. This change delivers measurable performance improvements, particularly on slower storage devices or network-constrained environments.

Dependency resolution completes approximately 30% faster with DNF 5, reducing the time spent calculating which packages to install based on user selections. The actual package download and installation phases also see improvements through better parallel processing and optimized disk I/O patterns.

Error reporting becomes more informative with DNF 5. When package conflicts occur or dependencies cannot be satisfied, the installer provides clearer explanations of the underlying issues and suggests potential resolutions.

GPT Partition Table Enforcement

Fedora 43 enforces GPT (GUID Partition Table) for all UEFI-based x86 installations, eliminating support for the legacy MBR (Master Boot Record) partition scheme. This change reflects the reality that UEFI firmware has been standard on x86 systems for over a decade.

GPT supports disks larger than 2TB without workarounds, allows up to 128 partitions without extended partition schemes, and includes redundant partition table information for improved data resilience. Modern security features like Secure Boot require GPT, making this enforcement logical and necessary.

The /boot partition size increases from 1GB to 2GB in Fedora 43 installations. This change accommodates growing kernel sizes, expanding firmware collections for diverse hardware support, and larger initramfs images that bundle more drivers and recovery tools.

Performance and Optimization Improvements

Beyond headline features, Fedora 43 includes numerous performance optimizations that collectively enhance system responsiveness and efficiency.

Zstd-Compressed Initramfs

The initial RAM filesystem switches from gzip to Zstd compression, significantly improving boot times. Zstd offers superior compression ratios compared to gzip while decompressing substantially faster, reducing the time the kernel spends unpacking the initramfs before mounting the root filesystem.

On typical hardware configurations, boot time improvements range from 1-3 seconds. While this might seem modest, it represents a meaningful enhancement for users who frequently restart their systems during development, testing, or troubleshooting activities.

System-Wide Responsiveness Enhancements

Compiler optimizations applied across the entire package repository improve application launch times and runtime performance. The transition to GCC 15.2 enables newer optimization passes that generate more efficient machine code from the same source.

Memory management improvements within the kernel and core libraries reduce allocation overhead and fragmentation. Long-running desktop sessions maintain responsive performance even after days of uptime, whereas previous releases sometimes exhibited gradual slowdowns requiring periodic restarts.

Reproducible Build Expansion

Fedora continues expanding reproducible build coverage, now encompassing over 75% of packages in the main repository. Reproducible builds allow independent verification that distributed binary packages exactly match what the published source code should produce, protecting against compromised build infrastructure.

This transparency strengthens the entire software supply chain. Security researchers can verify that no unauthorized modifications were injected during package compilation, while developers benefit from deterministic build outputs that simplify debugging.

Developer Tools and Toolchain Updates

Software developers and system programmers will appreciate the cutting-edge toolchain included in Fedora 43.

GNU Toolchain Refresh

GCC 15.2 brings the latest C and C++ language standard support, improved optimization capabilities, and better diagnostic messages when compilation errors occur. New warning flags help identify potential bugs during development rather than in production environments.

LLVM 21 provides an alternative compiler infrastructure with particular strengths in C++ template code generation and link-time optimization. Projects using Clang as their primary compiler benefit from improved compilation speeds and more aggressive optimization strategies.

The GNU C Library (glibc) 2.42 includes performance improvements for string operations, mathematical functions, and thread synchronization primitives. Applications performing intensive text processing or numerical calculations see measurable performance gains without source code modifications.

Programming Language Updates

Python 3.14 adoption happens early in the release cycle, positioning Fedora as a valuable testing platform for the broader Python ecosystem before the official upstream release. Developers can identify compatibility issues with new Python features and report them to library maintainers before widespread deployment.

Go 1.25 introduces built-in leak detection when compiling with -asan address sanitizer support, making it easier to identify memory management issues in Go applications. Module resolution improvements provide more flexibility in organizing large codebases across multiple repositories.

Rust toolchain updates ensure Fedora users have access to the latest language features and standard library improvements. The Rust ecosystem’s rapid evolution makes timely updates crucial for developers working with modern frameworks and libraries.

Build System Performance

Package compilation times decrease across the board through improved build system configurations and better utilization of modern multi-core processors. Parallel compilation scales more effectively to systems with 16+ cores, reducing build times for large projects by 20-40%.

Cross-compilation capabilities receive attention in this release, making it easier to build ARM binaries on x86 systems or vice versa. Container-based build environments leverage Podman and systemd integration for efficient resource isolation without virtualization overhead.

Fedora Spins and Alternative Editions

Beyond Workstation and KDE Plasma, Fedora 43 supports numerous desktop environments and use cases through its Spins program.

Desktop Environment Options

The XFCE Spin provides a lightweight, traditional desktop experience ideal for older hardware or users preferring minimal resource consumption. XFCE 4.18 pairs perfectly with systems having 2GB RAM, delivering responsive performance where GNOME 49 might struggle.

LXQt offers an even lighter footprint for extremely resource-constrained environments. The entire desktop environment consumes under 300MB RAM at idle, leaving maximum memory available for applications.

Cinnamon delivers a Windows-like experience with a taskbar, start menu, and system tray that feel immediately familiar to users transitioning from Microsoft operating systems. This traditional layout reduces the learning curve for Linux newcomers.

MATE preserves the classic GNOME 2 desktop paradigm, appealing to users who prefer the tried-and-true interface design that predated GNOME 3’s radical redesign. MATE proves that stability and predictability remain valuable even as computing evolves.

Sway provides a Wayland-native tiling window manager experience for keyboard-driven workflows. Power users who rarely touch their mouse appreciate Sway’s efficient screen space utilization and lightning-fast navigation between applications and workspaces.

Fedora Server Edition

Server deployments inherit all core improvements from Fedora 43 Workstation including Linux kernel 6.17, RPM 6.0, and DNF 5. Server-specific enhancements focus on container orchestration, virtualization performance, and management tooling.

Cockpit web management interface receives updates improving monitoring dashboards, storage management workflows, and network configuration utilities. System administrators can efficiently manage multiple Fedora servers through a unified web interface without SSH access.

Fedora Atomic Desktops

Silverblue (GNOME) and Kinoite (KDE Plasma) editions implement immutable operating system concepts using OSTree technology. The base system remains read-only, with applications deployed through Flatpak containers or layered packages.

This architecture provides exceptional reliability. System updates are atomic transactions that either complete successfully or roll back entirely, eliminating broken update states. Users can reboot into previous system versions if an update introduces regressions, providing an automatic safety net.

Container-focused workflows particularly benefit from atomic desktops. Developers can experiment with system-level changes through rpm-ostree without risking their production environment, then discard experimental branches when finished.

System Requirements and Hardware Compatibility

Understanding whether your hardware can run Fedora 43 helps plan upgrades or new installations.

Minimum System Configuration

Fedora 43 Workstation officially requires a 2GHz dual-core processor, though modern single-core processors with sufficient frequency can technically run the system. The 2GB RAM minimum allows basic desktop operations, though users should consider lightweight Spins if working with exactly 2GB memory.

Storage requirements start at 15GB for minimal installations excluding user data. Practical deployments should allocate at least 25-30GB to accommodate system updates, package caches, and reasonable application installations.

VGA display support beginning at 1024×768 resolution ensures compatibility with older monitors and embedded displays, though this minimum resolution significantly constrains usable window space in modern desktop environments.

Recommended System Configuration

For comfortable Fedora Workstation 43 usage, target a 2GHz quad-core processor or better. Modern processors from 2015 onward generally exceed this recommendation substantially.

4GB RAM represents a more realistic baseline for GNOME 49 desktop environments. The system itself consumes 1.5-2GB at idle, leaving 2GB+ available for applications and browser tabs. Users who regularly run memory-intensive applications or maintain dozens of browser tabs should consider 8GB+ RAM.

40GB SSD storage provides room for the operating system, regular updates, and a modest software collection. SSDs dramatically improve system responsiveness compared to traditional hard drives, making them worthwhile investments even for older systems.

Display resolution of 1280×768 or higher allows comfortable window management with modern application interfaces designed for higher resolutions.

Graphics Hardware Requirements

Accelerated desktop rendering requires relatively modest graphics hardware. Intel GMA 950 and newer integrated graphics handle GNOME 49 and KDE Plasma 6.4 comfortably. NVIDIA GeForce FX5xxx (NV30) series or AMD Radeon 9500 (R300) cards from the mid-2000s provide sufficient acceleration for desktop effects.

Systems lacking compatible graphics hardware can fall back to LLVMpipe software rendering, which leverages CPU resources to provide OpenGL acceleration. LLVMpipe requires processors with SSE2 instruction support, found in Intel processors since Pentium 4 and AMD processors since Athlon 64.

Software rendering delivers acceptable performance for basic desktop operations but struggles with video playback and games. Users planning multimedia-heavy workflows should prioritize hardware graphics acceleration.

Architecture Support

Fedora 43 officially supports x86_64 (64-bit Intel and AMD processors) and aarch64 (64-bit ARM processors). The distribution dropped 32-bit x86 support in Fedora 31, reflecting the reality that 64-bit processors have been standard for over 15 years.

ARM support continues expanding with better hardware enablement for single-board computers, development workstations, and emerging ARM server platforms. Fedora serves as an important testing ground for desktop Linux on ARM architectures beyond traditional x86 dominance.

Download and Installation Options

Acquiring Fedora 43 and creating installation media follows straightforward procedures.

Official Download Sources

The Fedora Project website at getfedora.org provides the primary download location for all editions and spins. The Workstation download page offers direct downloads, torrent files for bandwidth-efficient distribution, and detailed verification instructions.

Mirror networks distributed globally reduce download times by serving content from geographically nearby servers. The website automatically selects appropriate mirrors based on detected location, though users can manually choose specific mirrors if preferred.

ISO Image Formats

Live images provide bootable desktop environments that run entirely from USB drives or DVD media without installation. Users can test hardware compatibility, evaluate the desktop environment, and verify that all critical peripherals work before committing to installation. Live images include the complete Anaconda installer for permanent deployment.

Network install (netinstall) images contain minimal bootstrapping components that download packages during installation. This approach ensures users receive the absolute latest package versions rather than potentially outdated versions frozen when ISO images were composed. Network installation requires reliable internet connectivity throughout the process.

Everything ISO images bundle the entire package repository, enabling offline installations without internet access. These larger downloads (typically 8-10GB) serve air-gapped environments, systems with unreliable connectivity, or users planning multiple installations from a single image.

Creating Bootable Media

Fedora Media Writer provides the recommended tool for creating bootable USB drives on Linux, Windows, and macOS systems. This purpose-built application handles downloading ISO images, verifying checksums, and writing images to USB media through a streamlined interface.

Linux users comfortable with command-line tools can use dd for direct image writing:

sudo dd if=Fedora-Workstation-Live-x86_64-43.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress && sync

Replace /dev/sdX with the actual USB device identifier, verifiable through lsblk or fdisk -l commands. Exercise extreme caution as specifying the wrong device will overwrite that device’s contents irreversibly.

Windows users might prefer Rufus, a popular open-source tool that writes ISO images to USB drives efficiently. Rufus handles various image formats and partition schemes, making it versatile for different installation scenarios.

Verifying ISO Integrity

Before creating installation media, verify downloaded ISO image checksums match published values. Fedora provides SHA256 checksums on download pages for this purpose:

sha256sum Fedora-Workstation-Live-x86_64-43.iso

Compare the output against the checksum listed on the official website. Matching values confirm the download completed without corruption or tampering. Mismatched checksums indicate you should re-download the image before proceeding.

Upgrade Instructions from Fedora 42

Existing Fedora 42 users can upgrade to Fedora 43 using the system-upgrade plugin for DNF, maintaining installed packages and configurations.

Pre-Upgrade Preparation

Begin by performing a comprehensive backup of critical data. While the upgrade process generally proceeds smoothly, hardware failures, power interruptions, or unexpected software conflicts can occur. Backups provide insurance against data loss scenarios.

Update your current Fedora 42 installation completely before initiating the upgrade:

sudo dnf upgrade --refresh

This command refreshes repository metadata and installs all available updates. Starting from a fully updated Fedora 42 minimizes compatibility issues and ensures the smoothest upgrade path.

Reboot after applying updates to ensure the latest kernel and system services are running:

sudo systemctl reboot

Review third-party repositories added to your system. Some third-party repositories may not have Fedora 43 packages available immediately, potentially causing upgrade failures. Temporarily disable problematic repositories by editing files in /etc/yum.repos.d/ or use dnf config-manager --disable repository-name.

DNF System Upgrade Process

Install the system-upgrade plugin if not already present:

sudo dnf install dnf-plugin-system-upgrade

Initiate the upgrade package download:

sudo dnf system-upgrade download --releasever=43

DNF downloads all packages required to upgrade your system to Fedora 43. This process can take 30 minutes to several hours depending on internet speed and the number of installed packages. The system remains fully functional during downloads.

Review the transaction summary carefully. DNF displays packages being upgraded, installed, or removed. Unusual removals might indicate repository conflicts requiring attention before proceeding.

If errors occur during download, DNF provides detailed messages explaining the problems. Common issues include:

• Broken dependencies: Third-party packages lacking Fedora 43 versions
• Package conflicts: Incompatible versions of libraries or applications
• Repository failures: Unreachable mirrors or outdated metadata

Address reported issues by removing problematic packages temporarily, disabling third-party repositories, or waiting for repository maintainers to publish compatible packages.

Once downloads complete successfully, trigger the upgrade process:

sudo dnf system-upgrade reboot

The system reboots into a special upgrade environment where DNF replaces all packages with Fedora 43 versions. Progress appears on-screen, typically completing in 20-45 minutes depending on system speed and storage performance. Do not interrupt this process.

Post-Upgrade Verification

After the upgrade completes, the system boots into Fedora 43. Verify the upgrade succeeded:

cat /etc/fedora-release

This command should output: Fedora release 43 (Forty Three)

Check kernel version:

uname -r

The kernel version should reflect 6.17.x series kernels.

Remove orphaned packages no longer needed in Fedora 43:

sudo dnf autoremove

Update third-party repository configurations to Fedora 43 versions. Many repository packages include version-specific configurations that need updating. Check repository websites for updated package releases or configuration instructions.

Test critical applications and services. Launch frequently-used programs, connect to network resources, and verify that specialty hardware (printers, scanners, drawing tablets) continues functioning correctly.

Review system logs for upgrade-related warnings or errors:

journalctl -b -p warning

Most warnings are benign, but recurring errors might indicate configuration adjustments needed for changed package versions.

Troubleshooting Common Upgrade Issues

If GNOME fails to load after upgrading, you may be experiencing the X11 to Wayland transition. Log out, click your username on the login screen, and verify that the session type selector no longer shows X11 options. If login fails entirely, switch to a virtual console (Ctrl+Alt+F3) and troubleshoot from the command line.

For systems with NVIDIA proprietary drivers, reinstall the appropriate driver package for Fedora 43:

sudo dnf install akmod-nvidia

Wait 5-10 minutes for kernel modules to compile, then reboot.

Applications failing to launch often indicate missing dependencies. Check package integrity:

sudo dnf distro-sync

This command synchronizes installed packages with repository versions, correcting version mismatches from the upgrade.

Notable Changes and Deprecations

Fedora 43 removes legacy technologies and deprecated features as part of ongoing modernization efforts.

Removed Features and Technologies

GNOME X11 session packages have been completely eliminated from Fedora repositories. This affects users of specialized applications that lack Wayland support. XWayland provides compatibility translation for most X11 applications, allowing them to run in Wayland sessions with minimal performance impact.

Applications like certain screen recording tools, remote desktop software, and window management utilities designed specifically for X11 may require alternatives. Research replacement applications before upgrading if you depend on X11-specific software.

DNF modularity support, introduced as an experimental feature for managing multiple software versions simultaneously, has been discontinued. Modules complicated dependency resolution and created user confusion. Fedora 43 recommends containerized applications through Flatpak or Podman for scenarios previously addressed by modularity.

Legacy hardware drivers for obsolete devices may be removed from the kernel if they lack active maintainers. Systems using extremely old peripherals should verify compatibility before upgrading.

Migration Considerations

Screen sharing functionality transitions from X11 PipeWire screen capture APIs. Most video conferencing applications updated their implementations, but older versions may exhibit compatibility issues. Ensure you’re running current versions of Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Slack, and similar applications.

Remote desktop access traditionally relied on VNC servers expecting X11. Wayland equivalents like GNOME’s built-in remote desktop functionality or third-party solutions like RustDesk provide replacements with better security and performance characteristics.

Custom window management scripts leveraging X11 tools like xdotool or wmctrl require rewrites using Wayland-compatible alternatives. The transition involves learning new APIs and tools, representing an investment for heavily automated workflows.

Compatibility with Third-Party Software

Proprietary software from vendors slow to adopt Wayland may present challenges. Test critical commercial applications in Fedora 43 before committing production systems to the upgrade.

NVIDIA proprietary driver users should upgrade to version 550 or newer, which includes comprehensive Wayland support. Older driver versions exhibit screen tearing, corruption artifacts, and application crashes under Wayland.

Virtual machine guest additions from VirtualBox, VMware, and other hypervisors need Fedora 43-compatible versions. Check virtualization vendor websites for updated guest tools before upgrading virtual machines.

Security Enhancements

Fedora 43 strengthens security across multiple layers of the system stack.

RPM 6.0 Security Architecture

The redesigned package signing infrastructure uses full cryptographic fingerprints rather than truncated key identifiers, eliminating collision attack vectors. Multiple signature support enables federated trust models where packages carry signatures from original developers, Fedora packagers, and enterprise internal signing authorities.

Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) readiness positions Fedora ahead of quantum computing threats. While quantum computers capable of breaking current encryption don’t exist yet, incorporating PQC support now prevents painful migrations when quantum computing matures.

Automated signature verification at build time ensures packages receive cryptographic signatures immediately upon compilation rather than through separate manual processes. This automation reduces windows where unsigned packages might exist in build infrastructure.

Wayland Security Model

Wayland’s compositor-based architecture provides stronger application isolation compared to X11’s client-server model where any application could spy on keyboard input or screenshot content from other applications. Under Wayland, applications cannot access other application windows without explicit permission grants.

Screen capture requires user authorization through system dialogs, preventing malware from secretly recording screen content. Users explicitly approve which applications may record or screenshot displays, providing transparency and control over privacy-sensitive operations.

Input handling security prevents keyloggers from capturing passwords typed in other applications. Each application receives only input events the compositor explicitly routes to it, eliminating entire categories of credential theft attacks.

System-Level Security Improvements

SELinux policy updates in Fedora 43 provide refined access controls for new system services and changed application behaviors. SELinux remains in enforcing mode by default, protecting against privilege escalation and unauthorized system modifications.

Kernel security patches address multiple CVEs discovered since Fedora 42’s release. Regular kernel updates throughout Fedora 43’s lifecycle will continue addressing emerging vulnerabilities as researchers discover them.

Secure Boot support continues improving with better integration of third-party kernel modules and signed boot artifacts. Users can maintain Secure Boot enabled while using NVIDIA proprietary drivers or other traditionally problematic components.

Firmware update mechanisms through fwupd leverage LVFS (Linux Vendor Firmware Service) to deliver BIOS, UEFI, peripheral device firmware, and component microcode updates. Keeping firmware updated protects against hardware-level vulnerabilities like Spectre and Meltdown variants.