Fedora Linux is an independently developed GNU/Linux distribution backed by Red Hat. It ships new releases on a roughly 6-month cycle, making it one of the most up-to-date Linux distributions available.

What is Fedora Linux?

Fedora serves as the upstream for CentOS Stream, which in turn feeds into Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). New technologies land in Fedora first, flow into CentOS Stream, and eventually into RHEL.

The project is community-driven but has strong Red Hat backing. It ships unmodified upstream software where possible, including stock GNOME as its default desktop — no custom patches or proprietary add-ons out of the box.

Fedora Editions and Spins

Fedora comes in several editions to fit different use cases:

  • Fedora Workstation — the flagship desktop edition, featuring GNOME as the default desktop environment
  • Fedora Server — for server deployments, with a focus on modularity
  • Fedora Cloud — base images for cloud and container environments
  • Fedora IoT — for edge and Internet of Things deployments
  • Fedora Spins — community variants featuring alternative desktops: KDE Plasma, Xfce, MATE, LXQt, LXDE, and more
  • Fedora Labs — purpose-built variants for security research, robotics, electronics, scientific computing, and gaming

Who Should Use Fedora?

Fedora suits developers and power users who want recent software without waiting for a new Ubuntu LTS cycle. It is also a good fit for anyone who wants to work close to the RHEL ecosystem — particularly relevant for enterprise developers and sysadmins.

It is not aimed at complete Linux beginners. The lack of proprietary driver bundles or out-of-the-box multimedia codecs means some post-install configuration is expected.

Release Cycle

Fedora releases a new version roughly every 6 months. Release X is supported until 4 weeks after the release of Release X+2, meaning a version is usually supported for at least 13 months.

Fedora Linux featured image
Type Linux
Status Active
Home Page https://getfedora.org/
Page Hit Rank (rank/views) 35(9 hits per month)
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  • Independent
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Distributions based on Fedora Linux
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