Fedora Linux 42 Released with GNOME 48, WSL Support, and More
Fedora Linux 42 is here — the answer to life, the universe, and everything (and your next great Linux upgrade)! The Fedora Project continues to lead in free and open-source software innovation, and Fedora 42 brings major updates across Workstation, KDE Plasma, Atomic desktops, and beyond.
Let’s explore what’s new in Fedora 42.
🖥 Fedora Workstation 42: Powered by GNOME 48
Fedora Workstation 42 ships with GNOME 48, offering a polished user experience packed with performance boosts and accessibility improvements:
✨ New Features in GNOME 48:
- Well-Being Settings: Includes screen time tracking, break reminders, and movement schedule tools—helping users maintain healthier screen habits.
- Wayland Accessibility: The Orca screen reader now functions properly on Wayland, making GNOME more accessible by default.
- Triple Buffering: Dynamic triple buffering ensures smoother animations and fewer dropped frames, enhancing desktop performance.
- Notification Stacking: Notifications from the same app are now grouped, making it easier to manage your alerts.
👉 See full Fedora Workstation 42 highlights
💬 Voice Input and System Enhancements
Fedora 42 includes notable system-wide improvements:
- IBus Speech-to-Text: A new input method supporting offline voice dictation in any app that supports IBus. It respects privacy and supports multiple languages.
- DNF5 Enhancements: Automatically manages expired and obsolete repository keys during upgrades, ensuring smoother package management.
🌐 Fedora WSL: Try Fedora on Windows
Starting with Fedora 42, official Fedora Linux images for Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) are available. Users can now easily test Fedora on Windows through dedicated images and documentation—great for newcomers exploring Linux.
🧭 Anaconda Web UI Installer: A New Setup Experience
Fedora Workstation 42 introduces a new web-based Anaconda installer UI, available only for this edition:
- Guided partitioning with customizable goals
- A dedicated “Reinstall Fedora” option
- Better dual-boot handling
- Modern, browser-like user interface
This change offers a more intuitive and flexible installation experience, especially for new users.
🖼 Fedora KDE Plasma Desktop 42: Now with Plasma 6
Fedora KDE Plasma 42 features KDE Plasma 6, delivering a refreshed, Wayland-first desktop:
- A unified, streamlined system settings app
- Modern visuals and improved performance
- Better multi-monitor and input device support
🍏 Fedora Asahi Remix 42: Fedora for Apple Silicon
Fedora 42 officially launches Fedora Asahi Remix, bringing Fedora to Apple M1/M2 Macs with:
- KDE Plasma 6 by default
- Native Apple Silicon support
- Based on the Asahi Linux project’s work
🧪 Atomic Desktops: Immutable, Secure, and Unified
Fedora 42 refines its Atomic Desktops, which are now named and structured more consistently:
- Fedora Atomic Workstation (GNOME)
- Fedora KDE Atomic
- Fedora Sway Atomic
These editions are built with rpm-ostree, providing transactional updates, rollback capabilities, and a secure, immutable foundation.
👉 What’s new in Atomic Desktops
Fedora Linux 42 is a celebration of collaboration, polish, and progress. Whether you’re a developer, designer, or desktop enthusiast, there’s something new to love in this release. Upgrade today via GNOME Software, terminal, or grab the ISO from the official website.