7 Essential Steps to Upgrade Your Fedora Silverblue to Fedora Linux 44

Fedora Silverblue is an immutable operating system that combines the reliability of atomic updates with the power of Fedora Linux. If you're ready to leap to Fedora Linux 44, this guide breaks down the entire process into seven manageable steps. Whether you prefer clicking through GNOME Software or typing commands in the terminal, you'll learn how to rebase safely—and how to roll back if something goes wrong. Let's get started.

1. Understand What a Rebase Means for Silverblue

Before you begin, it's important to know that rebasing isn't the same as a traditional upgrade. In Silverblue, your operating system lives as an atomic image. Rebasing switches that image from one Fedora version to another. This method keeps your system clean and allows easy rollbacks. All the techniques described here apply not only to Silverblue but also to other Fedora Atomic Desktops like Kinoite or Sway Atomic—just adjust the image name accordingly. The process is safe, but always back up your data first.

2. Apply All Pending Updates First

To ensure a smooth transition, start by bringing your current system fully up to date. Open a terminal and run rpm-ostree update. Alternatively, launch GNOME Software and install any waiting updates. After updating, reboot to make sure everything is stable. This step reduces the risk of conflicts during the rebase. Skipping it might lead to unexpected errors, so don't rush past this simple but crucial preparation.

3. Check Availability of the Fedora 44 Image

Now verify that the Fedora 44 Silverblue image is ready for your system. In the terminal, enter ostree remote refs fedora. Look for a line like fedora:fedora/44/x86_64/silverblue. If you see it, you're good to go. If not, wait a bit longer or check your internet connection. This step confirms that the rebase target exists before you proceed.

4. Pin Your Current Deployment (Optional but Recommended)

Pinning a deployment preserves it in the GRUB boot menu even after a successful rebase. To pin the current entry, run sudo ostree admin pin 0 (where 0 is the index from rpm-ostree status). If you later want to remove it, use sudo ostree admin pin --unpin 2. Pinning gives you a safety net; even if you don't plan to roll back, it's a smart habit.

5. Rebase Using GNOME Software (Graphical Method)

For a point-and-click approach, open GNOME Software and navigate to the Updates tab. You'll see a notification about Fedora Linux 44. Click Download to fetch the new image. Once the download finishes, the button changes to Restart & Upgrade. Press it, your system will briefly update, then automatically reboot into Fedora Linux 44. That's all—simple and user-friendly. No terminal needed.

6. Rebase Using the Terminal (Command Line Method)

If you prefer the keyboard, open a terminal and execute rpm-ostree rebase fedora:fedora/44/x86_64/silverblue. Wait while the system downloads and deploys the new image. After the command finishes, reboot with systemctl reboot. Upon boot, you should land in Fedora Linux 44. Verify by running rpm-ostree status—your active deployment should now point to the 44 branch.

7. Perform a Rollback if Needed

If something goes wrong—for instance, you can't boot—recover easily. At the GRUB menu, select the entry for the previous version (e.g., Fedora Linux 43). If GRUB doesn't appear, press ESC during boot. Once you're back to a working system, make the change permanent by running rpm-ostree rollback. This command sets the previous deployment as the default. Alternatively, you can skip rollback and simply keep using the older version if you unpin later.

Congratulations! You've successfully upgraded your Fedora Silverblue to Fedora Linux 44. Remember, the atomic nature of Silverblue means you can experiment freely—rollbacks are always a reboot away. Enjoy the new features and performance improvements of Fedora Linux 44.