Upgrading Fedora Silverblue to Version 44: A Step-by-Step Q&A Guide

Fedora Silverblue is an immutable desktop operating system based on Fedora, ideal for daily use, development, and container workflows. Rebasing to a new major version like Fedora 44 updates your system while preserving atomic updates and rollback capabilities. This Q&A covers everything from preparation to rebasing via GUI or terminal, including how to revert changes if needed.

What is Fedora Silverblue and why would I rebase it?

Fedora Silverblue is a variant of Fedora designed for stability and atomic updates. Unlike traditional distributions, the system image is deployed as a whole, making upgrades and rollbacks seamless. Rebasing means switching your current deployment image to a newer version—like moving from Fedora 43 to Fedora 44. This gives you access to the latest software, security patches, and kernel improvements without the risk of breaking your existing environment. Because Silverblue uses rpm-ostree under the hood, you can always revert to a previous state if the new version causes issues.

What should I do before starting the rebase process?

Before rebasing, ensure your current Silverblue system is fully updated. Open a terminal and run $ rpm-ostree update, or use GNOME Software to install pending updates, then reboot. This step is crucial because it reduces potential conflicts during the rebase. Also, back up any critical data, although the atomic nature of Silverblue makes data loss unlikely. If you have pinned deployments, note their positions in the RPM-OSTree status listing. For Fedora Atomic variants other than Silverblue, the same general process applies, but adjust the image reference to match your desktop environment (e.g., Kinoite for KDE).

How do I rebase to Fedora 44 using GNOME Software?

GNOME Software in Silverblue automatically detects when a new Fedora release is available. On the Updates screen, look for a notification about Fedora Linux 44. Click the Download button to fetch the new image—this can take several minutes depending on your internet speed. Once downloaded, a Restart & Upgrade button appears. Click it, and the system will reboot, applying the new deployment. After restarting, you’ll boot into Fedora 44. If you don’t see the update immediately, try refreshing the software sources. This method is the simplest and ideal for users who prefer graphical interfaces.

How do I rebase to Fedora 44 using the terminal?

For those comfortable with the command line, open a terminal and verify the 44 branch is available by running $ ostree remote refs fedora. You should see an entry like fedora:fedora/44/x86_64/silverblue. To proceed, first (optionally) pin your current deployment to keep it in GRUB: $ sudo ostree admin pin 0 (replace 0 with the deployment’s position from rpm-ostree status). Then rebase with: $ rpm-ostree rebase fedora:fedora/44/x86_64/silverblue. This command downloads the new image and prepares it. Finally, reboot: $ systemctl reboot. Upon restart, choose Fedora 44 from the boot menu. If you want to remove a pin later, use $ sudo ostree admin pin --unpin 2 (adjust the number).

How can I pin my current deployment before rebasing?

Pinning a deployment ensures that it remains available in the GRUB boot menu even after you rebase to a new version. To pin, first get the list of deployments with $ rpm-ostree status. Identify the deployment you want to keep (index 0 is typically the current one). Then run $ sudo ostree admin pin 0. If you later decide to remove the pin, use the --unpin flag followed by the deployment’s index in the status list (e.g., $ sudo ostree admin pin --unpin 2). Pinning is useful if you want to test Fedora 44 for a while while keeping a safe fallback. You can have multiple pinned deployments, but each takes additional disk space (typically a few hundred MB to a few GB).

What if something goes wrong? How do I roll back?

One of Silverblue’s strongest features is its effortless rollback. If Fedora 44 fails to boot or causes issues, restart the computer and press ESC (or hold Shift) during boot to bring up the GRUB menu. Select the entry for your previous Fedora version. The system will start as before any changes. To make that version the default permanently, log in and run $ rpm-ostree rollback. This command repositions your old deployment as the boot default. You can later remove the Fedora 44 deployment if desired. The rollback is instantaneous and does not affect your personal files, user data, or configurations stored in /home or /var.

Can I use these methods for other Fedora Atomic Desktops?

Yes, the rebase process is nearly identical for all Fedora Atomic variants—like Kinoite (KDE), Sericea (Sway), and Budgie Atomic. The main difference is the image reference string. For example, to rebase Kinoite to Fedora 44, you would use fedora:fedora/44/x86_64/kinoite instead of silverblue. The GNOME Software method also works because the updater communicates with the same rpm-ostree backend. So if you’re on Kinoite, apply the same steps but replace the desktop‑specific name. The rollback and pinning commands are exactly the same across all variants.