Fedora Linux 45 is here, bringing GNOME 51, new installation options, and changes to how the desktop handles your passwords and credentials. Apple Silicon owners get something too, with Fedora Asahi Remix 45 adding initial support for M3 Macs, although that announcement comes with a limitation you should understand before installing it.
This is a release with plenty of practical improvements, even if Fedora’s main announcement makes you work a little too hard to find them. There is more going on than the usual promises of better performance and updated software.
For desktop users, Fedora Workstation 45 centers on GNOME 51. Its Mutter window manager has reworked frame scheduling and delivery, which the project says should keep animations and desktop transitions smoother when the system is busy. That sounds useful for anyone who wants to keep working while a demanding task runs in the background, although it is a project claim rather than something we have independently benchmarked.
Files, the GNOME file manager, gets smaller changes that could prove useful every day. A badge shows how many files you are dragging, while slow directory operations should no longer leave the interface waiting on them. File operation notifications are also grouped together.
Calendar receives a rewritten rendering system intended to make crowded schedules easier to browse. Meanwhile, the file previewer moves to GTK 4 and libadwaita, bringing a refreshed interface, dark style support, and improved handling of display scaling.
The separate GNOME 51 release notes reveal features that deserve more attention than they received in the Workstation announcement. Maps can download regions for offline use, while public transit information gains live departures and delays where supported. Papers can insert a handwritten signature into a document, either drawn or imported from an image, although that does not provide the authenticity guarantees of a cryptographic signature.
Software also warns before installing applications that are no longer maintained and shows more information about Flatpak file permissions. Other conveniences include automatically disabling the touchpad when a mouse is connected and remembering monitor brightness across reboots and HDR changes. These are the kinds of improvements people can appreciate without needing to understand the software underneath them.
Accessibility gets attention as well, including the ability to adjust screenshot selections entirely with the keyboard. Reduced Motion now applies to more parts of the interface, which gives users better control over how much movement appears on screen.
On the security side, Fedora Workstation is moving to oo7 for storing application passwords, tokens, and other secrets. The announcement describes a compartmentalized, sandboxed service replacing legacy keyring daemons. Better protection for stored credentials is welcome, but it should not be confused with a guarantee that malicious applications can never access sensitive information.
One of the larger changes outside the desktop is Stratis support in the Anaconda installer. Stratis combines existing Linux storage technologies to provide features including storage pools, snapshots, encryption, and dynamically sized filesystems.
During custom installation, users can open Cockpit’s storage interface from Anaconda to configure Stratis pools and filesystems. Automated deployments gain corresponding Kickstart support too. This gives users another installation option; it does not mean Fedora has made Stratis the default storage setup.
There is also an upgrade issue worth checking before you begin. Fedora is retiring the NetworkManager-vpnc and NetworkManager-fortisslvpn VPN plugins, so anyone relying on those connections should review the migration guidance first. Losing access to a work VPN is a lousy way to discover that a package has disappeared.
For Mac owners, Fedora Asahi Remix 45 continues supporting M1 and M2 systems while adding initial support for M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max. However, the GPU drivers needed for performant 3D acceleration on M3 systems are not included.
Those drivers are expected through a future Mesa update, but the announcement provides no delivery date. Getting Linux running on additional Apple hardware is welcome progress, yet M3 owners should not mistake initial support for a finished graphics experience. The announcement also makes no claim of M4 support.
Asahi’s flagship desktop is KDE Plasma 6.8, with GNOME 51 available as an alternative. Server and Minimal images are offered too, giving users options beyond a conventional desktop installation.
Existing Asahi users can upgrade from releases 43 or 44, but GNOME Software cannot perform that upgrade. They need KDE’s Plasma Discover or DNF System Upgrade instead, even though regular Fedora Workstation supports upgrading through GNOME Software.
Fedora 45 gives desktop users several concrete reasons to consider upgrading, particularly around everyday applications, accessibility, and installation flexibility. Just check the VPN changes first, and if you own an M3 Mac, decide whether you can live with the graphics limitation before starting the installer.
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