Fedora Silverblue is an immutable desktop operating system built on Fedora Linux, designed for daily use, development, and container workflows. One of its key benefits is the ability to safely upgrade or roll back. This guide answers common questions about rebasing to Fedora Linux 44 on Silverblue, covering both graphical and terminal methods, as well as how to revert if needed.
How do I prepare my Silverblue system before rebasing to Fedora 44?
Before beginning the rebase, it's essential to apply all pending updates to your current system. This ensures a smooth transition and minimizes potential conflicts. Open a terminal and run:
$ rpm-ostree updateAlternatively, you can use GNOME Software to install updates and then reboot your computer. After restarting, your system will be fully up to date and ready for the rebase. Remember that rpm-ostree is the atomic update engine used across all Fedora Atomic Desktops, so these steps apply to other variants like Kinoite with appropriate desktop adjustments.
How can I rebase to Fedora 44 using GNOME Software?
GNOME Software makes the upgrade process intuitive. Navigate to the Updates screen, where you'll see a notification that Fedora Linux 44 is available. Click the Download button to fetch the new image. This may take a while depending on your internet speed. Once the download completes, the interface will indicate the update is ready to install. Simply click Restart & Upgrade. Your system will perform the necessary steps in seconds and then reboot automatically. After restart, you'll be running Fedora Linux 44. This graphical method is straightforward and ideal if you prefer not to use the command line.
How do I rebase to Fedora 44 using the terminal?
If you're comfortable with the command line, rebasing via terminal is quick and direct. Start by verifying the Fedora 44 branch is available:
$ ostree remote refs fedoraLook for the line fedora:fedora/44/x86_64/silverblue in the output. Optionally, you can pin your current deployment with sudo ostree admin pin 0 (where 0 is the deployment's position from rpm-ostree status) to keep it as a boot option. Then run:
$ rpm-ostree rebase fedora:fedora/44/x86_64/silverblueFinally, reboot your computer. After restart, you'll boot into Fedora Linux 44. To unpin a pinned deployment later, use sudo ostree admin pin --unpin 2 (adjust the number as needed).
Why should I pin my current deployment before rebasing?
Pinning your existing deployment ensures that it remains available as a boot entry in GRUB even after the rebase. This is a safety net: if the new Fedora 44 deployment encounters issues, you can still boot into the pinned version. To pin, first check the deployment list with rpm-ostree status. Note the index (starting from 0) of the current deployment, then run sudo ostree admin pin <index>. The pinned deployment will stay until you explicitly remove it. To remove a pin later, use sudo ostree admin pin --unpin <index>. This strategy is especially useful if you want to test the new release without fully committing.
What if something goes wrong? How can I roll back to my previous version?
If you encounter problems booting into Fedora Linux 44, rolling back is simple. During startup, press ESC (or watch for the GRUB menu) and select the entry for your previous Fedora version. Your system will boot normally. To make that old version the permanent default, log in and run:
$ rpm-ostree rollbackThis command reverts the boot order, so the previous deployment becomes active again. You can then continue using your stable system while troubleshooting the rebase attempt. Rolling back via GRUB and the rollback command ensures you never lose access to a working environment.