The Fedora 45 beta is here. This is what's new
You can expect upgrades to the GNOME experience on Workstation, the Plasma version as well, and the installer for Atomic Desktops.
The Fedora Project this week released the beta version of Fedora 45, the next iteration of the Fedora Linux operating system. This is what the average desktop user can expect to notice is different with this update.
Why this update matters: Fedora is one of the most popular Linux distributions, and its Atomic Desktops series in particular are on the cutting edge of how open source operating systems are constructed and maintained.
What's new
Below are a few of the highlights in what you'll notice is new in Fedora 45.
GNOME 51
Using the Fedora 45 beta, featuring the GNOME 51 desktop.
If you're using the Workstation edition of Fedora 45, you'll get an upgrade to GNOME 51. This version of the desktop environment features enhancements like Microsoft Teams integration in the calendar, per-user fingerprint management, and hardware acceleration for remote desktop sessions.
Technically, GNOME 51 isn't out of beta yet itself, but it's expected to reach maturity before Fedora 45 fully releases.
Plasma 6.7
If instead of Workstation you prefer the KDE Plasma Desktop edition of Fedora, then you'll see an update to Plasma 6.7 on Fedora 45. Its features include an overhauled theming engine, a global push-to-talk hotkey, independent virtual desktops for multi-monitor setups, and easier dark-light mode switching.
Plasma 6.7 isn't exactly the cutting edge of KDE Plasma development. At the time of writing Plasma 6.8 is in beta, and its expected to arrive in full in mid-October, before the full arrival of Fedora 45.
Jordan Gloor
The kmscon virtual console
This Fedora release has replaced the virtual console fbcon with kmscon. This is the terminal-style console you'll see if you boot into Fedora without a desktop environment, or if you "switch to TTY." Unlike fbcon, kmscon can show all Unicode characters and allows for hardware acceleration.
- If none of these terms mean anything to you, then don't worry about it. The important fact is that the under-the-hood interface has been upgraded with newer and more advanced capabilities.
What's getting better
These are some aspects of Fedora Linux getting upgraded with version 45.
Linux kernel
Version 7.2 of the Linux kernel will provide the low-level base for this update. This kernel update notably includes initial support in the AMD graphics driver for HDMI 2.1 Frame Rate Link (FRL), which allows for higher uncompressed video signals.
- Other technical improvements include better load balancing, more efficient memory management using Rust, and better Thunderbolt-based networking support.
Atomic Desktop installation experience
When you install one of Fedora's "Atomic Desktops" (like Kinoite or Silverblue), you'll now see the newer "WebUI" installer.
- Notably, Anaconda WebUI allows you to manage the installation of an operating system remotely from another computer using a web browser, with HTTPS encryption and a PIN system for security.
Zooming out
My take: I'm not a big fan of Fedora, but I am interested in further development of Atomic Desktop-based distributions like Bazzite.
Diving in
The fineprint: To learn more about to expect, including upgraded package versions, check out the Fedora 45 beta release notes.
Get it now: To try the beta, you can go to the Fedora Project website, click the "Download Now" button, then click the "Show Beta Downloads" button.
If you'd rather not participate in the beta, you'll have to wait until at least October 20, 2026, the current target for a full release.
