Upgrading Your Fedora Silverblue System to Version 44: A Complete Walkthrough

Introduction

Fedora Silverblue is a robust, atomic desktop operating system built on Fedora Linux. It's perfect for daily work, development, and containerized workflows, offering unique benefits like the ability to roll back system changes if something goes wrong. If you're ready to move to the latest release — Fedora Linux 44 — this guide will walk you through the process. You'll learn not only how to perform the rebase, but also how to undo it if necessary. Whether you prefer a graphical interface or the command line, we've got you covered.

What You Need

• A Fedora Silverblue installation currently running an earlier version (e.g., Fedora 43).
• Administrative privileges (sudo access) on your system.
• An active internet connection to download the new image.
• A terminal application (GNOME Terminal or similar) if you plan to use the command-line method.
• GNOME Software (optional) for the GUI approach.
• Time – the download may take a while depending on your connection speed.

Step 1: Update Your Current System

Before you begin the rebase, it's essential to apply any pending updates to your existing system. This ensures a clean transition. Open a terminal and run:

$ sudo rpm-ostree update

Alternatively, you can install updates through GNOME Software. Look for the Software icon in your Activities overview, go to the Updates tab, and click Update All. After the updates are applied, reboot your system to ensure everything is current.

Step 2: Choose Your Upgrade Method

You have two paths: the graphical method using GNOME Software, or the terminal method using rpm-ostree. Both achieve the same result, so pick the one you're most comfortable with.

Method A: Upgrade via GNOME Software

1. Open GNOME Software from your applications menu.
2. Navigate to the Updates tab (the one with a downward arrow icon). You should see an alert that a new version of Fedora Linux is available.
3. Click the Download button next to the Fedora Linux 44 entry. This will start downloading the new image. Wait for the download to complete — the Software app will show a progress bar.
4. Once the download finishes, the button changes to Restart & Upgrade. Click it. Your system will prepare the update (this takes only a few seconds) and then automatically reboot.
5. After the reboot, your Silverblue system will be running Fedora Linux 44. That's it! The entire process is straightforward and requires minimal terminal interaction.

Method B: Upgrade via Terminal

If you prefer command-line control, follow these steps:

1. Check available branches to confirm that Fedora 44 is present:
   $ ostree remote refs fedora
   Look for a line like fedora:fedora/44/x86_64/silverblue in the output. If you see it, you're good to go.
2. Optional: Pin your current deployment to keep it available in the GRUB menu until you manually remove it. This is a safety net in case you need to roll back later without losing the old system. Run:
   $ sudo ostree admin pin 0
   Here, 0 is the index of the current deployment as shown by rpm-ostree status. To unpin later, use sudo ostree admin pin --unpin 2 (replace 2 with the actual index).
3. Rebase to Fedora 44 by running:
   $ rpm-ostree rebase fedora:fedora/44/x86_64/silverblue
   This command downloads the new image and prepares the system.
4. Reboot to boot into the new version:
   $ sudo systemctl reboot

Step 3: Verify the Upgrade

After reboot, confirm that you're running Fedora Linux 44. Open a terminal and run:

$ cat /etc/fedora-release

You should see something like Fedora release 44 (Forty Four). Also check GNOME Settings > About to see the version.

Step 4: How to Roll Back (If Needed)

If you encounter issues (e.g., boot problems or hardware incompatibility), reverting is simple. Follow these steps:

1. At boot time, press ESC (or hold Shift) to open the GRUB menu.
2. Select the entry labeled with the previous Fedora version (e.g., Fedora 43) instead of Fedora 44. Boot into it.
3. Once logged in, open a terminal and make the rollback permanent with:
   $ sudo rpm-ostree rollback
   This sets the previous deployment as the default. You can then reboot normally.
4. Optionally, remove the Fedora 44 deployment by unpinning any pinned entries and using sudo rpm-ostree cleanup -p to remove old deployments.

Tips for a Smooth Rebase

• Back up important data before starting. While the rebase is safe, unexpected power loss or disk issues could cause problems.
• Pin a working deployment as described in Step 2B to make rollback even easier.
• Check for known issues on the Fedora 44 release notes before upgrading.
• Use a wired internet connection if possible to avoid Wi-Fi drops during the large download.
• Do not interrupt the update process – let GNOME Software or the terminal commands finish completely.
• After upgrade, update any third-party repositories (like RPM Fusion) by running sudo rpm-ostree update again.
• Enjoy Fedora Linux 44 and explore new features like improved performance and updated packages!

Now you're fully equipped to upgrade your Fedora Silverblue system to version 44. Whether you choose the graphical or command-line route, the process is safe and reversible. Happy rebasing!