Fedora Linux 44: Key Updates for Atomic Desktop Users

Fedora Linux 44 brings several important changes for users of Atomic Desktop variants like Silverblue, Kinoite, Sway Atomic, Budgie Atomic, and COSMIC Atomic. This guide answers the most common questions about the updates, from new issue tracking to the removal of legacy libraries. Use the links below to jump to specific topics.

1. What changes were made to the issue tracking system for Fedora Atomic Desktops in version 44?

The cross-variant issue tracker has moved to the new Fedora forge. This centralized location is now the best place to file issues that affect all Atomic Desktop variants or to coordinate work across them. Previously, bug reports were scattered across different trackers, making collaboration harder. For issues specific to a single desktop environment, each respective SIG (Special Interest Group) tracker remains the preferred location. You can find links to those SIG trackers in the README of the atomic-desktops organization. This change streamlines communication and ensures faster resolution of cross-variant problems. If you've reported bugs before, please check the new forge for your existing tickets—many have been migrated automatically.

2. Where can users find unified documentation for all Atomic Desktop variants, and what is the translation status?

The long-awaited unified documentation for all Atomic Desktops is now live on the new Fedora forge. It consolidates guides, troubleshooting tips, and release notes into one easy-to-navigate site. However, translations from the old documentation have not been migrated. The project needs volunteer help to re-translate the content once the translation infrastructure is ready on the new forge. The good news is that the work will largely involve copying and pasting from the previous docs, and this time you will only need to translate once—not repeatedly for each new variant. If you want to contribute, follow the tracking issue atomic-desktops#10.

3. Why was FUSE version 2 removed from Fedora Atomic Desktop images?

FUSE version 2 libraries have been deprecated and unmaintained for years. Their removal from the base images reduces security risks and simplifies maintenance. In practice, this change affects two areas: AppImages and Plasma Vault on Kinoite. Many older AppImages rely on the deprecated runtime that depends on FUSE 2 being present on the host system. Similarly, certain backends for Plasma Vault (EncFS and CryFS) use FUSE 2 and are no longer supported. Users will need to migrate their vaults or update AppImages accordingly. See the official Fedora Change and tracking issue atomic-desktops#50 for further details.

4. How does the removal of FUSE 2 affect AppImages, and what should users do?

If you run AppImages on Fedora Atomic Desktops 44, some may stop working if they still use an older AppImage runtime that requires FUSE 2. You can check the runtime version by inspecting the AppImage file (see the Discussion thread for examples). For broken AppImages, the recommended steps are:

• Look for a Flatpak version of the same application. Flatpaks are containerized and do not depend on host libraries like FUSE 2.
• Report the issue upstream to the AppImage developer and encourage them to update their runtime. Consider helping them with the migration if you have the skills.

If you must use the AppImage temporarily, you can layer the FUSE 2 libraries via rpm-ostree install fuse-libs, but this is not recommended long‑term because it undermines the security benefits of removing the deprecated libraries.

5. What should Plasma Vault users on Kinoite do about deprecated EncFS and CryFS backends?

KDE upstream has deprecated the EncFS and CryFS backends for Plasma Vaults, primarily because they depend on the removed FUSE 2 libraries. If you are using one of these backends, you should migrate your data to a new vault using the only maintained backend: gocryptfs. Ideally, perform the migration before upgrading to Fedora Linux 44. If you have already updated and cannot access your old vault, you can temporarily re‑add the needed packages by running:

rpm-ostree install cryfs fuse-encfs

Then access your vault, migrate the data, and finally remove the layered packages with rpm-ostree reset. After migration, delete the old vault and rely on gocryptfs moving forward. This ensures compatibility with future updates.

6. What is the impact of dropping compatibility for pkla Polkit rules?

Support for the legacy pkla format of Polkit rules has been removed from Fedora Linux 44. This affects only users who have custom‑made pkla rule files for granting privileges. In practice, it is unlikely that many Atomic Desktop users rely on this format, as the modern .rules files are preferred and already in use. If you have custom pkla files, you will need to convert them to the JavaScript‑based .rules format. Check your /etc/polkit-1/rules.d/ and /usr/share/polkit-1/rules.d/ directories for any .pkla files. Migration tools or manual conversion guides are available in the Fedora documentation. Failing to convert will cause those custom privileges to stop working.