Page updated on . Official sources consulted on that date.
Fedora Linux: choose an edition and prepare to install
Fedora is a community Linux distribution supported by Red Hat. For a personal computer, start by comparing Workstation and KDE Plasma Desktop, which provide different desktops. Then check your applications, hardware and the time you can dedicate to release upgrades.
The official Workstation introduction describes a project driven by an international community. Red Hat's support does not make Fedora an edition of Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Our Fedora and Red Hat family page (in French) explains the relationships between these projects and variants.
Workstation or KDE Plasma: which desktop?
- Fedora Workstation: the edition with GNOME. Try its organisation of windows, workspaces and applications before deciding whether it suits your habits.
- Fedora KDE Plasma Desktop: a full official edition featuring Plasma. Its official introduction highlights customisation. Compare panels, menus and settings with GNOME.
- Spins: variants with other preconfigured desktops, including Xfce, Cinnamon, MATE and LXQt. Use the official Fedora Spins list to find an image with your chosen desktop.
A desktop affects everyday use, but its name alone does not predict responsiveness on your machine. For an older computer or one with limited memory, compare the chosen image's requirements and try your real tasks.
Fedora 44: plan for ongoing maintenance
As of 11 October 2026, the official Workstation download page offers Fedora 44, released on 28 April 2026. Check that page when downloading. For everyday use, select the published release; images explicitly labelled beta are for trying an upcoming release.
Fedora advertises approximately thirteen months of updates per release, as described on the Workstation page. Installing a release later does not restart that period. Plan release upgrades as well as routine software updates.
Fedora may suit you if you accept this regular maintenance. If keeping the same major release for several years is your priority, compare maintenance schedules first. Always back up your data and read the official instructions before upgrading.
Installing software: DNF and Flatpak have different roles
For music and video: follow our VLC installation tutorial, including update guidance. For documents and spreadsheets, see the LibreOffice tutorial.
On traditional editions such as Workstation and KDE Plasma, DNF manages system packages. The DNF5 documentation explains that installing a package also handles its dependencies. Check the origin of any repositories you add and review proposed changes before confirming.
Flatpak mainly targets desktop applications. It distributes them across Linux distributions with a runtime and sandboxing. It does not replace kernel or driver packages; the Flatpak documentation describes these boundaries. Check the application's source and requested access.
Before migrating, check essential applications, file formats and devices. A Linux application does not necessarily provide all the features of its Windows counterpart. Our software checklist before switching to Linux helps you prepare that comparison.
Separate pages for Fedora Scientific and Silverblue
These variants address particular needs:
- Fedora Scientific (in French): a Lab combining KDE with scientific computing, programming and writing tools, described on its official page. It is a different project from Scientific Linux.
- Fedora Silverblue (in French): a GNOME desktop whose system base updates as a whole, with applications mainly delivered as Flatpaks. Its official introduction explains the approach. Traditional DNF procedures cannot simply be applied to its system base.
Download Fedora and check before installing
- Choose the right image: use the official site linked above or our Fedora download page. Workstation offers live images for Intel/AMD x86_64 and ARM aarch64; check compatibility with your device.
- Verify the file: follow Fedora's instructions to authenticate the checksum file using its OpenPGP signature, then compare the downloaded image's SHA256 checksum. SHA256 alone does not prove where a file came from.
- Prepare the USB drive and try it: Fedora Media Writer creates live media. Back up the USB drive first, then check Wi-Fi, sound, suspend and devices with our pre-installation checklist.
Trying the system and installing it on a disk are separate steps. Before installation, keep an independent copy of your files and check the selected disk. This page cannot replace a trial on your own hardware.