Fedora Linux 45 arrives with GNOME 51, KDE Plasma 6.8, and new Stratis storage support

Fedora Linux 45 is now available across Workstation, KDE Plasma Desktop, Server, Cloud, CoreOS, IoT, Atomic Desktops, and Spins, bringing desktop improvements, updated developer tools, and broader hardware support. One of the main additions is native Stratis support in the Anaconda installer, allowing users to create storage pools across multiple drives and configure dynamic filesystems through Cockpit. Kickstart also gains new options for automated Stratis deployments.

Fedora Workstation 45 ships with GNOME 51, introducing improved frame scheduling for smoother animations under heavy CPU or GPU loads, an updated graphics pipeline using the standard GBM path, and oo7, a sandboxed service for storing credentials. Meanwhile, Fedora KDE Plasma Desktop includes Plasma 6.8 with per-screen virtual desktops, improved remote desktop performance, bidirectional clipboard synchronization, the return of the Oxygen theme, and the new CSS-based Union theming system.

Other changes include Podman 6, which introduces breaking API and command-line changes, and the removal of two legacy NetworkManager VPN plugins, with OpenConnect and Libreswan recommended as alternatives. Fedora Asahi Remix 45 also adds initial support for Apple's M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max chips, although hardware-accelerated 3D graphics support is expected to arrive later through a Mesa update.