Welcome to the latest milestone in Linux on Apple Silicon: Fedora Asahi Remix 44 is now officially available. This release brings the full power of Fedora Linux 44 to Macs powered by M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max, M1 Ultra, M2, and M3 chips. Developed hand-in-hand with the Fedora Asahi Special Interest Group and the Asahi Linux project, it delivers a polished experience with two flagship desktop environments, a streamlined setup, and important package transitions. Below, we answer the most common questions about this new release.
What is Fedora Asahi Remix 44?
Fedora Asahi Remix 44 is a specialized spin of Fedora Linux designed exclusively for Apple Silicon Macs. It combines the latest Fedora 44 base with the Asahi Linux kernel and drivers, ensuring full hardware compatibility—from the GPU to the Thunderbolt ports. This version retires the previously bundled Mesa and virglrenderer packages, switching to the upstream versions now available in the official Fedora repositories. If you haven’t manually made this change, the upgrade process will handle it automatically. The remix offers multiple flavors: a KDE Plasma edition (the flagship), a GNOME variant, a server edition, and a minimal image for custom builds.
What desktop environments are offered?
Fedora Asahi Remix 44 ships with two main desktop options. The flagship environment is KDE Plasma 6.6, which includes all the enhancements from Fedora KDE Plasma Desktop 44. For those who prefer a more traditional layout, a GNOME 50 variant is also available. Both mirror what you would find in standard Fedora Linux releases but optimized for Apple Silicon. Additionally, the remix provides a Fedora Server variant for headless or server workloads, and a Minimal image for users who want to build their own stack from scratch.
What changed in the setup and login process?
For new installations, Fedora Asahi Remix 44 introduces a Plasma Setup wizard, which replaces the older Calamares installer. This new tool is built natively for Plasma, providing a seamless experience during user account creation and system configuration. Additionally, the default greeter is now Plasma Login Manager instead of SDDM. These changes apply only to fresh installs. If you are upgrading from Fedora Asahi Remix 42 or 43, your existing configuration remains untouched. No need to redo your login screen setup.
How do I install or upgrade to Fedora Asahi Remix 44?
To install from scratch, follow the official installation guide on the Asahi Linux website. If you are already running Fedora Asahi Remix 42 or 43, upgrading is straightforward using the standard Fedora workflow. Use DNF’s System Upgrade command or KDE’s Plasma Discover to perform the upgrade. Note that upgrading via GNOME Software is not supported for this remix. Make sure to back up your data before proceeding, and follow the usual Fedora upgrade instructions carefully.
What happened to Mesa and virglrenderer packages?
In previous versions of Fedora Asahi Remix, the project maintained its own forked versions of Mesa and virglrenderer to provide early GPU support. With the maturation of upstream Fedora packages, those custom builds are now retired. Fedora Asahi Remix 44 automatically transitions existing systems to the upstream Mesa and virglrenderer packages from the official Fedora repositories. This means better compatibility with future updates and a reduced maintenance burden for the Asahi team. Users who already switched manually will see no change.
Where can I get support or report bugs?
If you encounter any issues specific to Fedora Asahi Remix, the project maintains a dedicated issue tracker on GitHub. For community help and discussions, join the Discourse forum or the official Matrix room. Remember to check if your problem is already known before posting. For general Fedora 44 issues, refer to the main Fedora support channels. The Asahi Linux team and the Fedora Asahi SIG are responsive and welcoming to new users.