The Fedora Project is pleased to announce the immediate availability of Fedora Linux 39 Beta, the next step towards our planned Fedora Linux 39 release at the end of October.
Get the the prerelease of any of our editions from our project website:
Or, try one of our many different desktop variants (like KDE Plasma, Xfce, or Cinnamon) from Fedora Linux Spins.
You can also update an existing system to the beta using DNF system-upgrade.
Beta release highlights
In some ways, this release might seem notable largely for what isn’t here. We’d planned to update the DNF package manager to a new, speedier version. We also hoped to showcase a long-awaited refresh to the user interface for Anaconda, our installation program. However, we decided these things just weren’t ready in time.
Don’t let this get you down, though — this is a healthy process at work. Years ago, we didn’t always have a good way to alter course once we’d accepted a change proposal. We often found ourselves in a situation where the only reasonable way forward was to forge ahead, even if we weren’t happy enough with the change for general users. Now, even though it’s somewhat disappointing, we’re recognizing that these big changes need more time to bake, and putting them back into the oven is a good thing.
I’ve got a kid that always wants to get 100% (or higher!) in every class. I keep telling her, “Really, you learn best when you’re right 80% of the time. Otherwise, you’re not getting enough of a challenge.” To keep up with Fedora’s commitment to innovation, we also need to take risks. If everything went according to plan, that would mean we’re not trying hard enough. At the same time, our process now allows us to take these risks while still making sure the Fedora Linux OS we ship for general use is of A+ quality.
We still plan to bring you these features in the near future, and if they’re of interest to you, please keep your eyes open for upcoming test announcements.
In the meantime, enjoy the many updates across all of Fedora Linux updates, ready for you to test in this new beta.
Notable updates
Fedora Workstation 39 Beta brings us GNOME 45 (itself also in beta). For everyone who needs a free and open source desktop suite, there’s LibreOffice 7.6.
Fedora Cloud images for AWS now default to less-expensive gp3 storage volumes.
We also have an update to the GNU Toolchain (gcc 13.2, binutils 2.40, glibc 2.38, gdb 13.2). Of course, developers appreciate that we include the latest tools, but these updates also include improvements to security and performance that will benefit everyone who uses Fedora Linux.
Testing needed
Since this is a beta release, we expect that you may encounter bugs or missing features. To report issues encountered during testing, contact the Fedora Quality team via the test mailing list or in the #quality channel on Fedora Chat. As testing progresses, common issues are tracked in the “Common Issues” category on Ask Fedora.
For tips on reporting a bug effectively, read how to file a bug.
What is the beta release?
A beta release is code-complete and bears a very strong resemblance to the final release. If you take the time to download and try out the beta, you can check and make sure the things that are important to you are working. Every bug you find and report doesn’t just help you, it improves the experience of millions of Fedora Linux users worldwide! Together, we can make Fedora rock-solid. We have a culture of coordinating new features and pushing fixes upstream as much as we can. Your feedback improves not only Fedora Linux, but the Linux ecosystem and free software as a whole.
More information
For more detailed information about what’s new on the Fedora Linux 39 Beta release, you can consult the Fedora Linux 39 Change set. It contains more technical information about the new packages and improvements shipped with this release.
