Your Comprehensive Guide to Installing and Upgrading to Fedora Asahi Remix 44 on Apple Silicon Macs

Overview

Fedora Asahi Remix 44 has arrived, bringing the full power of Fedora Linux 44 to Apple Silicon Macs. This release, developed in close collaboration with the Fedora Asahi Special Interest Group (SIG) and the Asahi Linux project, delivers a polished experience with KDE Plasma 6.6 as the flagship desktop, alongside GNOME 50 and server/minimal variants. Notably, it retires the previously vendored Mesa and virglrenderer packages, transitioning users to upstream versions seamlessly. Whether you’re installing from scratch or upgrading from version 42 or 43, this guide walks you through every step to get Fedora Asahi Remix 44 running smoothly on your M-series Mac.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you meet the following requirements:

• Apple Silicon Mac: Any Mac with an M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max, M2, M2 Pro, M2 Max, M2 Ultra, or later chip.
• Internet connection: Stable broadband for downloading the installer and packages.
• Backup: Always back up important data before installing or upgrading an operating system.
• Time: Installation may take 30–60 minutes; upgrades vary.
• Basic familiarity: Comfort with terminal commands (for upgrade) or following a guided installer (for new install).

Step-by-Step Instructions

A. New Installation

For users setting up Fedora Asahi Remix 44 on a fresh Mac, follow the official installation guide. Here’s an outline of the process:

1. Download the installer: Visit the Asahi Linux installation page and choose the Fedora Asahi Remix 44 option. The script will handle everything.
2. Run the installer: Open Terminal on macOS and execute the provided one-liner (e.g., curl -sL https://alx.sh | sh). Follow the on-screen prompts to select your target disk and partition.
3. Select a variant: Choose from:
   • KDE Plasma 6.6 (flagship desktop with Plasma Setup wizard and Plasma Login Manager)
   • GNOME 50 (alternative desktop environment)
   • Fedora Server (headless/server workloads)
   • Minimal (barebones for custom builds)
4. Complete setup: After the base system installs, your Mac will reboot into the new Fedora environment. If you chose KDE, the new Plasma Setup wizard will guide you through user account creation, replacing the old Calamares wizard.
5. Log in: Use the Plasma Login Manager (instead of SDDM) to sign in. This applies only to new installs; upgrades keep existing login managers.

B. Upgrading from Fedora Asahi Remix 42 or 43

Existing users can upgrade to version 44 using either the command-line DNF system upgrade tool or KDE’s Plasma Discover. Do not use GNOME Software — it is unsupported for this upgrade.

Method 1: Using DNF System Upgrade (Recommended)

1. Open a terminal.
2. Update your current system:
   sudo dnf upgrade --refresh
3. Install the DNF plugin for system upgrades:
   sudo dnf install dnf-plugin-system-upgrade
4. Download Fedora 44 packages:
   sudo dnf system-upgrade download --releasever=44
5. When prompted, review the transaction. Accept any changes (e.g., Mesa/virglrenderer package replacements).
6. Trigger the upgrade:
   sudo dnf system-upgrade reboot
7. Your Mac will reboot into the upgrade process. After completion, log in and verify with:
   cat /etc/fedora-release

Method 2: Using Plasma Discover

1. Launch Discover (KDE’s software center).
2. Navigate to Updates and click Check for Updates.
3. If an upgrade to Fedora 44 is available, click Upgrade. Follow the on-screen instructions.
4. Your system will reboot and complete the upgrade.

C. Post-Upgrade / Post-Installation Notes

• Retired packages: The upgrade automatically removes the vendored Mesa and virglrenderer packages (provided by Asahi Linux) and installs the upstream versions from the standard Fedora 44 repositories. No manual action is needed.
• Desktop environment changes: If you upgraded from a previous version, your desktop configuration (e.g., SDDM vs. Plasma Login Manager) remains unchanged. Only new installs get the new setup wizard and login manager.
• Verify hardware support: Check that GPU acceleration, sound, Wi-Fi, and other peripherals work. Most Apple Silicon hardware is fully supported.

Common Mistakes and Troubleshooting

1. Using GNOME Software to Upgrade

Mistake: Attempting to upgrade via GNOME’s Software application. Fix: Use DNF system upgrade or Plasma Discover instead. GNOME Software is not compatible with the upgrade path for Fedora Asahi Remix.

2. Skipping the --releasever Flag

Mistake: Running dnf system-upgrade download without specifying release version. Fix: Always include --releasever=44 to target the correct release.

3. Ignoring Package Conflicts

Mistake: Accepting default transaction during upgrade without reviewing removed/added packages. Fix: When prompted, review the list. Pay attention to Mesa/virglrenderer replacements. If unsure, keep defaults — the transition is tested.

4. Not Backing Up Data

Mistake: Upgrading without a backup. Fix: Always backup critical files before major upgrades. While rare, interruptions (power loss, disk space) can cause issues.

5. Running Out of Disk Space

Mistake: The upgrade requires significant free space (≥5 GB). Fix: Check with df -h before starting. Free up space by cleaning package cache (sudo dnf clean all) or removing unused packages.

Summary

Fedora Asahi Remix 44 offers a mature, well-integrated Linux experience on Apple Silicon Macs. New installations are straightforward via the Asahi installer script, while upgrades from versions 42/43 require either DNF system upgrade or Plasma Discover — but not GNOME Software. The retirement of custom Mesa and virglrenderer packages streamlines future updates. For any Remix-specific issues, report them to the official tracker or seek help via the Discourse forum or Matrix room.