Fedora Linux 44 brings several important changes for Atomic Desktop users, including those running Silverblue, Kinoite, Sway Atomic, Budgie Atomic, and COSMIC Atomic. This release focuses on streamlining infrastructure, improving documentation, and cleaning up legacy components. Below we answer the most pressing questions about what’s new and how these changes may affect your workflow.
1. Where has the issue tracker for Atomic Desktops moved?
The cross-variant issue tracker has been relocated to the new Fedora Forge. This is now the central hub for filing bugs or coordinating work that impacts all Atomic Desktop variants at once. If your issue is specific to a single desktop environment (like KDE Plasma on Kinoite), it's best to report it to that desktop’s own SIG tracker. The full list of trackers is available in the README of the atomic-desktops organization. This move consolidates efforts and makes it easier for contributors to collaborate across the different spins.
2. Is there a single documentation site for all Atomic Desktops now?
Yes! The long-awaited unified documentation is finally live on the new Forge. This means you no longer have to hunt for separate documentation for each variant. Unfortunately, the translations from the previous per-variant docs did not carry over. The team is looking for volunteers to help re‑translate the content once the translation infrastructure is ready. The good news is that the new single source will be much easier to maintain – you’ll only need to translate it once, and the updates will apply to all Atomic Desktops automatically.
3. Why was FUSE version 2 removed, and what does it affect?
FUSE version 2 has been deprecated and unmaintained for some time, so Fedora 44 removes it from the default images. This change impacts two main areas:
- AppImages: Some older AppImages rely on the FUSE 2 runtime and may fail to run.
- Plasma Vault on Kinoite: Legacy backends like EncFS and CryFS depend on FUSE 2 and are no longer available.
If you use either of these, see the following questions for migration steps. The removal helps improve system security and aligns with upstream recommendations.
4. How can I make my AppImages work again after upgrading?
If an AppImage fails to launch after upgrading to Fedora 44, first check which runtime it uses. You can do this by running the AppImage with the --appimage-extract-and-run flag or by examining its metadata. If it still relies on FUSE 2, you have a few options:
- Search for a Flatpak version of the application – Flatpaks are the preferred way to run GUI apps on Atomic Desktops. Consider asking the upstream developer to publish a Flatpak if one isn’t available.
- Report the issue to the AppImage maintainer so they can update to a newer runtime. You can help by testing a nightly build or contributing a patch.
For a temporary workaround, you can install the fuse2 package via rpm-ostree install fuse2, but note that this layer will be removed in a future release.
5. My Plasma Vault uses EncFS or CryFS – what should I do?
KDE no longer recommends the EncFS and CryFS backends for Plasma Vaults because they depend on FUSE 2. To avoid data loss, you should migrate your encrypted folders to the only supported backend: gocryptfs. Complete the migration before updating to Fedora 44 if possible. If you've already updated and can't access your vault, you can temporarily install the required packages:
rpm-ostree install cryfs fuse-encfsAfter installing, unlock your vault, copy the data to a new vault using gocryptfs, and then remove the layered packages with rpm-ostree reset. This ensures your data stays safe and you’re using a maintained backend.
6. What about the deprecated pkla Polkit rules?
Support for the legacy pkla format for Polkit rules has been dropped in Fedora 44. This old format used files with a .pkla extension. If you (or your applications) relied on custom pkla rules, they will no longer be processed. The replacement is the modern JavaScript-based rules syntax. Most users won’t notice this change because the upstream polkit project and desktop environments have already moved away from pkla. If you have custom pkla rules, convert them to the new format and place them in /etc/polkit-1/rules.d/. Check the Fedora change announcement for conversion examples.
7. How can I help with the Atomic Desktops initiative?
There are several ways to contribute! The most pressing need right now is help with translating the unified documentation once the new Forge’s translation system is ready. You can also help by testing the new release, reporting bugs via the new cross-variant tracker, and packaging applications as Flatpaks. If you’re a developer, consider assisting upstream projects that still use old AppImage runtimes. Join the Atomic Desktops community on the Fedora Discussion forums or the Atomic Desktops wiki page to stay updated. Every bit of help, from writing docs to coding, is welcome.