Introduction

Fedora Linux 44 has arrived, bringing a wave of updates to its Atomic Desktop variants—Silverblue, Kinoite, Sway Atomic, Budgie Atomic, and COSMIC Atomic. If you use these immutable operating systems, you'll want to know about the modifications that streamline development, enhance security, and improve the user experience. From a fresh issue tracker to the removal of legacy libraries, these changes affect how you manage apps, files, and permissions. This article walks you through seven critical updates you need to understand before upgrading or starting fresh with Fedora Atomic Desktops 44.

1. Issue Tracker Moves to the New Fedora Forge

The cross-variant issue tracker has migrated to the revamped Fedora forge. This centralized platform now serves as the primary location for reporting bugs or coordinating work that impacts all Atomic Desktop variants. For environment-specific issues (e.g., only affecting Kinoite or Budgie Atomic), the respective Special Interest Groups (SIGs) still maintain their own trackers, which you can find linked in the atomic-desktops organization README. The move simplifies collaboration and ensures that global problems get the attention they need without cluttering individual variant boards.

2. Unified Documentation Goes Live on the New Forge

Finally, all Atomic Desktops share a single, unified documentation hub hosted on the new forge. This eliminates the previous fragmentation where each variant had its own docs, often duplicating content. However, translations from the old system have not been carried over. The community will need to re‑translate everything once the translation infrastructure is ready for the new forge. Fortunately, much of the work involves copy‑pasting from the earlier documents, and this time translations need only be done once for all variants, not repeatedly for each new desktop environment. For more details, see the tracking issue atomic-desktops#10.

3. Removal of FUSE Version 2 Libraries

FUSE 2 has been deprecated and unmaintained for some time, so Fedora Atomic Desktops 44 removes it from the base images. This change has two practical consequences. First, some AppImages that rely on the old FUSE 2 runtime may fail to run. Second, users of Kinoite who employ legacy backends for Plasma Vault (EncFS or CryFS) will need to migrate their data before updating. The official Fedora Change and the tracking issue atomic-desktops#50 provide full details. Below we break down what this means for each use case.

AppImages and FUSE 2

If some AppImages no longer work after the update, it's likely because they still bundle an outdated runtime that depends on FUSE 2. You can check the runtime version by consulting the Discussion thread. The recommended course of action is to first look for a Flatpak version of the same application—Flatpaks are sandboxed and don't rely on host FUSE libraries. If no Flatpak exists, report the issue upstream and encourage the developers to switch to a newer AppImage runtime, which uses FUSE 3. Helping them package as a Flatpak is another excellent contribution.

Plasma Vault Backends: EncFS and CryFS Gone

KDE upstream has deprecated the EncFS and CryFS backends for Plasma Vaults, primarily because they rely on the removed FUSE 2 libraries. Only the gocryptfs backend remains supported. If you were using EncFS or CryFS, you should migrate your data to a new vault using gocryptfs before upgrading to Fedora 44. If you've already upgraded and need temporary access to your old vault, you can layer the required packages (cryfs or fuse-encfs) via rpm-ostree install, migrate your data, and then remove the layers with rpm-ostree reset. Do this as soon as possible to avoid relying on unsupported software.

4. Dropping Support for pkla Polkit Rules

The legacy pkla format for Polkit authorization rules has been completely removed. This format was a holdover from older versions and is unlikely to have been used by typical Atomic Desktop users. Most custom policies are already written in the modern JavaScript-based or .rules file formats. If you happen to rely on pkla files, you must convert them to the new format before upgrading. This change tightens security by eliminating outdated code paths and aligns Fedora with upstream PolicyKit standards.

5. Streamlined Translation Efforts with Unified Docs

Beyond the move to the new forge, the unified documentation reduces future translation workload. Previously, each variant maintained separate documentation, meaning translators had to duplicate efforts for Silverblue, Kinoite, Sway Atomic, etc. Now a single set of master documents serves all variants. Once the translation system is set up on the new forge, contributors will translate once and the content applies everywhere. This is a significant quality‑of‑life improvement for international communities. Volunteers are needed to re‑translate the initial set of pages; the process is straightforward, mostly involving copying from the old docs and updating terminology.

6. Enhanced Community Coordination via New Forge

The new Fedora forge isn't just for issue tracking—it also hosts the unified documentation and will become the central hub for community coordination. All Atomic Desktop work, from development to user support, will be easier to find and manage. The cross‑variant issue tracker ensures that changes affecting all desktops are not lost in variant‑specific forums. This consolidation should reduce duplicate bug reports and help contributors focus on what matters most. As the forge matures, expect more tools and workflows to be integrated.

7. What to Do Before Upgrading

To ensure a smooth upgrade to Fedora Atomic Desktops 44, take these steps. First, check if you use any AppImages; verify they work with FUSE 3 or find Flatpak alternatives. Second, if you have Plasma Vaults using EncFS or CryFS, migrate them to gocryptfs. Third, review any custom Polkit rules and convert pkla to modern formats. Finally, familiarize yourself with the new documentation location and consider helping with translation if you're multilingual. The changes are designed to modernize the platform, but a little preparation goes a long way.

Conclusion

Fedora Atomic Desktops 44 brings meaningful improvements that streamline development, enhance security, and simplify user documentation. While some changes require a small migration effort—especially around FUSE 2 and Plasma Vaults—the overall direction points to a leaner, more maintainable system. By moving to a unified forge, dropping legacy libraries, and centralizing documentation, the Atomic Desktop team is setting the stage for even better experiences in future releases. Whether you're a long‑time Silverblue user or new to Kinoite, these updates make Fedora's immutable desktops stronger and more community‑driven.