Upgrading Fedora Silverblue to Version 44: A Step-by-Step Question & Answer Guide

Fedora Silverblue is an immutable desktop operating system that's built on Fedora Linux. It's designed for daily use, development, and container workflows, offering advantages like atomic updates and easy rollbacks. If you're ready to upgrade to Fedora Linux 44, this Q&A guide walks you through the process, including both graphical and terminal methods, plus how to revert changes if needed. Let's dive into the most common questions about rebasing to Fedora 44 on Silverblue.

1. What exactly happens when I rebase my Silverblue system to Fedora 44?

Rebasing means switching your underlying operating system image to a new major version while preserving your user data, installed Flatpaks, and most configurations. Silverblue uses rpm-ostree, an atomic update system, so the rebase downloads a complete new image of Fedora 44 and sets it as the default boot entry. Your current system remains available for rollback. The process is non-destructive, but it's always wise to back up important files. After rebasing, you'll have a fresh Fedora 44 environment with the latest packages and features, while your home directory stays untouched.

2. How do I prepare my current Silverblue system before rebasing?

Before starting the rebase, you should apply all pending updates to ensure a smooth transition. Open a terminal and run rpm-ostree update, or use GNOME Software to install any available updates and then reboot. This step synchronizes your current deployment with the latest packages, reducing potential conflicts during the rebase. If you skip this, the rebase will still work, but updating beforehand is a good practice recommended by Fedora documentation.

3. Can I rebase to Fedora 44 using GNOME Software? How?

Yes, Fedora Silverblue's GNOME Software offers a straightforward graphical method. After updating your system, open GNOME Software and go to the Updates tab. You'll see a notification that Fedora Linux 44 is available. Click the Download button to fetch the new image—this may take some time depending on your internet connection. Once downloaded, the button changes to Restart & Upgrade. Click it, and your system will perform the rebase and reboot automatically. After restart, you'll be running Fedora 44. This method is ideal for users who prefer a GUI over the terminal.

4. How do I rebase to Fedora 44 from the terminal?

If you prefer the command line, rebasing is simple. First, verify the Fedora 44 branch is available by running ostree remote refs fedora—you should see fedora:fedora/44/x86_64/silverblue in the output. Next, rebase your system with rpm-ostree rebase fedora:fedora/44/x86_64/silverblue. This command downloads the new image and configures it as the next boot entry. After completion, reboot your computer and select the Fedora 44 entry in GRUB (it's chosen by default). The entire process takes only a few minutes after the download finishes. Note that you can also pin your current deployment before rebasing to easily keep it as an alternative boot option.

5. How do I pin my current deployment before rebasing?

Pinning keeps your current Fedora version available in the GRUB boot menu even after you rebase. To pin, first check your deployment order with rpm-ostree status. The current deployment is usually at index 0. Run sudo ostree admin pin 0 to pin it. Pinned deployments are preserved across rebases and won't be removed automatically. This is useful if you want a guaranteed fallback to a known working state. To later remove a pinned deployment, use sudo ostree admin pin --unpin 2 (replace 2 with the actual index number from rpm-ostree status). Unpinning allows the system to eventually delete that deployment when space is needed.

6. What should I do if the rebase to Fedora 44 fails or my system won't boot?

If something goes wrong—for example, you can't boot into Fedora 44—don't panic. Silverblue's GRUB menu lists all available deployments. At boot time, look for an entry labeled with your previous Fedora version (e.g., Fedora 43). If GRUB doesn't appear, press ESC during boot to force it. Select that previous version and your system will start as before. To make the old version your default permanently, run rpm-ostree rollback in the terminal. This command sets the previous deployment as the default for all future boots. You can then remove the misconfigured Fedora 44 deployment if desired with rpm-ostree cleanup -p. Rolling back is quick and restores your system to its pre-rebase state.

7. How do I remove an old pinned deployment after a successful rebase?

After you're satisfied with Fedora 44 and no longer need your old deployment, you can clean it up. First, list deployments with rpm-ostree status to find the index of the pinned one (e.g., index 2). Then run sudo ostree admin pin --unpin 2 to unpin it. After unpinning, the deployment becomes eligible for automatic cleanup when you run rpm-ostree cleanup -p. This removes unused deployments that are not pinned and not booted recently. Be careful: if you unpin the only fallback, you lose that recovery option. It's a good idea to keep at least one old deployment for a week or two before removing it. Always ensure your new system works perfectly before deleting fallbacks.