.
Fedora Linux 39: Celebrating 20 Years of Cutting-Edge Open Source
As the Fedora Project marks the 20-year anniversary of Fedora Core 1, its latest release, Fedora Linux 39, sets a new benchmark for versatile operating systems. With a host of upgrades and enhancements, Fedora once again proves its supremacy in the world of open source.
GNOME 45: The Heart of Fedora Workstation 39
Fedora Workstation 39 is powered by GNOME 45, bringing not just improved performance but also a range of user experience refinements. The new widgets and redesigned Image Viewer application add both functionality and aesthetics to the desktop. The workspace now comes with a dynamic indicator, giving users a clear view of their virtual desktop layout. Plus, a new camera activity indicator keeps users informed when their camera is in use.
New Features to Enhance User Comfort and Accessibility
Fedora 39’s Quick Settings menu now includes a keyboard backlight setting for supported systems, making it easier for users to work in low-light environments. Furthermore, the Adwaita-qt and QGnomePlatform themes have been replaced with the upstream default for Qt applications.
Visual Enhancements and Upgrades to Core Applications
The core apps of GNOME 45 have also undergone significant upgrades. Based on libadwaita 1.4, they sport a sleek two-tone design and improved adaptability to different window sizes. The headerbar widget has also received a visual enhancement, making it stand out from the rest of the window content.
New High-Performance Applications and Performance Improvements
Fedora Workstation 39 introduces Loupe, a new high-performance Image Viewer app built using Rust, GTK 4, and libadwaita. The Settings app now features a new System Details section, a keyboard layout viewer, and enhanced navigability. Moreover, performance improvements in GNOME 45 are notable, with hardware-accelerated video decoding now being the default where possible, multithreaded thumbnail generation in Files, and reduced cursor stutter and latency. These enhancements are further boosted by systemic optimizations in GLib, GTK, and systemd – all made possible by enabling frame pointers in the previous Fedora release.
Under-the-Hood Changes and Enhancements
Aside from the visible upgrades, Fedora Linux 39 also boasts its own set of under-the-hood changes. The Bash prompt now greets users with a splash of color, Noto fonts have replaced Indic script languages, and the modular repository has been retired due to low engagement and maintenance.
Growing Beyond the Desktop: Updates for Cloud Deployment and Programming Languages
Fedora Project is not just about desktop environments – it also continues to expand its reach beyond the desktop. Fedora Cloud images can now be deployed on Microsoft Azure, alongside Google Cloud and AWS, giving users more options for cloud deployment. Additionally, there have been updates to programming language stacks, including Python 3.12 and Rust 1.73, and the latest version of Inkscape – coincidentally celebrating its own 20th anniversary as well.
Keep the Spirit of Open Source Alive with Fedora Linux 39
Fedora Linux 39 is a testament to the project’s commitment to deliver a cutting-edge and comprehensive operating system for desktops, laptops, servers, and cloud infrastructure. As we celebrate 20 years of Fedora, it continues to embody the spirit of open source that has made it a top choice among users for these two decades.
