Fedora Atomic Desktops in Fedora Linux 44: Key Changes and FAQs

Fedora Linux 44 introduces several important updates for the Atomic Desktop family—covering Silverblue, Kinoite, Sway Atomic, Budgie Atomic, and the new COSMIC Atomic. These changes streamline workflows, improve security, and simplify maintenance. Below, we answer the most common questions about what's new and how to adapt.

What is the new issue tracker location for Fedora Atomic Desktops in Fedora 44?

The cross-variant issue tracker has migrated to the new Fedora forge. This central repository is the best place to report issues that affect multiple Atomic Desktop variants or to coordinate work across them. For desktop-specific problems—such as those only seen in Kinoite or Budgie Atomic—each Special Interest Group (SIG) maintains its own tracker, listed in the README of the atomic-desktops organization. Using the correct tracker helps developers triage bugs faster and keeps variant-specific discussions organized.

Where can I find unified documentation for Atomic Desktops?

The long-awaited unified documentation for all Atomic Desktops is now live on the new Fedora forge. It replaces the previous scattered, variant-specific pages. However, translations from the old docs were not migrated, so community help is needed to retranslate content once the translation infrastructure is ready. Fortunately, the new docs follow a single source, meaning translations only have to be done once for all variants. See the tracking issue atomic-desktops#10 for details and how to contribute.

Why was FUSE version 2 removed from Atomic Desktops images?

FUSE version 2 has been deprecated and unmaintained for years, so it was removed from Fedora Linux 44 Atomic Desktop images. This change directly affects two areas:

• AppImages: Some older AppImages rely on a runtime that requires FUSE 2 libraries on the host. Such AppImages may stop working.
• Plasma Vault on Kinoite: The EncFS and CryFS backends depend on FUSE 2 and were removed. Users with legacy vaults must migrate their data before updating.

See the Fedora Change and tracking issue atomic-desktops#50 for more context.

What should I do if my AppImages stop working on Fedora 44 Atomic Desktops?

If an AppImage fails due to FUSE 2 removal, first check its runtime by looking for FUSE version info in the AppImage's metadata (see the discussion thread for examples). Then take these steps:

1. Try a Flatpak – Many applications are available as Flatpaks, which are well-integrated and don't require FUSE 2. Search for your app on Flathub.
2. Report upstream – Notify the AppImage author that they should update their runtime to a modern version that supports FUSE 3. You can even help them package the app as a Flatpak.

As a last resort, you can temporarily layer FUSE 2 using rpm-ostree install fuse2, but this is not recommended for long-term use.

How do I handle Plasma Vaults with EncFS or CryFS backends after the update?

KDE no longer supports EncFS or CryFS backends for Plasma Vaults because they rely on deprecated FUSE 2. Before updating to Fedora 44, migrate your data: create a new vault using the maintained gocryptfs backend, copy your files, and delete the old vault. If you've already updated and cannot access your vault, layer the old packages with rpm-ostree install cryfs fuse-encfs, then migrate and reset layers with rpm-ostree reset. After migration, remove the layered packages to keep your system clean.

What is the pkla Polkit rules compatibility change?

Fedora 44 drops support for the legacy pkla format for Polkit rules. This format was replaced years ago by JavaScript-based rules (.rules files). Most users and even custom setups have already moved away, so this removal is unlikely to affect you. If you still rely on a .pkla file, you will need to convert it to a proper JavaScript rule before upgrading. Check your /etc/polkit-1/rules.d/ and /usr/share/polkit-1/rules.d/ directories—no .pkla files should remain.