Fedora Asahi Remix 44 on Apple Silicon Macs: Installation & Upgrade Guide

Overview

Fedora Asahi Remix 44 brings the full power of Fedora Linux 44 to Apple Silicon Macs. This guide walks you through installing or upgrading to this release, which features KDE Plasma 6.6 as the flagship desktop (with GNOME 50 available) and retires custom Mesa and virglrenderer packages in favor of upstream Fedora versions. Whether you're setting up a new Mac or updating an existing Fedora Asahi installation, you'll find the steps below.

Fedora Asahi Remix 44 on Apple Silicon Macs: Installation & Upgrade Guide — Source: fedoramagazine.org

Prerequisites

Compatible hardware: An Apple Silicon Mac (M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max, M1 Ultra, M2, M2 Pro, M2 Max, M2 Ultra, M3, M3 Pro, M3 Max). Intel-based Macs are not supported.
Existing operating system: macOS on your Mac (used to download and run the Asahi Linux installer).
Internet connection: A stable broadband connection for downloading the installer and Fedora packages.
Storage space: At least 25 GB of free space for the root partition (more recommended).
Time: About 30–60 minutes for the installation process.
Backup: Ensure your important data is backed up before partitioning or modifying the system.

Step-by-Step Instructions

New Installation on Apple Silicon Mac

Download the Asahi Linux installer
Open Terminal on macOS and run:
```
curl https://alx.sh | sh
```
This script will install the Asahi Linux graphical installer.
Run the installer
Launch the installer and follow the prompts. You will choose how much disk space to allocate to Fedora Asahi Remix. The installer handles partition resizing automatically.
Select the desktop environment
During installation, you can choose between:
- Fedora Asahi Remix (KDE Plasma) – default, with KDE Plasma 6.6, Plasma Setup (new user creation wizard), and Plasma Login Manager.
- Fedora Asahi Remix (GNOME) – featuring GNOME 50.
- Fedora Asahi Server – headless/server workloads.
- Fedora Asahi Minimal – bare image for custom builds.
Complete installation
The installer will download and write the image. Once finished, reboot your Mac. Hold the power button (or use the Startup Manager) to select “Asahi Linux” from the boot picker.
First boot setup
If you chose KDE Plasma, Plasma Setup will guide you through creating a user account and configuring locale, keyboard, and timezone. For GNOME, the traditional GNOME initial setup appears.

Upgrading from Fedora Asahi Remix 42 or 43

Upgrades from version 42 or 43 to 44 are supported using either KDE Plasma Discover or the DNF system upgrade commands. Note that upgrades via GNOME Software are not supported.

Method A: Using Plasma Discover

Open Plasma Discover from the application menu.
Navigate to “Updates”. If an upgrade to version 44 is available, you will see a notification. Click “Update All” to download and install.
Reboot when prompted.

Method B: Using DNF System Upgrade

Open a terminal and update your current system:
```
sudo dnf upgrade --refresh
```

Install the DNF system upgrade plugin:

sudo dnf install dnf-plugin-system-upgrade

Initiate the upgrade to version 44:
```
sudo dnf system-upgrade releasever=44
```
After the download completes, reboot to start the upgrade:
```
sudo dnf system-upgrade reboot
```
The system will boot into a special upgrade environment. After completion, you will be returned to the login screen.

Post-Installation Steps

Update all packages: Run sudo dnf upgrade to ensure you have the latest versions.
Transition to upstream Mesa: Fedora Asahi Remix 44 automatically migrates to upstream Mesa and virglrenderer packages (if you hadn't done so already). No manual action needed.
Explore the desktop: KDE Plasma 6.6 includes the new Plasma Login Manager (replacing SDDM) and Plasma Setup. GNOME variant ships with GNOME 50.

Common Mistakes

Using the wrong installer

Mistake: Running a generic Fedora installer on Apple Silicon.
Solution: Always use the official Asahi Linux installer script (curl https://alx.sh | sh). This script partitions properly and installs the correct firmware.

Upgrade via GNOME Software

Mistake: Attempting to upgrade to version 44 using GNOME Software.
Solution: Use either KDE Plasma Discover or the DNF system upgrade commands. GNOME Software will not detect the upgrade.

Expecting SDDM on new installs

Mistake: Looking for SDDM after a fresh KDE Plasma install.
Solution: New installs use Plasma Login Manager instead. Existing upgrades retain their previous configuration, so you may still have SDDM if upgrading.

Not backing up data

Mistake: Skipping backup before resizing partitions.
Solution: Always backup important files before modifying disk layout, even though the installer is reliable.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues specific to Fedora Asahi Remix, report them on the Remix issue tracker. Community support is available via the Fedora Asahi Discourse forum and the Matrix room.

Summary

Fedora Asahi Remix 44 delivers Fedora Linux 44 to Apple Silicon Macs with KDE Plasma 6.6 (or GNOME 50), upgraded Mesa/virglrenderer packages, and streamlined setup tools. New installations use the Asahi Linux installer, while upgrades from version 42 or 43 can be performed via Plasma Discover or DNF system upgrade. Avoid common pitfalls by using the correct installer and upgrade method, and back up your data. For further help, the Fedora Asahi community is ready to assist.