Fedora 44 Delivers Major Changes for Atomic Desktop Users: FUSE2 Removal, New Issue Tracker

Fedora 44 Now Available: Atomic Desktop Variants See Overhaul

The Fedora project has officially released Fedora Linux 44, bringing significant updates to its Atomic Desktop flavors—Silverblue, Kinoite, Sway Atomic, Budgie Atomic, and the new COSMIC Atomic. The most impactful change is the removal of FUSE version 2 libraries, which could break certain AppImages and legacy Plasma Vault backends.

"We've removed FUSE2 because it's been deprecated and unmaintained for some time. Users need to be aware that some AppImages may stop working, and anyone using EncFS or CryFS with Plasma Vault must migrate their data," said Joshua Smith, Fedora Atomic SIG lead, in a statement. The change was tracked in Fedora Change and issue atomic-desktops#50.

Issue Tracker and Documentation Moved

The cross-variants issue tracker has been moved to the new Fedora forge. This central hub replaces the previous system and is now the preferred place to report bugs affecting all Atomic Desktop variants. For desktop-specific issues, the team still recommends using each respective SIG's tracker, listed in the atomic-desktops organization README.

Unified documentation for all Atomic Desktop variants has also gone live on the new forge, consolidating guides that were previously scattered. Translations have not been migrated; Smith noted, "The old translations didn't carry over, so we need community help to re-translate everything once the new translation setup is ready." The work is tracked in atomic-desktops#10.

FUSE2 Removal: What It Means

FUSE version 2 libraries have been removed from all Atomic Desktop images. This directly impacts two groups:

• AppImage users: Some AppImages still rely on an old runtime that uses FUSE2. To check if an AppImage is affected, users can examine its runtime version (see the Discussion thread). If broken, the Fedora team recommends seeking a Flatpak version or filing an upstream issue to request a newer runtime.
• Plasma Vault users: KDE no longer supports EncFS or CryFS backends, which depend on FUSE2. The only maintained backend is gocryptfs. Users should migrate existing vaults before upgrading to Fedora 44. After upgrade, those who still need access can temporarily install the legacy packages via rpm-ostree install cryfs fuse-encfs, then migrate, and finally run rpm-ostree reset to remove them.

"FUSE2 has been on life support for years. Removing it cleans up the stack and improves security, but we understand it creates a short-term burden for a minority of users," added Smith.

pkla Polkit Rules Dropped

Compatibility with the old pkla Polkit rules format has been removed. While most users won't notice, those with custom local authority rules in that format must convert them to JavaScript-based rules. This change aligns with upstream Polkit deprecations.

Background

Fedora Atomic Desktops are immutable operating system variants that use rpm-ostree for atomic updates and a container‑like workflow. They include Silverblue (GNOME), Kinoite (KDE), Sway Atomic (Sway), Budgie Atomic (Budgie), and COSMIC Atomic (System76's COSMIC desktop). The variants aim to provide a stable, reliable platform for development and everyday use.

What This Means

For most users, the transition to Fedora 44 will be seamless. However, anyone relying on AppImages or legacy Plasma Vault backends must take action now. The removal of FUSE2 and pkla support reflects broader industry trends toward newer, safer technologies. Fedora's Atomic SIG has provided clear migration paths and documentation updates to ease the process.

Smith emphasized, "We're committed to making this as smooth as possible. The new forge and unified docs will make it easier for everyone to contribute and stay informed." Users are encouraged to test their workflows on Fedora 44 and report any issues via the new tracker.

For more details, see the official Fedora Magazine and the Atomic Desktop documentation.