Fedora Linux 45 Beta Ships KMSCON Console, Default RPM Signature Enforcement, and GNOME 51
Fedora Linux 45 Beta lands with a new kmscon console, default RPM signature enforcement, GNOME 51, KDE Plasma 6.7, and an October 20 target for final release.
Overview
Fedora Linux 45 Beta arrived on 15 September 2026, giving users an early look at the next release of the community Linux distribution. Phoronix reports the beta “is out today and right on schedule for this wonderful Linux distribution,” while Linuxiac says it is “powered by the Linux kernel 7.2” and gives users “a preview of what to expect from the next major distro release.”
What We Know
The beta replaces its console stack: Linuxiac describes “the switch from the old in-kernel fbcon console to kmscon,” adding that “the new userspace console offers improved font and Unicode handling and more modern rendering.” Phoronix confirms Fedora 45 is “using KMSCON now to replace the in-kernel console.”
Package security tightens by default. Linuxiac reports that “signature verification is now enforced by default, so unsigned RPM packages are rejected unless the user disables that check.” Phoronix separately notes the release is “restricting ptrace by default for better security, enforcing signature checking by default, and expecting package builds to be reproducible.”
On the desktop, Linuxiac reports that “Fedora Workstation includes GNOME 51, while Fedora KDE Plasma Desktop ships with KDE Plasma 6.7.” Phoronix likewise lists “GNOME 51 desktop for Fedora Workstation 45.”
The Anaconda installer gains new storage support. Phoronix describes “Stratis Storage support within the Anaconda installer,” and Linuxiac adds that “Anaconda now supports Stratis partitioning, including manual setup via the web interface and automated installation through Kickstart.”
Fedora CoreOS also changes its defaults: Linuxiac reports “Fedora CoreOS now enables systemd-oomd and zram swap by default, which changes how the system handles memory pressure and swap.” Package manager DNF5 also shifts behavior, with Linuxiac noting that “by default, it no longer automatically switches an installed package from one vendor to another during upgrades or dependency resolution.”
Toolchain updates span both sources. Linuxiac lists “GCC 16.2, glibc 2.44, Go 1.27, LLVM 23, Perl 5.44, and Python 3.15 as part of the release cycle.” Phoronix additionally names “RPM 6.1” among the software bumps. Fedora’s RPM package manager reached version 6.1 in August, when it added PKCS11 hardware-token package signing under a new kernel-style release cadence, as previously reported.
Elsewhere in the release, Phoronix says Fedora 45 “also introduces the DRM Panic front-end for a more convenient and friendly experience should you encounter any kernel problems.”
The beta is available across Fedora’s usual lineup. Linuxiac states “Fedora Linux 45 Beta is available for Workstation, KDE Plasma Desktop, Server, Cloud, IoT, Atomic Desktops, Spins, and Labs.”
Phoronix reports Fedora 45 “is currently working toward a release plan for a 20 October debut with a contingency fallback date of 27 October.” Linuxiac similarly describes the distribution as “scheduled for release in late October.”
What We Don’t Know
As Linuxiac cautions, “this is still a beta release, so it is meant mainly for testing and bug reporting rather than production use,” meaning some defaults and features could still change before the general-availability date. Neither source details how many packages or which specific applications are affected by the new DNF5 vendor-switch restriction, and neither specifies a hard feature-freeze date beyond the beta announcement itself.