Experience on fedora major releases and related software updates

Hello, i am using linux os since two years (Ubuntu 20.04 lts) and would like to check out other distros like fedora. I use Linux mostly for web development and data analysis. So i once i set up dockers, vscode and pgadmin i like it to work and just to take the regular software updates who fly by.

My Question is how is your experience with fedoras major OS releases every 6 month and the impact on your installed software (like docker or vscode )?

Do i have to completely reinstall everything on every major release or will the package manager do the job? Does the migration to major release works smoothly or do i have do put much work into it after every major release?

My personal experience is that everything “just works”. I have never had to reinstall any software since I started using it regularly which was with Fedora 32. Although, I don’t usually immediately after the new version comes available. I usually wait a month or so. Since Fedora versions are supported for roughly a year, there is no need to immediately upgrade.

There are people who sometimes report problems with version updates here in the forums but those are usually package conflicts which need a little help. Since this is a support forum, where you would expect to find people looking for help I suspect those situations are not that common.

2 Likes

I have to agree. I usually do a minimal install, then add X and either dwm, openbox, or both, afterwards. I use the instructions for updating via command line and though, these days, my Fedora installations are relatively simple, upgrade seem to go quite smoothly.

2 Likes

As you are a Postgresql admin, you’ll be aware of the work involved in pg updates. A major Fedora release will often package in a pg release change, so you’ll need to read the Fedora release notes and plan ahead. There will likely be other changes you’ll need to accommodate, so as with any major release, check out what’s changing and schedule your major update at a convenient time. As @scottro says, you have up to a year to do an update, and they usually are simple and quick.

4 Likes