How to Upgrade to Fedora 42 from Fedora 41

Are you ready to upgrade your Fedora 41 to the new Fedora 42? You’re in the right place!

The new release brings many updates, not just about aesthetic enhancements but also under-the-hood improvements that make your system more secure and efficient.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the upgrade process step-by-step, ensuring you can transition to Fedora 42 smoothly without any hiccups.

Backup Your Data

First, let’s ensure all your important data is safe. Before doing anything else, I strongly recommend making a full system backup so that if something goes wrong, you can restore your system with all the vital data to its previous state.

However, if you do not feel like taking the above approach, you can instead use a command like the one shown below, which will archive all of the more critical directories and their contents in a tar.gz archive.

sudo tar czf /fedora41-data.tar.gz \
     --exclude=/fedora41-data.tar.gz \
     --exclude=/dev \
     --exclude=/mnt \
     --exclude=/proc \
     --exclude=/sys \
     --exclude=/tmp \
     --exclude=/media \
     --exclude=/lost+found \
     /Code language: Bash (bash)

Feel free to add more “–exclude=” parameters if needed. Finally, the command creates a backup of all files in the “fedora41-data.tar.gz” file located on the root partition (/), which you should ideally transfer to another computer or drive, for example, using the SCP command.

Upgrade to Fedora 42 from Fedora 41 Using GUI

Before proceeding, ensure your system is fully updated to guarantee a seamless upgrade. So, open the terminal and type:

sudo dnf update --refreshCode language: Bash (bash)

This command refreshes your repository and updates your software packages. Once it’s done, reboot your system to apply any required updates. Then, you can proceed to the next step.

In Fedora, upgrades are immediately available from the previous version whenever a new one is released.

Start the Software app by launching it from the GNOME dash, searching for “software,” and clicking to run the same when its icon appears.

Next, hit the “Refresh” button in the top left corner. Then, go to the “Updates” pane. You will see a notification that says, “Fedora Linux 42 Available”. Click the “Download” button.

All the packages required to upgrade to Fedora 42 from Fedora 41 will start downloading. Depending on your internet speed, the entire process will take some time, so be patient.

When the download is complete, click the “Restart & Upgrade” button to start the upgrade process to Fedora 42.

A popup window will appear and prompt you to enter your user’s password. Enter it and confirm by clicking the “Authenticate” button.

A new popup will ask you for confirmation to restart your system and begin the upgrade from Fedora 41 to 42. Next, click on the “Restart & Install” button.

The system will restart to apply the downloaded system upgrades as shown below. This process will take some time, so please be patient and wait for it to finish.

Once the upgrade is completed, your system will boot into the newer Fedora 42.

Upgrade to Fedora 42 from Fedora 41 Using Command Line

Step 1: Update Your Current System

Ensuring you have the latest packages for all currently installed software is vital. To do so, enter the following command in a terminal:

sudo dnf upgrade --refreshCode language: Bash (bash)

If you have any pending updates, install them and reboot the system if necessary.

Step 2: Install the DNF Upgrade Plugin

Next, you’ll need the DNF Upgrade plugin. It’s a tool that helps you manage your upgrade more effectively. You can install it (if it’s not already installed) by running:

sudo dnf install dnf-plugin-system-upgradeCode language: Bash (bash)

Step 3: Download Fedora 42 Packages

Now, you’re set to start downloading the Fedora 42 packages. Run the following command:

sudo dnf system-upgrade download --releasever=42

It tells DNF to download the necessary packages for Fedora 42. If the package manager finds any issues (like conflicts or missing dependencies), it will let you know, and you might have to resolve these issues before proceeding.

In the following three steps, you must manually approve the proposed system’s modifications by typing “Y” and then confirming by pressing “Enter.”

After downloading all the packages required to upgrade the system from Fedora 41 to 42, you will see the screen below. It should be noted that the current system has not yet been upgraded. To start the process, execute:

sudo dnf5 offline rebootCode language: Bash (bash)

You will be prompted for confirmation that the system will reboot to begin the upgrade. Type “y” and hit “Enter.”

Step 4: Upgrading Fedora 41 to 42

Once the system reboots, the upgrade process will automatically start. It will take some time, so be patient and let it finish.

When everything is complete, your system will reboot, and you can log in and enjoy your new Fedora 42 system.

Step 5: Clean Up Post-Upgrade

After your system has successfully upgraded to Fedora 42, doing a little cleanup is a good idea. You can do this by running:

sudo dnf clean allCode language: Bash (bash)

This command removes cached packages and metadata that are no longer needed.

Bottom Line

As you can see, with a little help, upgrading to Fedora 42 from version 41 is straightforward. Follow the steps outlined in this guide to complete the process, and you’ll be all set to enjoy the latest features and improvements.

Additionally, I recommend thoroughly testing the system to ensure all applications and functionalities work as expected.

For additional help or useful information, check the official Fedora upgrade documentation.

Thanks for your time! I hope you find this guide helpful. Please let me know in the comments section below if you have any questions.