Fedora 36 Released – Top New Features

Fedora 36 is out and it is packed with fantastic new features. We get the flashy new GNOME 42 with its new GTK4 apps and stunningly gorgeous dark mode. We get Linux kernel 5.17 which brings big improvements for AMD hardware. Then we get a set of updated apps that will be driving a fresh new experience for Fedora users. This update is a major one that will be supported for the next 13 months. The direction that Fedora is headed in it’s making Fedora the leading choice for a Linux distribution. So in this post we’ll be having a look at what’s new, what’s improved and what makes Ferrara 36 a brilliant operating system for 2022.

What’s New in Fedora 36

New Interface

We get the all-new GNOME 42 in its stock form and this looks absolutely gorgeous. While GNOME 40 brought us a complete redesign, GNOME 42 brings major polishing touches, UI improvements, as well as big under the hood updates.

Firstly we get a new shell theme that removes the rounded corners on the topper and triangular anchors that connected these applets to the top panel. This chain makes the desktop look modern and adds a premium touch. Then we get a new system-wide dark mode that is the highlight of the GNOME 42 release. This completely redefines how your desktop looks and feels. On Fedora the way this default wallpaper changes to its dark variant looks amazing, I just love this.

All the applications here look very good in this dark mode and that attention to detail can be felt here. This is dark mode done properly on Linux. This doesn’t force dark theming on third-party apps and breaks the look. Only apps that support dark mode are suggested to use the dark mode. At the moment not all third-party apps support this but as they are updated they’ll get this soon.

Then we are introduced to the next generation of GTK apps here. GTK 4 and Lib Advaita will be at the core of Linux app design. All GNOME apps have been updated with GTK 4 and Lib Advaita here. Lib Advaita brings in a new feel and a new application styling trend to the apps and these apps definitely look better. The new interface style with these subtly rounded corners looks high quality. These GTK 4 apps also bring in improved performance.

Fedora 36 defaults to Noto fonts that improve how fonts look. I’ve never really liked how letters render on Fedora. When you compare to Ubuntu, fonts on Fedora have been noticeably bad. So every time I installed Fedora I installed a package called Better Fonts that noticeably improves how phones render.

Fedora 36 brings a set of stunning dynamic wallpapers. These wallpapers dynamically change based on the display mode. I love everything about them.

Overall the user interface here looks amazing. I am impressed with how beautiful the desktop looks in both light as well as dark modes. GNOME 42 is very modern and looks very polished and the workflow here has gotten amazing with these horizontal workspaces and app grid.

Performance Enhancements

There’s good news in the performance department too. We get the Linux Kernel 5.17 here. With it we get the all new AMD P-State Driver which supports Zen 2 architecture and above. Apparently, valve has worked with AMD on the development of this driver as it is used in its steam deck. With P-State Driver, you’ll get improved battery life on laptops as there is a monumental reduction in power saving state frequency and power consumption on AMD Zen 2 and upper hardware.

You will also be getting better performance on things like gaming. GTK 4.2 brings in a completely new rendering engine called the NGL Renderer which boosts app performance and frames per second and is also very efficient with power and CPU usage.

GNOME 42 also brings in improvements in input handling. Resulting in lower input latency and improved responsiveness when the system is under load. This is particularly beneficial for gamers. Fedora 36 brings the latest drivers of all the GPUs so you’ll be getting the best possible performance on your hardware.

Fedora 36 is very responsive and fun to use. App switching, daily usage and even resource intensive tasks perform great here.

Software

Most GNOME apps like GNOME software, clocks, calendar, calculator are all updated to GTK 4. This gives them a refined new look and feel. The settings app has also been updated. This brings us a sleeker control center with updated entries. Appearance, Applications, Display and a few other tabs here have changed a bit.

We get a new default text editor for GNOME. Text editor replaces the old and trusty gedit. The new text editor comes with auto save so that’s progress. All these updated and new apps are written in GTK 4. Then of course we get a full update and refresh of packages in federal software repositories. This gives us access to an amazing library of well-tested and up-to-date software.

Fedora is top grade in the software department. Fedora repositories are huge and contain a large number of packages. This software availability is enhanced significantly by third-party repositories like RPM Fusion. With RPM Fusion we get access to virtually any software we can need. Then there’s Flatpack on Fedora. You can enable and install Flatpack directly from the software store. Flatpack bring you the latest and greatest of all the software as they are maintained by the software vendors themselves. The software availability on Fedora 36 is amazing as you get well tested as well as new versions of software here.

Stability & Usability

Fedora 36 will be supported for the next 13 months. We’ll be getting security and software updates on this version of Fedora till May of 2023. In the meantime, 2 more versions of Fedora will release. You’ll be provided a one-click update option to upgrade your system to Fedora 37, 38 and so on. So basically you can install Fedora now and keep updating and using the same system indefinitely. Every new version of Fedora brings the latest versions of all the packages. Now, these packages undergo a thorough testing process to make sure everything works and all the packages coexist in harmony.

Once a new version is released these packages remain relatively stable while still receiving important updates. This model of software delivery is priceless. You are getting stable software but they are not painfully old. This makes Fedora great for students, software, professionals, certain businesses and certain development environments.

Talking about usability Fedora is very easy to use as the user interface here is self-explanatory. Spend a few minutes on the system and you’ll know where everything is. And the search itself is very powerful. You can search for apps, files, settings and even software to install from there. This makes things very easy. In terms of stability and usability Fedora 36 is very good.

Is Fedora 36 Good for Gaming

Gaming on Fedora is a fantastic experience. Fedora brings you the latest Linux kernels and updated drivers while also making sure everything is stable and reliable. This forms the basis for Fedora to be a great platform for gaming. Steam brings thousands of games to Linux and with its Proton feature we can play thousands of Windows exclusive titles like GTA 5 and Cyberpunk 2077 on Linux. This works great and is very easy to install and get playing. You can install Steam by enabling its RPM Fusion repository from the GNOME software store.

There are also amazing games like Zonatic and 080 available there for free from the store. Many of these games are lots of fun.

Gaming on Fedora is vastly underrated because Fedora happens to be more of a professional Linux distribution. But I tell you Fedora 36 is great for both casual gamers as well as gaming enthusiasts.

Community Support

Fedora is a true community driven project. Community is at the core of everything Fedora. From the design decisions to quality control everything is done by a huge and passionate community. That is particularly why Fedora 36 is such a high quality product. The Fedora community produces excellent documentation as well as how to articles and troubleshooting guides when a new version of Fedora is released. This makes using Fedora very easy for both Linux newcomers as well as experienced Linux users. Installing drivers, getting help with hardware specific issues help in general is available readily on the web and this is a huge contributing factor in Fedora’s success.

How to Download and Install Fedora 36

Getting started with Fedora is very simple. You can either download the Workstation ISO file and flash it onto a USB stick or use Fedora Media Writer. Fedora Media Writer is a small tool available for Windows and macOS. Download it, plug in a USB stick and run it. Fedora Media Writer will download Fedora 36 and install the live version of it on your chosen USB stick and make it bootable. You can boot into a live session with it and give F36 a try and install it.

Fedora is also available with alternate desktop environments like KDE Plasma, Cinnamon, XFCE and a few more choices. These are called spins of Fedora and can be downloaded from the link below.

Fedora installation is very simple and beginner friendly. You can install it in 15-20 minutes. Fedora comes pre-installed with AMD and Intel integrated graphics drivers. For Nvidia you need to manually install them from RPM Fusion.

Wrap Up

Fedora provides us with a high quality computing environment, comprised of the latest features and tech and one that is also reliable. Every new iteration of Fedora is objectively better than the last version. And Fedora works out of the box for almost everybody. It comes with a well tested stock desktop without any additional theming, installs on the BTR file system by default and comes with minimal apps installed out of the box. This is a very good starting point for everybody.

Then Fedora is backed by a strong community and a major tech corporation Red Hat. Both these are incredible assets for Fedora. Fedora 36 is a fantastic release, Fedora has grown significantly in the last 6 iterations and has some amazing features. So definitely give it a try.

Also read:
Best Linux Courses & Certifications Online in 2022

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