Fedora Linux release history


is a popular Linux distribution developed by the Fedora Project. Fedora attempts to maintain a six-month release schedule, offering new versions in spring and fall, although some releases have experienced minor delays.

Release history

Fedora Core 1

Fedora Core 1 was the first version of Fedora and was released on November 6, 2003. It was codenamed Yarrow. Fedora Core 1 was based on Red Hat Linux 9.
Some of the features in Fedora Core 1 included:
Fedora Core 2 was released on May 18, 2004, codenamed Tettnang.
Some of the new features in Fedora Core 2 included:
  • Version 2.6 of the Linux kernel;
  • Version 2.6 of the GNOME Desktop Environment ;
  • Version 3.2 of the K Desktop Environment ;
  • Security-Enhanced Linux ;
  • X.Org Server replaced XFree86 due to license changes with the latter project.
SELinux was disabled by default due to concerns that it radically altered the way that Fedora Core ran.

Fedora Core 3

Fedora Core 3 was released on November 8, 2004, codenamed Heidelberg.
Some of the new features in Fedora Core 3 included:
This release deprecated the LILO boot loader in favor of GNU GRUB. Security-Enhanced Linux now had a new targeted policy, which was less strict than the policy used in Fedora Core 2.

Fedora Core 4

Fedora Core 4 was released on June 13, 2005, with the codename Stentz. It shipped with Linux 2.6.11, KDE 3.4 and GNOME 2.10. This version introduced the new Clearlooks theme, which was inspired by the Red Hat Bluecurve theme. It also shipped with the OpenOffice.org 2.0 office suite, as well as Xen, a high performance and secure open source virtualization framework. It also introduced support for the PowerPC CPU architecture, and over 80 new policies for Security-Enhanced Linux.

Fedora Core 5

This Core release introduced specific artwork that defined it. This is a trend that has continued in later Fedora versions.
Fedora Core 5 was released on March 20, 2006, with the codename Bordeaux, and introduced the Fedora Bubbles artwork. It was the first Fedora release to include Mono and tools built with it such as Beagle, F-Spot and Tomboy. It also introduced new package management tools such as pup and pirut. It also was the first Fedora release not to include the long deprecated LinuxThreads, replaced by the Native POSIX Thread Library.

Fedora Core 6

Fedora Core 6 was released on October 24, 2006, codenamed Zod. This release introduced the Fedora DNA artwork, replacing the Fedora Bubbles artwork used in Fedora Core 5. The codename is derived from the villain, General Zod, from the Superman DC Comic Books. This version introduced support for the Compiz compositing window manager and AIGLX. It shipped with Firefox 1.5 as the default web browser, and Smolt, a tool that allows users to inform developers about the hardware they use. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 and other derivatives are based on Fedora Core 6.

Fedora 7

Fedora 7, codenamed Moonshine, was released on May 31, 2007. The biggest difference between Fedora Core 6 and Fedora 7 was the merging of the Red Hat "Core" and Community "Extras" repositories, dropping "Core" from the name "Fedora Core," and the new build system put in place to manage those packages. This release used entirely new build and compose tools that enabled the user to create fully customized Fedora distributions via a package named Revisor that could also include packages from any third-party provider.
There were three official spins available for Fedora 7:
  • Live – two Live CDs ;
  • Fedora – a DVD that includes all the major packages available at shipping;
  • Everything – simply an installation tree for use by yum and Internet installations.
Fedora 7 featured GNOME 2.18 and KDE 3.5, a new theme entitled Flying High, OpenOffice.org 2.2 and Firefox 2.0. This theme included a complete refresh of the various icons and symbols. Fast user switching was fully integrated and enabled by default. Also, there were a number of updates to SELinux, including a new setroubleshoot tool for debugging SELinux security notifications, and a new, comprehensive system-config-selinux tool for fine-tuning the SELinux setup.

Fedora 8

Fedora 8, codenamed Werewolf, was released on November 8, 2007.
Some of the new features and updates in Fedora 8 included:
  • PulseAudio – a sound daemon that allows different applications to control the audio. Fedora was the first distribution to enable it by default.
  • system-config-firewall – a new firewall configuration tool that replaces system-config-security level from previous releases.
  • Codeina – a tool that guides users using content under proprietary or patent-encumbered formats to purchase codecs from fluendo; it is an optional component that may be uninstalled in favor of GStreamer codec plug-ins which are free of charge.
  • IcedTea – a project that attempts to bring OpenJDK to Fedora by replacing encumbered code.
  • NetworkManager – faster, more reliable connections; better security ; clearer display of wireless networks; better D-Bus integration.
  • Better laptop support – enhancements to the kernel to reduce battery load, disabling of background cron jobs when running on the battery, and additional wireless drivers.
Due to criticism regarding inconsistent UI in Fedora 7 and its previous versions, Fedora 8 also included a new desktop artwork entitled Infinity and a new desktop theme named Nodoka, replacing the Flying High theme in the predecessor. Infinity was the first to provide a wallpaper that could change to reflect the time of day, a feature that remained with later editions and spilled over to other Linux 'flavors' and even other operating systems.
In February 2008, a new Xfce Live CD "spin" was announced for the x86 and x86-64 architectures. This Live CD version uses the Xfce desktop environment, which aims to be fast and lightweight, while still being visually appealing and easy to use. Like the GNOME and KDE spins, the Xfce spin can be installed to the hard disk.

Fedora 9

Fedora 9, codenamed Sulphur, was released on May 24, 2008.
Some of the new features of Fedora 9 included:
  • GNOME 2.22.
  • KDE Plasma 4.0, which is the default interface as part of the KDE spin.
  • OpenJDK 6 has replaced IcedTea.
  • PackageKit is included as a front-end to yum, and as the default package manager.
  • One Second X allows the X Window System to perform a cold start from the command line in nearly one second; similarly, shutdown of X should be as quick.
  • Introduction of Upstart
  • Many improvements to the Anaconda installer; among these features, it now supports resizing ext2, ext3 and NTFS file systems, and can create and install Fedora to encrypted file systems.
  • Firefox 3.0 beta 5 is included in this release, and the 3.0 package was released as an update the same day as the general release.
  • Perl 5.10, which features a smaller memory footprint and other improvements.
  • Data Persistence in USB images.
Fedora 9 featured a new artwork entitled Waves which, like Infinity in Fedora 8, changes the wallpaper to reflect the time of day.

Fedora 10

Fedora 10, codenamed Cambridge, was released on November 25, 2008. It flaunts the new Solar artwork. Its features include:
  • Faster startup using one Plymouth splash screen instead of the version-specific Red Hat Graphical Boot that was previously used, including Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 and other derivatives that are based on Fedora 10 and higher.
  • Support for ext4 filesystem
  • Sugar Desktop Environment
  • LXDE Desktop Environment
  • GNOME 2.24
  • KDE Plasma 4.1
  • OpenOffice.org 3.0

    Fedora 11

Fedora 11, codenamed Leonidas, was released on June 9, 2009. This was the first release whose artwork is determined by the name instead of by users voting on themes.
Some of the features in Fedora 11 are:
  • ext4 as the default file system
  • experimental Btrfs activated by IcantbelieveitsnotBTR command line option at bootup
  • faster bootup aimed at 20 seconds.
  • GCC 4.4
  • GNOME 2.26
  • KDE Plasma 4.2
  • 2.6.29 Linux kernel
  • Eclipse 3.4.2
  • Netbeans 6.5
  • nVidia kernel modesetting through the open source nouveau driver
  • OpenOffice 3.1
  • Python 2.6
  • Xfce to 4.6
  • X server 1.6
  • fprint – support for systems with fingerprint readers

    Fedora 12

Fedora 12, codenamed Constantine, was released on November 17, 2009.
Some of the features in Fedora 12 are:
  • Optimized performance. All software packages on 32-bit architecture have been compiled for i686 systems
  • Improved webcam support
  • Better video codec with a newer version of Ogg Theora
  • Audio improvements
  • Automatic bug reporting tool
  • Bluetooth on demand
  • Enhanced NetworkManager to manage broadband
  • Many virtualization enhancements
  • ext4 used even for the boot partition
  • Moblin interface
  • Yum-presto plugin providing Delta RPMs for updates by default
  • New compression algorithm in RPM packages for smaller and faster updates
  • Experimental 3D support for ATI R600/R700 cards
  • GCC 4.4
  • SystemTap 1.0 with Eclipse integration
  • GNOME 2.28
  • GNOME Shell preview
  • KDE Plasma 4.3. Plasma 4.4 was pushed to the updates repository on February 27, 2010
  • 2.6.31 Linux kernel; kernel version 2.6.32 was pushed to the updates repository on February 27, 2010
  • X server 1.7 with Multi-Pointer X support
  • NetBeans 6.7
  • PHP 5.3
  • Rakudo Perl 6 compiler