You can upgrade a traditional Fedora 38 Workstation installation to Fedora 39 either through GNOME Software or with DNF’s system-upgrade plugin. First install all Fedora 38 updates and reboot. Before either route, back up important files and prepare a Fedora Workstation Live USB in case recovery is needed. Fedora 39 is now an end-of-life release, so this historical upgrade path is not appropriate for a machine that still needs a supported Fedora version.
Before you start: check the release and installation type
Fedora’s upgrade guidance supports moving to the next release or skipping one release; jumps across more than two releases are unsupported. Upgrading from an end-of-life release is also unsupported and at the user’s risk. Fedora 38 to Fedora 39 was a one-release upgrade, but Fedora 39 reached end of life in 2024. In 2026, use Fedora’s current supported-release guidance rather than choosing Fedora 39 as a destination: Fedora’s upgrade documentation.
The DNF commands below are for traditional RPM-based Fedora Workstation installations. They are not the upgrade method for Silverblue, Kinoite, CoreOS, or other rpm-ostree-based systems; those editions use their own rebase or upgrade procedures. See Fedora Silverblue documentation for its distinct approach.
Prepare for a system-wide change
- Back up personal files and make sure you know how to restore them.
- Keep a laptop connected to AC power and ensure the system has enough free disk space for downloaded packages and installation.
- Disable or postpone third-party repositories that do not provide packages for the destination release. Re-enable them only after checking compatibility.
- Download the Fedora Workstation Live image and, ideally, write it to a USB drive before upgrading. Fedora recommends this precaution because every system upgrade is potentially risky.
- Make a note of proprietary graphics, VPN, virtualization, and out-of-tree driver packages so you can check or repair them afterward.
Fedora Workstation 39 was released on November 7, 2023, and included GNOME 45. Fedora highlighted changes including improved preference for hardware-accelerated video decoding, multithreaded thumbnail generation, reduced cursor stutter and latency, and faster search in GNOME Shell and applications. Fedora also removed the modular repository because of low usage and lack of active maintenance; inventory any packages that depend on module streams before attempting this historical upgrade. See the Fedora 39 announcement and Fedora’s GNOME 45 change information.
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Choose GNOME Software or DNF
Both methods install a release-wide set of packages and require a reboot. GNOME Software is the simpler route for a standard desktop upgrade. DNF offers more visible transaction details and control over repository or dependency troubleshooting, and is more suitable for terminal-based administration.
| Consideration | GNOME Software | DNF system-upgrade |
|---|---|---|
| Progress and prompts | Desktop notifications and graphical prompts | Terminal output and package transaction prompts |
| Repository and dependency control | Less direct visibility into package conflicts | More explicit transaction details and troubleshooting options |
| Remote or headless administration | Requires a usable graphical session | Terminal-based; still plan for the upgrade reboot and any recovery needs |
| Troubleshooting | Convenient for a routine upgrade | Better visibility into dependency and repository errors |
| Recovery planning | Does not remove the need for backups or recovery media | Does not remove the need for backups or recovery media |
Upgrade through GNOME Software
- Open Software on Fedora Workstation 38 and install all offered updates.
- Reboot when prompted, so Fedora 38 is fully updated before the release transition.
- Open Software again. When the Fedora 39 release-upgrade notification appears, select it.
- Review the release notes and start the download and installation. Keep the computer connected to the network and, for a laptop, on AC power.
- Allow the computer to restart and finish the offline installation without interrupting it. After signing in, verify the release in Settings → About or by running
cat /etc/fedora-releasein a terminal.
Fedora identified the Software application as an upgrade route in its November 7, 2023 Fedora 39 announcement. If the release notification is not offered, do not force an unsupported jump; confirm that Fedora 38 is fully updated and check Fedora’s release-upgrade guidance for the supported path.
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Upgrade with DNF system-upgrade
Fedora calls the DNF system-upgrade plugin its recommended command-line upgrade method. On a Fedora 38 system, run the commands in this order:
sudo dnf upgrade --refresh
This refreshes repository metadata and installs available Fedora 38 updates. Do not skip it: Fedora notes that updates provide signing keys and fixes needed by the upgrade process.sudo reboot
Restart into the fully updated Fedora 38 system before downloading the destination release.sudo dnf system-upgrade download --releasever=39
DNF resolves dependencies and downloads Fedora 39 packages while the running system remains usable. Read the proposed transaction before confirming it.sudo dnf system-upgrade reboot
The system restarts into a special systemd upgrade environment, installs the packages, and reboots into the upgraded system. Do not power it off during installation.
For current command syntax and caveats, consult Fedora’s DNF system-upgrade instructions and the system-upgrade plugin reference. The plugin’s general download syntax is dnf system-upgrade download --releasever VERSION; Fedora’s documentation notes that this method replaced fedup.
When the download reports conflicts
Stop and inspect the transaction, especially if it proposes removing packages. Third-party repositories that have not published compatible packages are a common reason to investigate. Fedora’s process may require resolving repository or package conflicts, and an option such as --allowerasing should be used only when you understand which packages the displayed transaction will erase. Do not add --skip-broken blindly; investigate the repository or dependency problem instead.
Verify the system after the upgrade
- Confirm the release with
cat /etc/fedora-releaseor open Settings → About. - Install any remaining updates with
sudo dnf upgrade --refresh. - Check for duplicate packages with
dnf repoquery --duplicates, and review disabled or failing third-party repositories. - Test the hardware and software you rely on, including graphics, Wi-Fi, audio, VPN, printers, Flatpaks, and development tools.
- Review and remove retired packages where appropriate; Fedora’s upgrade guidance also recommends checking for duplicate packages after an upgrade.
For the Fedora 38-to-39 path specifically, Fedora’s instructions are historical rather than a recommendation to install an unsupported release today. For a machine that must remain secure and supported, select an upgrade path to a currently supported Fedora release that follows Fedora’s documented release-jump limits.
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