IBM and Red Hat: Can this $34 billion deal deliver? Watch Now

The big Red Hat news is all about its acquisition by IBM, but behind the headlines, Red Hat and its community bread and butter open-source work continues apace. The first proof of this is the release of Fedora 29. This the latest version of community Linux Fedora.

Fedora 29 comes in three editions. These are Fedora Server, for servers; Fedora Workstation for Linux desktop users and Fedora Atomic Host, for Linux cloud and container users.

All three editions are built from a common set of base packages. This starts from the bottom up with the just released Linux kernel 4.19. Fedora using this barely a week old kernel is emblematic of this Linux design philosophy: Fedora is a bleeding-edge Linux.

Thus, as always, this new Fedora release comes with the latest versions of programs, bug fixes, performance tweaks, and enhanced functionality. The Fedora 29 base package includes updated compilers and languages including Python 3.7, Perl 5.28. glibc 2.28, Gloang 1.11, and MySQL 8.

All versions of Fedora 29 now includes a modular repository. This is an optional software repository. It gives you the option of installing additional versions of software on independent life cycles. This way you can keep their operating system up-to-date while keeping the version of an application you need even when the default version in the distribution changes. With it you can keep tried-and-true versions of software while your risk-taking sister can use just the released program to work on next year's production software. In both case, you'll still be using the base Fedora operating system.

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As sysadmins know, software lifecycles are a challenge in managing modern systems. Some applications need to move quickly so you use get the latest features, while others require a slower cycle to increase stability. This modular approach gives you flexibility in dealing with the traditional Linux distribution approach, which forces you to make this decision based on operating system version.

As Fedora Project Leader Matthew Miller, said in a statement:

Being able to update specific applications at a speed that works for a developer's unique needs not only provides users more flexibility and control over their environment, but helps keep operations more secure. With modularity now offered across all editions of Fedora 29, users can keep their operating system up to date while still running the version of an application for their specific use-case.

The latest version of Fedora desktop-focused edition includes GNOME 3.3.1 as its default desktop. This desktop boasts better performance by using fewer system resources. This enables you more apps at once without performance issues. The version also adds a new Podcasts app and automatically updates Flatpaks, Red Hat's universal application distribution system.

While Fedora is often thought of as primarily a desktop Linux, this latest edition is also meant to help developers working with ARM processors and on the Internet of Things (IoT).

The most important of these IoT friendly updates is enhanced ZRAM support for swap on ARMv7 and aarch64. The net effect is to improve Fedora 29's performance and reliability on ARM Single Board Computers, such as the ever popular Raspberry Pi.

All three versions of Fedora 29 are ready to download today. What are you waiting for? Start downloading already!

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