Software Update: Fedora on Raspberry Pi 5 — Reading Peter Robinson's 45 and 44 Notes as Practical Guidance
If you spend your working day inside a desktop on a compact machine, a support announcement is only useful when it answers one question: can I install this today, and what will be missing? A status post from Peter Robinson about Fedora support for Raspberry Pi 5 answers that narrowly and in a very actionable way. The short version: the forthcoming 45 line is expected to operate on every Raspberry Pi Model 5B variant, with caveats; the current 44 line still asks for an extra boot step; and the Compute Module 5 and Pi 500+ targets remain unfinished. What follows is that update rearranged around decisions — which release to pick, how to reach a running desktop, and which functions you cannot rely on yet.
The four takeaways, as a list
- 5B boards: the forthcoming Fedora 45 release will operate on every Raspberry Pi Model 5B variant, although with limitations.
- Other form factors: Compute Module 5 and Pi 500+ remain under development in Robinson's status rundown, so they are not test targets right now.
- Fedora 44: a temporary boot workaround is necessary. If the kernel/firmware is updated to the newest version at once, that measure is only needed for the initial boot.
- Fedora 45: the workaround is not required, so anyone wanting to test the setup should pick a preferred Fedora variant from the release candidates and start there directly.
Two release lines, three hardware targets: the numbers behind the note
Treat the update as a small data set rather than a general announcement. It covers 2 release lines — 45 and 44 — across 3 hardware targets, namely Raspberry Pi Model 5B, Compute Module 5 and Pi 500+. Only the 5B family is described as functioning, and even that carries caveats. Every other pairing in that matrix is still being worked on.
Release comparison
| Topic | Fedora 44 | Fedora 45 |
|---|---|---|
| Raspberry Pi Model 5B variants | Runs, but the temporary boot workaround applies | Expected to operate on every 5B variant, with caveats |
| Extra boot step | Needed; only for the initial boot if the kernel/firmware is refreshed to the newest version immediately | Not required |
| Recommended entry point for testers | Only if you must stay on the current line | Choose your preferred variant from the release candidates and begin directly |
| Compute Module 5 and Pi 500+ | Not described as finished; the update lists them as still under development | |
| Desktop acceleration | Where it runs, storage, networking and USB are working; sound and various other functions are not currently provided | |
A four-step path to a running desktop
- Confirm the hardware first. This guidance is written for Raspberry Pi 5 machines in the Raspberry Pi Model 5B form. If the board is a Compute Module 5 or a Pi 500+, the update does not describe those targets as finished, so hold off.
- Pick the line. When you have a choice, go straight to the Fedora 45 release candidates and select your preferred Fedora variant there, because no boot workaround sits between you and the desktop.
- Build the media. Instructions for building an image of Fedora for use with a Raspberry Pi 5 are published in Robinson's post; follow them for the variant you selected.
- If you are pinned to 44, plan for the workaround and update the kernel/firmware to the newest version at once, which limits the extra step to the initial boot.
What is accelerated, and what stays silent
On the resulting desktop, the acceleration is real: working storage, working networking and working USB are called out explicitly. The gap is audio. Sound support, along with various other functions, is not currently provided. For anyone evaluating the machine as a daily driver rather than a test bench, that single line decides whether the setup is usable today: a terminal-and-browser workflow survives without sound, an media or meeting-focused workflow does not.
Who gains now, who should wait
- Efficiency-tool users: the 45 release candidates are the shortest route to a fast desktop on a 5B board.
- IT support staff: the 44 boot workaround is the item most likely to produce a first-boot support request; standardising on 45 removes it from the checklist entirely.
- Developers: a 5B install from the release candidates is the test bed Robinson's post describes, with build instructions attached.
- Compute Module 5 and Pi 500+ owners: wait — those targets remain under development, and the note offers no workaround for them.
Common misconceptions
- The 44 workaround is permanent. It is described as temporary: with an immediate kernel/firmware update to the newest version, it is needed only for the initial boot.
- Testing the newer line means installing 44 first. The guidance is to take a preferred Fedora variant from the 45 release candidates and start there directly.
- Audio works because the desktop is accelerated. Sound support is explicitly listed among the functions not currently provided.
- Every Raspberry Pi 5 product is covered. Only the Raspberry Pi Model 5B variants are, and even those with caveats.
FAQ
Does Fedora 45 need a boot workaround on Raspberry Pi 5? No. The update states the workaround is not required for 45.
Which subsystems already benefit from acceleration? Storage, networking and USB.
What is the notable absence? Sound support, along with various other functions.
Which release should a tester install first? A preferred Fedora variant taken from the 45 release candidates.
Are the Compute Module 5 and Pi 500+ ready? No — the note lists them as still under development.
Where do the build steps live? In Robinson's post, which carries the instructions for building an image for use with the board.
Action advice before you flash
- Write down the board model before anything else: 5B means you are inside the supported scope, Compute Module 5 and Pi 500+ mean you are not.
- Default new tests to the 45 release candidates; keep 44 only when a requirement forces the current line.
- On 44, bundle the kernel/firmware refresh with the install so the boot workaround touches one boot instead of every one.
- Verify your use case against the missing pieces — plan around absent sound and the other functions not currently provided.
Bottom line
Nothing here is a feature announcement; it is a support boundary, and boundaries are the useful part. Two release lines, three hardware targets, one board family that actually runs, one extra boot step that only 44 demands, and one glaring gap in the form of audio. If your board is a Raspberry Pi Model 5B and your tolerance for missing functions is honest, the fastest route today is a Fedora 45 release candidate, built with the steps in Robinson's post — and everything else can wait for the next status update.