Fedora 45 Adds Support for Raspberry Pi 5 Hardware
The release improves boot stability and adds hardware acceleration, though audio support remains unavailable.
Updated on Oct. 27, 2026 in Computers
Live Poll
Should developers prioritize official operating system support for popular hobbyist devices like the Raspberry Pi?
Fedora 45 introduces official support for all variants of the Raspberry Pi Model 5B, moving away from the manual boot workarounds required by Fedora 44. The release provides accelerated performance for desktop, storage, network, and USB functions on the hardware.
Why it matters
Expanding Linux distribution support to the Raspberry Pi 5 platform improves accessibility for developers and hobbyists building on the ARM-based hardware. This update streamlines deployment for the popular single-board computer by removing previous boot-time configuration hurdles.
Fedora 45 delivers accelerated driver support for core I/O, including USB, storage, and networking, across the Raspberry Pi Model 5B lineup. While desktop acceleration is included, hardware-level audio functionality currently lacks implementation.
The players
Peter Robinson
A maintainer within the Fedora project who leads the development of ARM architecture support and documentation for embedded platforms.
Raspberry Pi 5
A high-performance single-board computer featuring an ARM-based processor, widely used for embedded computing and development projects.
The details
Fedora 45 streamlines the boot process, eliminating the specific workaround previously necessary for users running Fedora 44 on Raspberry Pi 5 hardware. The system utilizes kernel-level optimizations to enable hardware acceleration for peripheral connectivity, including USB interfaces and network controllers. Users can build their own bootable images by following established configuration steps published by the project's lead maintainer.
Timeline
October 2026: Fedora 45 entered the release candidate phase.
The Tech Race
This release marks a notable shift in the Fedora project's ARM architectural support initiative, closing the performance gap between hobbyist boards and desktop hardware. It follows a consistent trajectory of prioritizing mainstream ARM-based devices to compete with specialized embedded distributions.
Users can now deploy Fedora 45 on Raspberry Pi Model 5B hardware without the manual boot-time configuration required by previous versions. Those using the Compute Module 5 or Pi 500+ should monitor for future updates, as support for those specific models is currently incomplete.
The takeaway
The move to official Fedora 45 support simplifies the transition for Raspberry Pi 5 users seeking a full Linux environment. Interested developers should keep track of subsequent patch cycles to monitor for the eventual resolution of audio drivers and support for the Pi 500+.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest developments in the Computers sector.
Source note: This article includes information reported by LWN.
Live Poll
Should developers prioritize official operating system support for popular hobbyist devices like the Raspberry Pi?
