Fedora 42 Beta: A First Look at the New Web-Based Installer
Fedora 42 is rolling out with one of its biggest changes in years: a brand-new, web-based installer—and it may have just become easier to install than Linux Mint.
In this post, we’ll walk through the updated installation experience as seen in Fedora 42 Workstation (Beta) [torrent file], and explore how this new method compares to the traditional Anaconda installer.
🔔 Note: As of writing, this new installer is only available in the Workstation edition. It hasn’t yet made its way to the Spins like XFCE, or LXQt—but hopefully that changes with Fedora 43.
🧭 Why This Matters
If you’ve installed Fedora before, you’ll know that the Anaconda installer, while powerful, hasn’t changed much in over a decade. It’s functional, but not especially user-friendly—especially for newcomers.
The new web-based installer brings:
- A cleaner, linear setup flow
- Fewer steps
- Simplified storage configuration
- A modern UI that feels more intuitive
⚙️ The Installation Process (Fedora 42 Workstation)
Let’s walk through the setup process using the new installer:
Step 1: Start the Installer
Once the live ISO boots, you’re presented with just four key steps:
- Welcome
- Install Destination (Storage)
- Review
- Begin Install
No digging through menus or resolving vague warnings. The installer walks you through one step at a time, streamlining the entire process.
Step 2: Choose Disks and Confirm
You can select single or multiple disks, wipe existing data, and skip encryption if you wish. Once confirmed, the installation begins—and that’s it. No backtracking, no confusion.
Step 3: Post-Install Setup
After rebooting, you complete a simple onboarding process:
- Select language and time zone
- Connect to the network
- Choose whether to enable third-party repositories
- Create a user account
- (Optional) Sign in with an enterprise login
It’s clean and familiar, much like the out-of-box experience in Pop!_OS or Windows 11.
🖥️ What You Get After Installation
Fedora 42 Workstation boots into a vanilla GNOME 48 desktop, running on Wayland with Linux Kernel 6.14-rc3 at the time of testing. It’s smooth, modern, and exactly what you’d expect from Fedora’s flagship desktop environment.
💡 Workstation vs. GNOME Spin?
Trick question: There is no GNOME Spin.
Fedora Workstation is the official GNOME edition of Fedora.
This question tends to trip up a lot of users, even experienced ones. Fedora maintains several Spins for desktops like XFCE, and LXQt—but GNOME is handled exclusively by Workstation. If you’re using Fedora Workstation, you’re using GNOME. Simple as that.
📌 Final Thoughts
The new installer is a massive step forward for Fedora’s user experience. It’s intuitive, straightforward, and removes many of the pain points that historically challenged new users. If this installation method finds its way into the Spins for Fedora 43, Fedora may become one of the most approachable Linux distributions available.
Have you tried the new installer yet?
Leave your thoughts in the comments—or check out the embedded video below for a full walkthrough.
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