Fedora Development News
Arran Griffith
Hi Everyone,
We are writing to share information on the next major milestone for Fedora - the plan for the next major release of Fedora, Fedora 7.0.
If you have been following along with our communication channels, you will be familiar with the Dependency Upgrade Project, which was driven by the critical need to update and modernize Fedora’s core codebase. With the completion of the project, we are now prepared to begin rolling out the next major release of Fedora, Fedora 7.0.
What’s in this release?
Thanks to the work done in the Dependency Upgrade Project, we have:
- Brought Fedora’s core code base up to date with the latest versions of Java and all supporting libraries to increase security and compatibility with modern technologies. This includes upgrading from Java 11 to Java 21 and to the latest versions of the Spring, Maven, and Jersey libraries, among others.
- Expanded automated test coverage to make future upgrades smoother and faster.
- Improved code stability and security for long-term maintainability.
This work sets the foundation for a more robust, future-ready Fedora.
Why a new major release?
Following semantic versioning principles, the migration to Java 21 requires a new major release, as there are changes to the Java API that are incompatible with earlier versions of Fedora.
This will be the first major release since 2021, and we couldn’t be more excited.
What you need to know:
- Already on Fedora 6.x? No problem. There is NO MIGRATION REQUIRED.
- That’s right. No migration required! Simply download Fedora 7.x, deploy, and restart.
- On an older version? ALL existing community migration tools will also function to bring you to 7.x.
What’s next
Join us for a Fedora 7.x Open Discussion Session. We are inviting the community to an open discussion session where you can come and ask questions, hear from the Technical
Team and learn more about the release process. There is no registration required.
Details:
- Wednesday, September 3, 2025 @ 9am Eastern
- Zoom Link to Join: https://lyrasis.zoom.us/j/84836894600?pwd=aPbyGMOHMfk5o9OgkGMXIpuougS30T.1
- Friday, September 5, 2025 @ 1pm Eastern
- Zoom Link to Join: https://lyrasis.zoom.us/j/86985514551?pwd=y7zSKwUT0Wst0RXTI21SyoZbib5A4U.1
Timeline for Release
- Now - late September
- The technical and committer teams will be wrapping up a few hanging feature requests to include in the new release.
- Alpha release for internal testing.
- Mid to late October
- Public beta release and community testing phase.
- November - Year end
- Release candidate and additional community testing.
- Early 2026
- Official release of Fedora 7.x
In the weeks ahead, we’ll share more details about how to get involved in the next steps. For now, your engagement and support will be key to ensuring Fedora 7.x is stable, secure, and ready for the global community!
Cheers,
Arran
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Arran Griffith
Program Manager, Fedora Program
Lyrasis
Arran Griffith
Hi Everyone,
This is a reminder that the first Fedora 7.x Open Discussion Session is taking place tomorrow – Wednesday, September 3 @ 9am Eastern!
Details:
- Wednesday, September 3, 2025 @ 9am Eastern
- Zoom Link to Join: https://lyrasis.zoom.us/j/84836894600?pwd=aPbyGMOHMfk5o9OgkGMXIpuougS30T.1
- Friday, September 5, 2025 @ 1pm Eastern
- Zoom Link to Join: https://lyrasis.zoom.us/j/86985514551?pwd=y7zSKwUT0Wst0RXTI21SyoZbib5A4U.1
We will be on hand to provide information on the upcoming release of Fedora 7.x and answer any questions you may have. No registration is required. Looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow!