Fedora Silverblue vs. Workstation: 6 Major Differences Between the Two Distros
Fedora Silverblue is a rapidly maturing version of Fedora Linux that may come to replace Fedora Workstation as the default version someday. On the surface, Fedora Silverblue looks the same as Fedora Workstation; both provide the GNOME desktop and a similar set of apps.
So what sets Fedora Silverblue apart from Fedora Workstation, and why is it generating such excitement among a corner of the Linux community? The differences are primarily under the hood, and they are a drastic rethink of how to build a Linux distribution.
1. A Distro With a Read-Only File System
One of the first things you’re likely to see about Silverblue is that it is immutable. This means that your operating system mounts system files as read-only. And that means neither you nor anything you install can make changes to the files needed to make your computer function.
This greatly increases both system stability and security. Your computer is more stable because you can’t accidentally delete a file you need for your computer to boot, asLinus of Linus Tech Tips famously did when trying out Pop!_OS. Your system is more secure because rogue software can’t infiltrate or make changes to these components either.
On Fedora Workstation, you need administrative rights to manage system files. This is what “sudo” grants in many of the commands you find across the web.
While this is a strong line of defense, there are some shortcomings. For one, any set of updates you install, or any app you install, gains this access during installation. These programs can make any change to your PC that they wish, which is why it’s important you only install software from trusted sources.
On top of that, it’s not uncommon for many of us to grant administrative access not fully understanding what we’re doing or what a program will do. Fedora Silverblue protects you against this.
2. You Can’t Manage Your System With DNF
Fedora Workstation consists of software bundled in the RPM format. When you install new apps, you download them in the form of RPMs. When you remove software, you remove RPMs. And when you download updates—you guessed it—more RPMs.
Fedora Silverblue changes the paradigm. It is an image-based operating system, meaning the core system is one image identical across many computers. The version of Silverblue on your machine is identical to the one on the developer’s machine. When you download an update, you replace your system image with a new image containing the latest software.
This means you cannotupdate or manage your system using the DNF package managerthat most other versions of Fedora rely on. Instead, you userpm-ostreeto download updated images or make modifications to your image. More on that later.
3. You Must Use Toolbx to Use DNF Instead
DNF isn’t off limits to Fedora Silverblue users. It’s just that instead of downloading RPMs to your system, you stick them in containers. That’s where Toolbx comes in.
Toolbx is a terminal-based tool to create containerized spaces for you to install and manage packages. This comes with certain advantages. If you’re developing a website, you can download all the packages you need to a separate container rather than add hundreds of extra packages to your core system.
When you’re done, you can delete the entire container and the packages within without any concern about the stability of your PC. You can give multiple websites their own container, and the same is true for software development.
Let’s say you’re not a developer. Toolbx is still where you go to install other terminal-based tools you’ve come to rely on. If you want to use software likersyncorexiftool, you can still do so in Fedora Silverblue using Toolbx.
Toolbx is available for Fedora Workstation as well. The difference is that on Silverblue, it comes preinstalled and is your only way to use DNF or install command-line programs.
4. Flatpak Is the Default Format for Apps
Flatpak is a universal app format for Linux desktops. With Flatpak, a developer can easily package their app in one format and know that it will run across most versions of Linux. This is a far cry from the way Linux has traditionally functioned.
Most Linux distros, including Fedora Workstation, have the ability to install Flatpak apps. What sets Fedora Silverblue apart is that Flatpaks are the expected, default way to install apps. The app store provides Flatpaks, whether directly from Fedora or from Flathub.
There are ways to install traditional RPMs if needed. you may do so using Toolbx, though this method won’t add an icon to your app drawer. You will instead need to launch the app from the command line each time. Another option is to add an app to your system image usingrpm-ostree, such as with the following command:
Making modifications to your system image takes longer and requires a restart each time for your new program to appear in your app drawer. Installing Flatpaks is a much more straightforward experience.
5. You Can Easily Rollback to a Previous Version
All operating system updates run the risk of introducing bugs or making changes that you don’t like. On traditional Linux distros, like Fedora Workstation, undoing a system update is a tricky process. You can try reverting packages to their previous version, but if an update installs plenty of new programs, you need to go through the changes with a fine-tooth comb to undo everything by hand.
With Fedora Silverblue, you could temporarily revert to a previous version of your system with only a few mouse clicks. Simply select an older release during boot. You may need to hold down a certain key to bring up the list of options. Or to permanently roll back, you can use therpm-ostree rollbackcommand.
To restore your system, you don’t need to look at changelogs or even know what changed. This makes rolling back a system something a less computer-savvy person can figure out.
6. Try Out Beta Releases With No Risk
Those of us who enjoy getting our hands on the latest software before its official release know that doing so comes with some degree of risk. You can encounter bugs that make your computer less stable, with no easy way to return your system back to how it was other than reinstalling your distro from scratch.
In contrast, you canrebase to the upcoming version of Fedora Silverbluewith zero risk. That’s right, zero. You can even switch to the unstable development version of Fedora, known as Rawhide, with peace of mind. That’s because even if you find your system in an unbootable state, you can simply switch back to your most recent stable system image.
You can then tell your system to stick to the stable version going forward as if you had never decided to dabble with unfinished software in the first place.
Should You Switch to Fedora Silverblue?
Fedora Silverblue has reached a point where it is a stable, mature alternative to Fedora Workstation. But it’s not for everyone. If you prefer an alternative desktop environment, or you like making extensive customizations to how your system functions, Fedora Silverblue may feel like more of a limitation.
Yet if you stick to the default desktop and most of the software you need is available on Flathub, there are many advantages to installing Fedora Silverblue.
Fedora Silverblue is a Flatpak-only Linux distro aimed at providing a stable and hassle-free Linux experience to its users.
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