ATTENTION CURRENT BAZZITE USERS! 
Trouble Updating?
Open the “System Update” application (In Desktop Mode on Handheld/HTPC images) and update through there.
If it fails due to a 404 for a COPR repo:
Open a host terminal and enter:
sudo rm /etc/yum.repos.d/_copr_sentry-kernel-ba.repo
Manual Intervention Recommended
Note: New users who have installed after April 14, 2024 will not have to follow this.
initramfs has changed, but is not automatic for current users, so we do not break certain edge cases with custom initramfs.
If you would like updates to be shorter here is one simple command to enter in a host terminal:
rpm-ostree initramfs --disable
Nested Desktop Removed
Nested Desktop has been removed from Handheld/HTPC images due to being currently broken on GNOME 46 and KDE Plasma 6.
Preface
Bazzite is a custom image of Fedora Atomic Linux 40 utilizing Universal Blue’s custom image framework designed to bring users the best in Linux gaming for their PCs, including the Steam Deck and other handhelds. Bazzite’s newsletters highlight all of the work we have been doing to bring our users the best features ready to go for their PCs, home theater setups, and handheld gaming devices.
If you are new to the project, then here’s how this technology works. Bazzite and other Universal Blue images follow the continuous delivery methodology of development, which means we’re constantly adding new features and squashing bugs to the image through updates. These updates also include anything directly from upstream (Fedora and Universal Blue) and upgrades from the packages we include. This newsletter is intended to inform current users what has changed since the last Buzz.
This newsletter will cover both Bazzite 2.5.0 and Bazzite 3.0.0, and the major upgrade from Fedora 39 to Fedora 40. Notable changes are improvements made to handheld PC support and the installation process for both versions. 3.0.0 was delayed for one day to fix major issues and further edge-case testing.
Bazzite 2.5.0
The mini announcement only covered a few highlights from the 2.5.0 update.
Bazzite update speed should also be slashed to close to half, as the image size is smaller by 1GB now, and initramfs regeneration (the last part of updates) is not performed by default anymore.
Installer Improvements
All of the applications that come with Bazzite as Flatpaks will now be installed instead of a service that installs them on the first-boot. This makes everything much cleaner. The effort has been done by Jason Nagin and Noel Miller. Soon we will have the new Anaconda WebUI installer.
Waydroid Fixed
Waydroid crashing at launch is now fixed. Also a reminder that you can launch applications separately on the desktop. Access the Google Play Store an F-Droid for both games or regular Android applications.
Make sure to read the setup guide before opening it for the first time.
Under The Hood Changes
Image by Discord user: Damikiller37
Bazzite update speed should also be slashed to close to half, as the image size is smaller by 1GB now, and initramfs regeneration (the last part of updates) is not performed by default anymore. Removing this from the image gives a positive side effect outside of requiring it.
Still need initramfs regeneration? Reach out to us so we can try to accommodate your use case by default. Communicate with us on our Discord or forums.
For old installs run rpm-ostree initramfs --disable to enable the optimization. Initramfs regeneration is only needed when you need custom modules during the boot process, which is a rare use case but also the reason we could not auto-enable the optimization.
Bazzite 3.0.0
By Discord user Axel Quack
This is a major update which brings Fedora 40, a new kernel, KDE 6, and MESA 24. For handheld devices, support has been expanded a lot since 2.4.0 and is a lot more stable.
For handheld images, the Steam Deck OLED is now properly supported through a new set of kernel patches!
We have been focusing on improving handheld support. There is now a Handheld Wiki which anyone can help contribute to if they have any knowledge on known issues, workarounds, or any post-installation setup for their handheld hardware.
Fedora 40 Builds Out Now!
We are now building for Fedora 40 in our builds now.
Highlights
- KDE Plasma 6
- GNOME 46
- Linux Kernel 6.8
- Upgraded AMD/Intel GPU drivers
- X11 Dropped (Except on Nvidia Images)
Handheld Improvements
By CharlieBros
By Discord user Ellis
Handheld Daemon and its overlay have also had major improvements, so you can now access TDP configuration and controller emulation settings completely without Decky (double-press or hold the side menu button) and from the desktop too (Handheld Daemon shortcut).
HHD has had a lot of fixes specifically for the Lenovo Legion Go and ASUS ROG Ally. Controller re-connection should also be instant now for most handhelds.
We understand that a lot of you prefer to use the SteamUI with Decky and per-game profiles, so hhd-decky is still supported, and we are working on integrating SimpleDeckyTDP and Handheld Daemon, so you will no longer have to choose between using Handheld Daemon and SimpleDeckyTDP for TDP.
The ASUS ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go had a ton of fixes thanks to patches to Handheld Daemon. Rotation and scaling for a ton of other handhelds should also actually be fixed this time. Several changes relating to both handhelds have been added from charge limits, gyro control, and custom fan curves.
The Ayn Loki Zero and Ayn Loki Max are now supported. There is some initial support for the ONEXPLAYER X1 too.
Check out the changelog for an exhausting list of changes for different handheld hardware.
Steam Deck OLED Almost Supported (Stay Tuned)
Most of the issues that plagued the Steam Deck OLED have now been fixed with this new update except a few quirks that may give a limiting experience currently.
Switching to Desktop Mode causes the audio driver to crash. This is currently being investigated and should be resolved soon, but since the OLED was not supported prior to this update, then it should not delay this update any further. HDR support is nearly ready, but there are some games that have broken HDR exclusively on Bazzite and not on SteamOS. This is also in the works, but the solution may come later. Also it requires Basic Graphics Mode to install it properly.
Overall, it’s usable now there is still 1 major issue that isn’t consistent in our testing which is the audio crash when switching to Desktop Mode. There are also 2 minor bugs that are consistent including HDR issues for some games and our installer requires Basic Graphics Mode to install properly.
A Detailed System Fetch
We now use fastfetch as the default CLI system information utility. Not only is incredibly fast to output, but it also includes much more details about the system. A lock icon will indicate if your image is signed or not too.
The other fetch tools like hyfetch, neowofetch, and neofetch are still included in Bazzite too, but they all default to fastfetch by default.
You can also use an alternative like pfetch-rs if you layer it with rpm-ostree since it has support for Bazzite too.
Local Machine Learning Using Ollama (Large Language Model)
Ollama has been added to ujust and can be used for local machine learning. This command will install and setup Ollama for Bazzite properly which should be less of a headache than installing it manually.
The command is:
ujust install-ollama
Conclusion
Hopefully the migration from Fedora 39 to Fedora 40 is smooth for current users, and new users can enjoy Bazzite without any new hiccups. We appreciate all of the positivity we received surrounding the project. Thank you to our community for all the continued support! 
What’s Next for Bazzite
- Bazzite Portal re-write
- Faster Updates
- New Desktop Environment Options
- ARM Builds
- Offline Documentation
Status of the Installer
We have received frequent feedback about the installation process, but many of woes cannot be fixed by us. Due to circumstances beyond our control, we cannot change Fedora’s installer to fit our needs. This means we’re lacking an on-screen keyboard which would be great for handheld and tablets among detrimental installer features that actually break the installation like the “Root Account” option. We also cannot remove this unfortunately without removing the ability to make a user account before installation. GNOME has the option to make a user post-installation, but KDE Plasma does not. As a result, we are stuck with the option that we do not recommend users turn on.
Nvidia Driver Woes
Nvidia users should have a better experience around May when new Nvidia driver that supports the explicit sync protocol for Wayland, but until then the Linux experience on Nvidia is still going to be out of control. Even after this, the proprietary driver experience will still be a wild wild until NVK matures over time. Bazzite already has the benefit of being able to switch between NVK and the proprietary drivers with a single command and rebooting without issues.
AMD GPUs are the better option for Linux gaming currently. When the vendor has their source code auditable and allows collaborations with the community, then things usually work better. Nvidia GPU drivers are still closed source, so relying on them
Chris Titus Tech Videos on Bazzite
One of the most prominent Linux channels on Youtube has made a couple of videos focusing on Bazzite. Chris Titus Tech now uses Bazzite on his main workstation. Check out some of the videos he made on it down below:
Sister Project News
“Aurora” Released
Aurora is here to fill the void for those who wanted a Bluefin, but with KDE Plasma instead of GNOME.
Both are like Bazzite but intended for both everyday users and developers as opposed to having a focus on gaming. You can still game on them and we would recommend using Flatpak Steam or the bazzite-arch Distrobox container for that.
Aurora is currently in a beta.
Bluefin on a Chromebook
Thanks to the help from our friends at Ultramarine Linux, Universal Blue maintainer Noel Miller was able to get Bluefin booted on a Samsung Chromebook. Impressive for such low spec hardware. I personally run Wayblue on my Samsung Chromebook, which is a BlueBuild project.
Upgrading Bazzite
Current users can upgrade to the newest builds by updating their system and rebooting. User-installed applications will also be upgraded in the process. Updating may take a while and is dependent on your internet download speed and the performance of the drive Bazzite is installed on.
Desktop Images
Desktop images usually auto-update once per day and apply on a reboot, but if you are impatient and want the update now, then open the new System Update tool.
Alternatively, open the terminal and enter:
ujust update
Wait for it to finish, then reboot to be on the latest Bazzite build.
Handheld/HTPC Images
In Gaming Mode, open:
Steam Menu > Settings > System and press the Check for updates button.
Alternatively, use the steps above for “Desktop Images” in Desktop Mode.
Installing Bazzite
New to the project? Read our FAQ before proceeding. Read the documentation regarding handhelds and HTPC setups if you plan to use Steam Gaming Mode with Bazzite.
Install the latest Bazzite and follow the installation guide for your device.
Community Resources
Contributing to Bazzite
We want YOU to contribute to Bazzite and Universal Blue
Interested in contributing? Even the little things add up like writing up documentation, bug reporting, or testing unique hardware and reporting the results.
Support Bazzite
Bazzite Changelog
(since the last Bazzite Buzz)
Desktop Images
Features
- Improved installer
- Added Framework Laptop kernel module
- Dropped update size by 1GB
initramfswill no longer regenerate by default (~5m during updates)- Solaar now uses the Flatpak
- Added CDEmu
- Useful for handling disk-based games without a CD drive.
- Added support for midi in Lutris
- Restored
setroubleshoot(SELinux Troubleshooter)- Previously removed, but now restored with alerts disabled by default
- Added wl-clipboard
- Use xone driver as canary for secure boot check
- Added zoxide for an alternate
cdcommand - Bring in
bluezpatches from upstream (Bluetooth package)- Always keep
bluezupdate to date
- Always keep
- Added a
ujustcommand to install ollama for local machine learningujust install-ollama
- Added a temporary warning message for looking-glass shm creation
- Added a COPR helper
- Replicates
dnf coprbut entirely rootless
- Replicates
- Added support for MIDI for old games using Lutris with Qsynth
- Added a kernel module for Looking Glass Client
- Added
bazzite-rollback-helperutility as part of the image- Simplifies rolling back and updating to stable when issues happen
Fixes
- Fixed unnecessary Secure Boot message in the terminal
- Use balanced-no-pstate profile on CPUs that don’t support a pstate governor
- Removed Valve patches that are now upstream
- Fully disabled joystickwake on GNOME images
- Fixed unlock bypass on GNOME images
- Restored joystickwake functionality with Caffeine extension for GNOME images
- Dropped
ujust fix-source1-tcmallocsince Team Fortress 2’s newest update has fixed this.- If you encounter issues in other Source 1 games, then read our Gaming Guide for solutions
- Fixed Ptyxis not launching
- Fixed power profile
ujustcommand (ujust configure-powerprofile) - Waydroid is now fixed
Handheld/HTPC Images
Features
- Added support for Ayn Loki Zero
- Added support for the Ayn Loki Max
- Added initial support for the ONEXPLAYER X1
- Added remaining Loki devices to HHD list
- Steam Deck OLED partially supported
- Audio driver bug occurs inconsistently
- HDR is broken on some games
- Outside of requiring Basic Graphics Mode for the installer
- Added patch for “gamescope touch atom”
- Updated the Handheld Daemon packages to
HHD: 2.6.4,Adjustor: 2.1.5,hhd-ui: 2.2.3- Added controller gyro and dual gyro support for the Legion Go
- Defaults to controller gyros now
- udev rule that disabled screen auto rotation is now removed
- Controller Touchpad emulation is improved
- Can choose between Left, Right, and Center, which now use the full touchpad properly
- Touchpad emulation will be auto-disabled on Desktop by default now
hhd.contrib gamescope qam/menucan be used as a command to open the menu/QAM in Steam- Gyro to Mouse fix is on by default now and is named gyro sync
- For the Ally, allows swapping the Start/Select and ROG buttons to be able to use Steam binds.
- Added stick/trigger threshold calibration environment variable (e.g., for the Ally)
- Controller re-connection is instant now
- After suspend or settings changes, from ~2s to 200ms
- Steam/Games can no longer see the built-in controller after suspend
- This removes the white LED flash which is only done on boot now
- When changing controller settings, the original controller is now visible and re-connection happens immediately
(on the overlay, Steam still needs ~1s to see the controller).
- Added bespoke TDP Controls for the ROG Ally that use the kernel driver
- TDP is based on ASUS performance modes, so the correct fan curve is used (no overheating)
- TDP is set on the Embedded Computer, so it does not interfere and workarounds
such as polling are not required - Added custom fan curve support
- Added charge limiting, from 65% to 95%
- Added bespoke TDP Controls for the Legion GO (
acpi_call+ Legion Space functions)- Supports the Quiet, Balanced, Performance, and Custom modes of Lenovo
- For the Custom mode, sPPT and fPPT are also set, ensuring the correct TDP is
used regardless of STT or STAPM, unlike in Legion Space. - If TDP boost is enabled in custom mode, a LUT is used to apply correct boosting sPPT and fPPT
- Added custom fan curve support for all TDP modes
- Added charge limiting (to 80%)
- The overlay is stable now, launch by holding or double pressing the side menu (QAM) button
- Loads on first open, no resource utilization beforehand
- After loading, opens and closes instantly by tightening delays
- The overlay is buttery smooth down to 5W, faster than Steam
- Multiple issues regarding Steam overlay conflicts were fixed, which could cause flashing in rare cases
- Controller interception is used for the built-in controller, so input will no longer filter to games.
- New Bazzite, Diavolo, and Atlantis skins
- Added localization (Chinese, Portuguese fully supported)
- Added controller gyro and dual gyro support for the Legion Go
- Added hhd-ui COPR package
- Added a desktop shortcut called Handheld Daemon that allows configuring TDP controller emulation in desktop
- Added patch for Ayn Loki refresh rates in gamescope
- Added a
ujustcommand to enable/disable swipe gesturesujust disable-swipe-gestures&ujust enable-swipe-gestures
- Added a gamescope backport patch that fixes a crash in Splitgate
Fixes
- Restored all settings in
ujust restore-gnome-de-settingscommand on deck images - Use balanced-no-pstate on hardware lacking pstate support
- Removed Nested Desktop since it has been broken on GNOME for a long time and is broken with KDE Plasma 6
- KDE Plasma 6 no longer works nested
- GNOME never worked
- KDE Plasma <6 kind of worked
Newsletter Contributor: Antheas Kapenekakis