Will the Fedora 15 Beta automatically upgrade to release? Or do I need to reinstall?

I just ordered parts for a new computer which will be here by the end of the week. I am happy with Fedora 14 on the computer which is going to be replaced, but I noticed Fedora 15 will be released in two weeks.

If I install the Fedora 15 beta now will yum automatically upgrade me to the release when it comes out? Even if it will automatically upgrade me, is there any reason I should reinstall the OS fresh from the release?

Even though I have used Fedora for a few years, I would still consider myself somewhat of a novice Linux user and I have never used a beta.

Tom H.

Posted 2011-05-09T14:07:11.870

Reputation: 137

Also you probably need to run yum update twice. – mercurycc – 2011-05-25T00:14:52.973

Answers

If you install the current Fedora 15 beta release, you will be on what's called the "Branched Release Path" ( see the Fedora wiki section on Branched Releases ).

If you continue to update the software packages through yum as they become available, you will essentially be running the full version of Fedora 15 come release date. The only difference you may encounter is the way certain packages are installed. When updating with yum, it may perform package installs differently than Anaconda from the install media. Minute differences such as installation paths is one thing you will notice.

See the wiki article titled Upgrading from pre-release to final for more information.

John T

Posted 2011-05-09T14:07:11.870

Reputation: 149 037

Awesome, thanks for the link, I don't know why I couldn't find this doc. Wrong search terms I guess. – Tom H. – 2011-05-09T14:56:17.977

Try to get used with the program 'preupgrade' it works very well and shows the available beta or final releases.

http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/PreUpgrade

johnhere

Posted 2011-05-09T14:07:11.870

Reputation: 96

The beta and the final production version will be slightly out of step. The beta will be somewhat more advanced then the final release. That is because the final release decision takes place or may have already taken place. That is, the release version is a snapshot of the software at the date it was created.

So, with the final release, quite a bit of time will be taken after the installation, in downloading all the changes in order to catch up with the beta.

If you pay for isp internet downloads, I would suggest waiting, as the Final Fedora 15 version with all updates will not download too many megabytes.

Leslie Satenstein

Posted 2011-05-09T14:07:11.870

Reputation: 11