System Updates

BlossomOS updates itself as a whole image rather than one package at a time. Every update is built and tested as a complete system, then downloaded as a single unit and put in place for your next restart. Nothing is ever half updated, and every update can be undone. This is the same approach used by other Fedora based atomic systems like Kinoite, Bazzite, and Bluefin.

Checking for Updates

Open System Settings and go to Software Update under System, at the very bottom of the sidebar.

If you’re already on the newest version, you’ll see Your system is up to date, along with the version you have installed. Click Check for updates to check again right away.

If an update is available, you’ll see the new version number, its approximate download size, and an Update now button. Starting it downloads the update in the background, you can keep using your computer while it downloads, and a progress view shows how far along it is, with an expandable transaction log if you want the details.

Applying an Update

Once the download finishes, you’ll see Update ready along with your current version and the version you’ll be on after restarting. Updates are never applied without asking first, choose Restart now to apply it immediately, or Restart later to keep working and restart on your own time. The update stays staged and ready either way.

Automatic Updates

Turn on Automatic updates on the same page and BlossomOS will download new updates overnight on its own. You’ll see an Update scheduled notice, with the option to cancel it if you’d rather not update that day. As with a manual update, it still waits for you to restart once it’s ready, it won’t reboot your computer on its own.

Rolling Back

Every update keeps the version you had before around too. If something’s wrong after updating, go back to System, Software Update and click Roll back next to your previous version. Confirm, and the system restarts on the version you had before, with your files and settings exactly as you left them. You can update again later at any time.

If BlossomOS Won’t Start After an Update

If an update leaves your system unable to boot, you don’t need the desktop to recover. Restart your computer and watch for the boot menu that appears briefly before BlossomOS loads. It lists your current deployment alongside the one before it, pick the older one and your computer starts up on the version you had before the update.

Layered Packages Can Pause Updates

If you install classic system packages directly on BlossomOS instead of using the Arc Store, you’re tying your system to changes that might clash with new updates. If that happens, the Software Updates setting will show a warning listing the affected packages along with a Remove packages… button. Get rid of them and restart so updates can work normally again. To find out how to install software without running into this mess, check out Arc Store.

Troubleshooting