The guide walks users through upgrading from Fedora 36 to Fedora 37 while keeping GNOME 43 intact, starting with system preparation steps such as updating packages and ensuring dnf‑plugins‑core is installed. It then details how to enable the testing repository, optionally pinning GNOME 43 to prevent accidental upgrades, before executing the main DNF upgrade command and handling any removal prompts. After rebooting, users verify the new shell version and clean up old extensions or drivers that might linger, with troubleshooting tips for graphics issues across Intel, AMD, and Nvidia hardware. Finally, the article encourages cleaning orphaned packages, verifying Wi‑Fi and sound functionality, and reaching out to the Fedora community if problems arise.

Upgrading Fedora 36 to Fedora 37 (GNOME 43): A No‑Fuss Guide

If you’re still on Fedora 36 and want the fresh GNOME 43 experience, this walk‑through will get your machine up to date without losing any of your custom tweaks or data. We’ll cover what to back up, how to keep your packages sane, and a few gotchas that pop up when the new release hits the servers.

1. Make Sure Your System Is Ready

Open a terminal and run:

sudo dnf update -y && sudo dnf upgrade --refresh -y

Why bother with an extra refresh? Fedora’s mirrors sometimes lag behind; this pulls every package up to the latest 36.x build, so your jump into 37 starts from a clean slate. If you’re still on a very old kernel or missing dnf-plugins-core, install it now:

sudo dnf install -y dnf-plugins-core

I once upgraded after an un‑patched kernel and the new GNOME kept complaining about “missing drivers,” so don’t skip this.

2. Enable the Fedora 37 Repo

Fedora ships a fedora repo that automatically points to the next major release once you enable it:

sudo dnf config-manager --set-enabled fedora-updates-testing

This is your “next‑gen” channel; the regular updates repo will stay on 36.x until you flip this flag. If you prefer a more controlled rollout, skip the testing repo and wait for the official release to hit the stable feed.

3. Lock In Your Desired GNOME Version (Optional)

If you want GNOME 43 specifically and not any newer patch that may roll in during the upgrade cycle, pin it:

sudo dnf install -y gnome-shell-43
sudo dnf versionlock add gnome-shell-43

versionlock stops DNF from pulling a later version if one shows up. This is handy if you’re running scripts that depend on GNOME’s API and don’t want surprises.

4. Kick Off the Upgrade

sudo dnf upgrade --refresh -y

You’ll see a long list of packages, many of which are kernel modules, system libraries, and GUI components. Don’t skip the “Will remove” lines; they’re usually safe removals of obsolete drivers or old GNOME shells. If you hit a prompt that asks about removing a package you rely on (like a proprietary Nvidia driver), consider dropping it first with:

sudo dnf remove xorg-x11-drv-nvidia

and reinstalling the latest version after the upgrade.

5. Reboot and Check GNOME 43

After the command finishes, reboot:

sudo reboot

Once you’re back in, hit Alt+F2, type about or look at Settings => About. You should see “GNOME Shell 43.x” listed.

If GNOME still looks like 42.x, it’s probably because the old shell was left behind in /usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions. Remove any stale extensions:

sudo rm -rf /usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/*

Then reboot again.

6. Deal With Driver Issues (If They Pop Up)

A common hiccup after a major release is the graphics driver. If your display stalls or you get “OpenGL error” in apps, try reinstalling the latest drivers for your GPU brand:

# For Intel integrated:
sudo dnf install -y xorg-x11-drv-intel

# For AMD:
sudo dnf install -y xf86-video-amdgpu

# For Nvidia (if you have a card):
sudo dnf install -y akmod-nvidia

Sometimes the akmod package will refuse to build because of kernel changes. In that case, install the pre‑built binary:

sudo dnf install -y xorg-x11-drv-nvidia-latest

If you’re still stuck, check /var/log/Xorg.0.log for driver errors.

7. Verify Everything Is Working

• Test Wi‑Fi: nmcli dev wifi
• Test sound: open a video in your browser and hit the speaker icon.
• Check kernel version: uname -r should show a 5.x kernel matching Fedora 37.

If any of those fail, you’ve got a bug that needs to be filed, but most users see a smooth transition.

8. Clean Up Old Packages (Optional)

Fedora’s upgrade can leave a few orphaned packages behind:

sudo dnf autoremove -y

This frees up space and keeps the system tidy.

There you have it: Fedora 36 to 37, GNOME 43 in one clean pass. If something goes sideways—like a broken extension or a missing driver—drop a line on the Fedora forums or check the bug tracker; the community is pretty good at fixing those quirks fast.