Fedora Pocketblue: Immutable Fedora for Mobile Devices

Fedora Pocketblue is a project that provides Fedora Atomic images for mobile devices.

The system is based on OCI, OSTree, and Bootc technologies, ensuring immutability, atomic updates, and application management primarily via Flatpak.

The project targets advanced users and developers who want to run a full-featured Linux distribution on tablets and smartphones.

Supported Devices

As of February 2026, Fedora Pocketblue supports the following devices:

• Tablets:
  • Xiaomi Pad 5
  • Xiaomi Pad 6
• Smartphones with Qualcomm SDM845:
  • OnePlus 6/6T
  • Xiaomi Poco F1
• Development Boards:
  • Orange Pi 3 LTS

Note: The installation process will erase all data on the device. The project is in active development, and stability and functionality may vary depending on the modelgithub.com+2.

Technologies

Fedora Pocketblue utilizes the following technologies:

• OCI (Open Container Initiative): A standard for container images, enabling system distribution as container images.
• OSTree: A version management system that allows atomic updates and rollbacks.
• Bootc: A tool for managing bootable container images, replacing traditional system installation methods.
• Flatpak: The recommended method for application installation, providing isolation and easy management.

The system is built on top of Fedora Silverblue/Kinoite images, adapted for ARM architecture and mobile devicesfedoramagazine.org+2.

Installation and Configuration

Requirements

• A supported device from the list above.
• Data backup—installation requires wiping the device’s storage.
• Basic knowledge of Linux commands.

Installation Process

1. Download the appropriate system image for your device from the official project repository.
2. Flash the image to the device following the instructions in the documentation.
3. Configure the system after the first boot.

Application Installation

Applications are primarily installed using Flatpak. Flathub and Fedora Flatpaks repositories are enabled by default, along with the Pocketblue repository, which provides mobile configurations for selected applications, such as Firefox.

Example commands:

bashKopiujflatpak install flathub org.gnome.Calculator
flatpak install pocketblue org.mozilla.firefox

Additional Tools

• Toolbox: A containerized development environment.
• fex-emu: An emulator for running x86 applications on ARM devices.
• Encryption: Option to encrypt device datagithub.com.

System Management

• Updates: Atomic updates via OSTree and Bootc.
• Rollbacks: Ability to revert to a previous system version if issues arise.
• Application Isolation: Flatpak ensures applications are isolated from the system and each other.

Comparison with Fedora Silverblue/Kinoite

Feature	Fedora Pocketblue	Fedora Silverblue/Kinoite
Platform	Mobile devices	Desktops and laptops
Architecture	ARM	x86_64, ARM (limited)
Immutability	Yes	Yes
Package Management	Flatpak (primary)	Flatpak, RPM (limited)
Updates	Atomic (OSTree/Bootc)	Atomic (OSTree/rpm-ostree)

Fedora Pocketblue is tailored for mobile devices, while Silverblue and Kinoite are designed for desktops and laptopsreddit.com+2.

Documentation and Support

• Official Pocketblue Repository
• Matrix Channel: #pocketblue-dev:federated.nexus
• Telegram: t.me/fedoramobility