Fedora 45 Console Change: Check Scripts and Graphics Before Upgrading

A script that checks for /dev/tty1 may need attention before a Fedora 45 upgrade. The new console uses pseudo-terminal devices, so the same check can return a path such as /dev/pts/0. That is an important detail for machines whose local recovery or graphics workflow begins at a text login.

Fedora described the move to kmscon in an October 19 technical explanation. The change covers virtual consoles tty1 through tty6 in Fedora 45. It moves console rendering from the kernel’s fbcon driver into userspace, bringing different font, keyboard and graphics behaviour. Administrators have several practical checks to make before carrying an old configuration forward.

Find out what your scripts actually identify

On a test installation, switch to a virtual console with Ctrl+Alt+F3 and log in. Run tty and compare the result with any scripts that use a terminal path to select a session, start a program or apply settings.

Fedora suggests echo $XDG_VTNR to identify the virtual-terminal number. A pseudo-terminal path and that number describe different things. Replacing a hard-coded path without checking why the script uses it could simply move the error elsewhere.

Include keyboard layout in the same check. The old loadkeys command has no effect on kmscon; the new console follows localectl’s settings. Fedora gives localectl set-keymap us as its example for a US layout. Choose the layout you actually need, then verify punctuation and symbols before relying on it for administration.

A graphics program needs the GPU handed over

Kmscon takes exclusive DRM access to the GPU while drawing its console. A command that started graphics successfully under fbcon can therefore fail after the transition.

The supplied kmscon-launch-gui wrapper releases that access. Fedora’s examples include kmscon-launch-gui startx and a kmscube demonstration. Test the launcher used by your own workflow, including how you return to the console afterward. A visible login prompt alone does not exercise that path.

Keep the diagnostic path usable

Font configuration also changes. setfont does not affect kmscon; its configuration lives in /etc/kmscon/kmscon.conf. Fonts used by the root-run service belong in the system font location, rather than a user’s home directory.

For a failed console service, Fedora points to journalctl -u 'kmsconvt*'. Our journalctl troubleshooting guide explains how to narrow a service failure to its unit and timestamp. Collect that evidence before changing service assignments. The useful upgrade test ends with a readable console, working keyboard input and the expected graphics handoff—not just a successful package installation.