Fedora 23 review: Skip if you want stability, stay to try Linux’s bleeding edge

Two releases ago, Fedora 21 introduced its namesake project's "Fedora Next" plan. The goal was simple—bring the massive, sprawling entity that is Fedora into some neatly organized categories that would clearly define the project's aims. And since Next launched, Fedora has been busy doing just that. The results are impressive, and it feels like the distro has found a renewed sense of purpose.

Fedora Next's structure is like a series of concentric rings where each ring is supported by the one inside it. At the center are the core components of the system, APIs that applications hook into, and so on. On the outside are the visible layers that users interact with, what Fedora calls "Environments."

For the recently unveiled Fedora 23, these Environments consist of Workstation (Desktop), Server, and Cloud. It's the same Environment trio that Fedora offered in its two prior releases. While Cloud still has the feel of an also-ran, the Workstation and Server releases see quite a few new packages. That's especially true for the GNOME-based Workstation, and luckily the changes are largely welcome.