# Fedora bootc partially boots on Raspberry Pi 5 via community UEFI firmware

> **Key takeaway:** A Fedora 42 bootc image can boot to login on a Raspberry Pi 5 using third-party EDK2 UEFI firmware, but the stock Fedora kernel lacks drivers for Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and most Pi 5-specific hardware.

**Published:** 2026-10-21T06:22:02+00:00 
**Source:** Planet Fedora 
**Category:** distro-planet 
**Canonical URL:** https://fosswire.org/news/fedora-bootc-partially-boots-on-raspberry-pi-5-via-community.html 

## Summary
Yashwanth Rathakrishnan documented experiments running Fedora 42 bootc on a Raspberry Pi 5. Using the community worproject/rpi5-uefi firmware and bootc-image-builder, he achieved a boot to the login prompt with working USB ports. However, the stock Fedora kernel cannot detect the Pi 5's Ethernet chip (on the separate RP1 I/O controller), Wi-Fi, or most other hardware because UEFI mode provides no device tree description to the kernel. The author suggests a Pi 5-specific kernel, U-boot with device tree support, or a newer Fedora base image as possible paths forward.

## What works and what blocks full support
- **Working**: Boot to login prompt, password authentication, USB ports, minimal RAM footprint (~184 MB idle on 8 GB system)
- **Not working**: Ethernet (RP1 chip not seen), Wi-Fi, most non-USB hardware
- **Root cause**: UEFI mode lacks device tree description; stock Fedora kernel has no Pi 5-specific device tree or RP1 driver support
- **Build method**: bootc-image-builder on the Pi 5 itself to produce ARM64 disk.raw, flashed with dd, plus community rpi5-uefi firmware copied to EFI partition
- **Failed alternative**: Device Tree Mode boot halted in initramfs, unable to locate SD card root
- **Potential fixes**: Pi 5-specific kernel, U-boot with device tree (Fedora's standard ARM path), or newer base image (Fedora 44 reportedly improves Ethernet)

## Why it matters
The experiment highlights a gap between Fedora's UEFI-centric bootc deployment model and ARM boards that rely on vendor-specific boot chains and device trees. Success here could extend Fedora's immutable desktop strategy to the popular Pi 5 platform.