The current version 3.26 of the Linux desktop Gnome bears the name Manchester and is named after the place of the last big annual hackathon, on which most innovations were implemented. This includes the redesigned system settings, which contain additional menu items. The search has been expanded and at the same time made clearer.
Instead of big icons, there is a tree structure in the control center of the Gnome desktop, where the individual configuration menus are listed. The network settings have been split up for a better overview: There are now individual menus for the WLAN and Bluetooth settings. In addition, the menu for configuring several screens has been revised. Users can more quickly determine which screen should be set as primary, set the resolution of individual screens, and enable the desktop to be mirrored on two different screens. Particularly with speakers at conferences, which connect their laptop to a beamer, the clearer configuration should be welcome and ensure a faster start of their lectures.
More overview on the desktop
The network release of the desktop or screencast will in the future control Gnome via the graphics library mother itself and can be used independently of X11 and Wayland. In addition to the Gnome remote desktop application, the multi-media library Pipewire is also used. Since these improvements were implemented at the last minute, there should be some improvements in the next versions.
On the desktop itself, the top menu bar is transparent until a window is pushed into its immediate vicinity. The search has been expanded and also shows system functions such as the switch. The output of the results has been reduced. Thus, more hits fit the screen. However, the preview images of open applications in the activities have been increased to make them easier to select.
More features in the applications
The tweak tool was renamed to optimizations. The window buttons can be placed on either the right or the left, or the display of the battery status can be activated in the toolbar. The log overview groups messages so that they are easier to find. The browser of the Gnome project, simply called the Internet, can access Mozilla Firefox’s Sync service to match bookmarks or passwords between browsers on different devices. Recurring events can be defined in the calendar. Evolution can be used without an e-mail account, for example to manage a task list in the new To-do module.
Without any excitement, the Gnome hackers are hardly new: the status icons at the bottom are no longer displayed by default, which led to some discussion amongst users. The reason: This leaves more space on the desktop for more important things . The Gnome developers pointed out the addon topicons, with which status icons can be made visible again. In the next version, the icons will disappear altogether. Speaking of icons: In Gnome there is now a collection of emoticons.
The Ubuntu variant gets the look of Unity
Gnome 3.26 is already available in Opensuse Tumbleweed, but not yet completely. There is also a live version of Tumbleweed with the current version of the Gnome desktop. However, there are still some shortcomings, such as the incomplete display of the headings in the software administration. Fedora 27, which is scheduled for the end of October, will also be delivered with Gnome 3.26.
The Ubuntu 17.10 , which is also planned for October, is to bring the current Gnome . The Ubuntu developers want to make some adjustments, which are based on the previous desktop Unity. The toolbar of the activities should always be displayed on the left edge of the screen. Also on the desktop always shown is the paper basket and unlike the original Gnome is to be possible with the Ubuntu variant the files and folders on the desktop.
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