Even distributions that have a different default desktop still have a version available with GNOME as its desktop.
This release carries on that tradition.
It should be noted that were previewingthe beta releasehere, not the finished article.
Some things might change between the time of writing and the release date, although thats unlikely.
Improvements to GTK 4.12 and Mutter
GNOME 45 usesGTK 4.12.
This release of the graphical toolkit includes improvements to its Vulkan back-end renderer.
These include newAPIsthat developers can call, such as the list widget scroll_to functions.
Font rendering withinFlatpak packageshas been improved, as has its ability to handle complicated gradients.
GNOMEs window manager, Mutter, now has a dedicated kernel mode setting thread.
This thread reduces latency for on-screen movements such as mouse pointer and window movements.
It decouples the handling of movements from the main thread, which should result in much less stutter.
Mutter now supports theYUV color model.
parameters system Tweaks
The parameters system has received a lot of attention.
The “About” screen has been simplified, and theres a new pop-out System Details dialog.
A neat touch is the Copy button.
it’s possible for you to now close any dialogs that options launches by pressing the Esc key.
The background changes automatically when you turn dark mode on or off.
The Notifications page has replaced Applications with App Notifications.
Searching has been improved in some areas.
For instance, searching for compose or character will now return the Keyboard page in the results.
Little refinements show up throughout the configs system.
The Sharing page no longer has a global on-off slider button in the title bar.
Here are some of the other updated applications in GNOME 45.
It also offers to uninstall any files left behind when a Flatpak is uninstalled.
It uses the United Nations Treasury as its new exchange rate data source.
Pressing F10 opens the main menu.
Image Viewer
The app formerly known as Loupe is now called Image Viewer.
Buttons that appear when you hover the mouse over the image allow you to navigate.
you’ve got the option to open Preferences by pressing the Ctrl+, (comma) key combination.
The Epiphany browserhas a tab overview display, and can now use Firefox Sync.
The Weather utility has had work done to make its location detection routines more accurate.
Another Impressive Release
GNOME continues to improve in a controlled and measured steps.
The visual tweaks are subtle and understated.
But, taken as a whole, they provide a consistent user experience across the desktop environment.
It feels cohesive and coordinated.
Of course, a desktop environment is a sum of its many parts.
To get the absolute newest version, follow the instructions onthe official GNOME 45 beta release announcement.
