Linux / Unix Desktop GNOME 40: The Next Evolution of the Genome Shell

Linux / Unix desktop GNOME users have several new features: Developers make extensive changes to the GNOME shell user interface. The focus is on the new spatial arrangement of work surfaces, which affects the perspective of operations and the behavior of the application launcher. The operating concept approximates mobile devices and, according to the developers, is best suited for control via touchpad or hotkeys. However, the innovations did not mark the difficult gap as the transition from GNOME 2 to GNOME 3.

Developers will answer frequently asked questions in a blog post Explain the community’s feedback and the goals of the revision. The developers gave an initial insight into the planned innovations Blog Gnome Shell & Mutter Already in December.

New application phase and functional overview

In the new design of the functional overview, the virtual desktops are now lined up horizontally, changing the vertical bar on the right side of the screen. The windows contain application icons and will display the full window title when you hover over the mouse.

The application overview differs from the current format in GNOME 3.38. Current features such as customizing applications and writing to folders are possible. The grid lists more and more applications page by page. Users now scroll them horizontally rather than vertically.

Navigation through two dimensional space

According to the developers, changes in the design make the function of the genome shell more intuitive because the horizontal and vertical axes perform clearer functions. Users scroll horizontally through workspaces. Vertical axis zoom in and out of the application and functional overview. This arrangement should primarily benefit users who run the desktop with a touchpad or hotspots. With the Super + Alt + Arrow keys or a swipe with four fingers on the touchpad in one direction, the user interface jumps to the desired view.

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When a window is moved to another virtual desktop using drag and drop, the functional overview zooms in to display all work areas. The new design should be suitable for multiple display settings and the vertical orientation of the screen. Retained in the active corner. Developers are not given the option to switch between new and old design. However, one is open to community efforts to keep classic design through GNOME extensions.

GNOME 40 follows GNOME 3.38, which removes the previous leading digit. The new version plan aims to avoid bulky version numbers and to clarify step-by-step development steps. The project did not use the name “GNOME 4” to provoke the misconception that the new GNOME version uses the already released graphics library GTK 4.0.

(ndi)