GNOME 44 now available with improvements ranging from the Settings app to system notifications

GNOME 44

Next April there will be new versions of two very popular operating systems in the Linux community. The most popular is Ubuntu, but the one that respects the graphical environment the most is Fedora. In both cases, the main version will use GNOME 44, codenamed Kuala Lumpur and which is available from this very afternoon. This is the result of six months of work in which many novelties have been introduced.

Among all the improvements that have come along with GNOME 44, perhaps the options added or modified in the Settings application stand out. For example, on the mouse and touchpad screens, which will now display explanatory drawings. What you have next is the list with the most outstanding news that have arrived together with the latest update of the most used desktop in the Linux world (or so the surveys say).

Highlights of GNOME 44

  • File selection dialogs now have grid view (header screenshot). It is available in GTK4, not GTK3.
  • Many new features in the Settings application, and a few images are better to explain this than a few thousand words.
  • Other improvements to the Settings app include:
    • In Wi-Fi settings, it is now possible to share a password using a QR code.
    • The "About" section now includes kernel and firmware versions.
    • Thunderbolt settings will now only show when Thunderbolt hardware is present.
    • In the network settings, it is now possible to add and configure Wireguard VPNs.
  • New options in quick settings:
    • The Bluetooth quick settings button now has a menu. Shows which devices are connected and allows you to connect and disconnect them.
    • The menu now lists applications that have been detected to be running without an open window. This feature allows you to check if a particular app is running in the background. Currently, only Flatpak apps are included in the background apps list.
    • Descriptions have been added to each of the quick settings buttons. These show more about the status of each setting.
  • In general, the experience using GNOME 44 is smoother and faster. This is new because it exists, but it adds to the performance improvements they introduced in 41, 42, and 43.
  • Improved support for Flatpak runtimes.
  • UI improvements that make everything look better, including error messages.
  • The files application has improved in aspects such as:
    • When it was converted to GTK4, it lost its option to expand folders in list view. With GNOME 44, that option is back. When activated from the preferences, it makes it possible to view the contents of a folder without descending into it, which can be particularly useful for quickly browsing nested folders.
    • Tabs now have additional options, such as pinning and the ability to move them to new windows. It is also possible to drag items to a tab.
    • Lastly, the number of grid view sizes has been expanded.
  • GNOME's low battery notifications have been redesigned, with new icons and updated text.
  • In Contacts, it is now possible to share a contact using a QR code.
  • Web, the GNOME browser, has been converted to GTK4. This is part of the ongoing effort to port GNOME applications to the latest version of GTK, which provides performance and user experience improvements.
  • Search results can now be disabled from settings.
  • Web has new popovers to save passwords. These replace the information bars that were previously used.
  • In Maps, more places have photos, thanks to pulling images from Wikidata and Wikipedia. Maps also includes a number of small improvements, such as the ability to navigate search results with the keyboard.
  • Drag and drop functionality in the application grid has been improved.
  • Console, the terminal app, now has a tab overview option, to display open tabs in a grid.
  • Weather now has a fluid temperature graph and a redesigned header bar.
  • Several missing keyboard shortcuts have been added to Contacts, such as Ctrl+F, Ctrl+, and Ctrl+Return. Other bugs have been fixed as well.
  • The GNOME wallpaper collection includes four fantastic new backgrounds.
  • New applications that have become part of the GNOME Circle (not official by GNOME, but accepted in its circle): Zap, Boatswain, Emblem, Lorem, Workbench, Komikku, Chess Clock, Eyedropper, Elastic and Clairvoyant. More information about these applications in Flatub.

GNOME 44 Kuala Lumpur has been announced a few minutes ago, but that just means that your code is now available. To be able to use it, either it is compiled and installed on its own or we will have to wait for the distribution to add the new packages. Ubuntu and Fedora will do so next month, and Rolling Release distros like Arch Linux will upload the new packages soon.


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  1.   dimixisDEMZ said

    Why is there an old GNOME image as if it were the new version? 💀

  2.   Gregory ros said

    I am not clear with that way of doing things, I feel uncomfortable. I am very comfortable with the classic desktop, with its applications menu, I am reluctant to change. I respect the eagerness with which the Gnome developers defend their idea and when so many people like it it's because it's a good idea. Now, there are so many users who don't like the idea as a fan and when so many people don't feel comfortable it's for something and reason enough for the developers to consider adapting their solution to reach more users, so it's just one good idea in the style of auteur cinema, only for fans.