Desktops allow us to interact with the computer through icons that allow applications to be launched.
One of the things that most confuses those who start to be interested in Linux is the hyperabundance of options. In many cases there do not seem to be great differences between them. That is why, in this series of articles, we are focusing on the basics so that, in case you decide to take the step, it is easier to make a decision.
In this post I am going to tell you what GNOME is. It is the second oldest desktop in the Linux world and continues to be one of the most used. Of course, as with everything in the free software world, it has ardent supporters and furious detractors.
What is a desktop environment
The desktop environment (Desktop from now on for short) it is what allows us to communicate with the computer through the use of graphics. This is using elements such as mice, keyboards, graphic tablets or touch screens interacting with components such as windows, icons, toolbars, wallpapers and desktop widgets.
A widget is a limited-purpose graphical application such as a calculator or timer that is placed on the desktop background or in the toolbar for easy and permanent access.
Although they are not part of the desktop itself, developers usually accompany them with more complex applications such as video editors, office suites, BitTorrent clients or package managers. Although these applications are not always found in the Linux distributions that use these desktops
The various desktops can be differentiated by
- The software components used to build them: In computing it is common to resort to the use of libraries. Libraries are software applications that perform specific functions common to various programs. For example, the GNOME, Cinnamon and Xfce desktops use the GTK graphical libraries while KDE and LXQt use the Qt graphical libraries.
- Resource consumption: Some desktops are meant to be minimalist while others have multiple customization options. This will determine what computers and screen sizes they can be used on.
- Appearance: I remember an article from the beginning of the century that recommended that the desk be as sober as a monk's cell. No wallpapers and essential icons. I don't know what the author of today's overloaded desks will think, but the truth is that each one of them has a characteristic visual aspect that makes it identifiable. To this we must add the modifications that each of the distributions make to adapt it to their style and the customizations of the users who compete in the networks to show who has the most attractive.
A Little History
The GNOME desktop software center allows us to easily find, install and uninstall applications.
A curious fact about the appearance of desktops in the world of personal computing is that they did not come from the hand of computer manufacturers but from one of photocopiers.
The Xerox company, anticipating that electronic documents would replace paper in the near future, decided to create a laboratory that would allow them to lead in new technologies. He named it the Palo Alto Research Center or Xerox PARC for its acronym in English.
The first Xerox Park development was a laser printer. However, in order to take advantage of its full capabilities, something was needed that did not exist. A computer with a graphical interface. That's why in 1973 they brought out their own computer; the tall.
The screen of this computer corresponded to the size and orientation of a printed sheet, each pixel could be turned on and off individually. Alto came with a keyboard and a mouse that moved a cursor in the form of an arrow diagonally, although this changed according to the task performed.
The equipment came with two programs; a word processor with menus at the bottom and the ability to display different fonts and font sizes on the screen, and a graphic editor similar to the well-known MS Paint.
Over time, PARC would develop a more complex interface known as SmartTalk. In it, independent windows framed by a border and standing out from the background appeared for the first time.. Each of them had a title on the top bar that identified it and allowed it to be moved around the screen. Windows could overlap and the selected one was placed at the top of the stack. Other components also appeared that with their peculiarities define what the GNOME desktop is today; heIcons (Small graphic images that represent a program either by identifying its function, displaying its logo, or the project's mascot), pop-up menus, scroll bars, radio buttons, and dialog boxes.
The idea was copied by Apple for the Macintosh and later by Microsoft.
The arrival of the desktop to Linux
The GNOME desktop supports virtual desktops and allows you to display all open application windows.
The first Linux distributions did not have a desktop itself but a window manager that was in charge of showing them and allowing basic tasks such as moving, closing or minimizing them. However, the appearance of Windows 95, the first operating system to have a desktop with the features we take for granted today, led Linux developers to want to take a step forward.
In 1996 KDE 1.0 appears. Developed by Matthias Ettrich who wanted to remove inconsistencies between different graphical applications and integrate them into a user-friendly desktop. Not everyone agreed with the idea and they even sent him emails suggesting that if he wanted a desktop he should buy a Mac.
The first KDE looked like Windows 95. It had a kind of taskbar at the bottom of the screen that acted as the Start menu and had various shortcuts to applications. It supported virtual desktops and running applications could be accessed by clicking on buttons located at the top of the screen.
However, not everything was perfect. KDE was based on the Qt tool library that could be used for free for free software projects, but had to be paid for in commercial applications. This made many Linux distributions, fearful of lawsuits, hesitant to include the new environment.
To solve this, In 1997 Miguel de Icaza and Federico Mena started working on a new Linux desktop called GNOME. stands for GNU Network Object Modeling Environment. GNOME got around KDE's problems by relying on a different library called GTK developed for the Gimp image editor. Gnome was released in 1999.
What is the GNOME desktop
Starting in 2010, software and hardware developers became obsessed with convergence, that is, devices that could transform into smartphones or desktops depending on the environment they work in. This meant that the desktop and the user interface of the applications had to adapt both to the small screen of a mobile or tablet and to the large screen of a monitor. The change led to a redesign of desktops, starting with Windows itself, which released its controversial version 8.
In 2011 GNOME underwent a profound transformation that continues to this day. The new goal became to create a simpler and more streamlined desktop experience, allowing users to focus on their work. Gone is the task bar, leaving in its place a status bar at the top of the screen where the volume and network and power controls are located. Moving the mouse to the upper left corner brings up a menu that shows access to the most frequently used applications and a button that gives access to all the others. At the same time all open applications are displayed in separate windows and access to a second desktop.
GNOME Shell Extensions
Extensions modify or extend the functionality of the browser.
The user interface that provides the main functions of the GNOME user interface, such as switching windows and launching applications, is called the Shell.
Extensions are small pieces of code written by third-party developers that modify and/or extend the way GNOME works.. They act in a similar way to web browser plug-ins.
GNOME applications
The GNOME desktop is accompanied by a series of applications that, as we said, may or may not come installed in a Linux distribution; some of them are:
- Calculator.
- Video player.
- Rythmbox music collection manager.
- Box virtual machine manager.
- Meteorology.
- Calendar.
- Maps
Strong and weak points
Henry Ford is credited with saying, "We're going to give people any model of car they want, as long as they want it black and with a four-door." Something similar happens with the GNOME desktop.
Provides a consistent and comfortable user experience, with extensive accessibility options and a good ecosystem of applications. But, it is not the best when it comes to resource consumption or customization. For example, you can forget about icons on the desktop.
In GNOME you use what they give you, modify the code or find another desktop.
There are many distributions that include it in its original or modified version. My personal recommendations are two; Fedora which usually brings the most current version and Manjaro because its friendly installer makes it suitable for new users.