The latest version of GNOME 3 has been released today. GNOME 3.30 features many significant performance improvements. In total, the release incorporates 24845 changes, made by approximately 801 contributors. GNOME is a desktop environment composed of free and open-source software that runs on Linux and most BSD derivatives.
[box type=”shadow” align=”” class=”” width=””]Fun Fact: 3.30 has been named “Almería” in recognition of this year’s GUADEC organizing team. GUADEC is GNOME’s primary annual conference which was held in Almería, Spain this year.[/box]
Improvements to Desktop performance
The entire desktop now uses fewer system resources. Users can now run multiple apps at once without encountering performance issues.
Improved Screen Sharing
With GNOME 3.30, it is now easier than ever to control screen sharing and remote desktop sessions. A newly added system menu displays an indicator when a remote connection is active, making it easy to stop the session when finished.
Update Flatpaks Automatically
Flatpak is an emerging technology that makes getting apps fast and secure. Many new apps are already available on Flathub which is a repository of curated Flatpaks. GNOME software manager, can now automatically update installed Flatpaks.
Focus on Content
Web, the GNOME browser, now comes with a new minimal reader view. Web can toggle between the normal view and the clean, minimal reader view when viewing a compatible web page. The minimal reader view removes irrelevant menus, images, and content not related to the article or document.
Updates to GNOME Virtual machine application
Boxes, the GNOME virtual machine application, can now connect to remote Windows servers using the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). Boxes also now has the ability to import OVA files, making sharing virtual machines even easier.
Gaming Application changes
Games, the retro gaming application can now be navigated by gamepad making it faster to use:
- The keyboard is mappable to gamepad inputs.
- Additional details about each available game is displayed in the collection view.
- The Flatpak bundles 4 more emulator cores.
GNOME 3.30 introduces a new podcast app called Podcasts that lets you subscribe and listen to your favorite podcasts, right from your desktop.
These are just a select few updates. For a complete list of updates, read the GNOME Blog.
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