The GNOME release team led by Matthias Clasen has introduced GNOME 3.38 “Orbis” after six months of development, succeeding GNOME 3.36.
The new version brings a range of enhancements including improved performance, stability, new features, and updates to GNOME applications like Maps, Web, Clocks, and Sound Recorder.
Top 10 Features Of GNOME 3.38 “Orbis”
1. New Welcome Tour App Written In Rust
The GNOME desktop now includes the revamped GNOME Tour app written in Rust, providing a guided tour for first-time users to explore the GNOME desktop environment.
2. GNOME Web
GNOME Web now allows importing passwords and bookmarks from Google Chrome, along with enabling Intelligent Tracking Prevention and the option to block websites from storing local data.
3. Core GNOME Apps Improvements
Beyond GNOME Tour and Web, GNOME 3.38 has updated multiple official GNOME applications including Screenshot, Sound Recorder, and Clocks with redesigned interfaces and enhanced functionalities.
4. Games Collection
Games now supports Nintendo 64 games, offers improved organization features, and enhanced performance for a more stable gaming experience.
5. Different Refresh Rates For Each Monitor
In GNOME 3.38, multiple monitors can now run at different refresh rates due to improvements in the Mutter window manager and GNOME shell.
6. Restart Directly From System Menu
GNOME 3.38 simplifies the restart process by adding a dedicated “Restart” button alongside the “Power Off” button in the System Menu.
7. Share Wi-Fi Hotspot Via QR Code
Users can now share Wi-Fi hotspots wirelessly using a QR code feature on their Linux systems with GNOME 3.38.
8. Custom Application Grid
GNOME 3.38 introduces a customizable application grid that allows users to organize and arrange apps with folders and custom positions.
9. GNOME OS
GNOME OS, designed for developers testing GNOME functionalities, now supports UEFI and enables the running of GNOME OS images for experimentation.
10. More Enhancements To GNOME 3.38
- Battery percentage indicator in the System Menu
- Parental control updates
- Fingerprint enrollment interface improvements
- Updated GJS with Spidermonkey 78
- New icons for GNOME apps
- Refreshed text color scheme for GNOME terminal
Explore the official release notes for a detailed overview of GNOME 3.38.
Enjoy the official video tour of GNOME 3.38.
GNOME 40 Is The Next Version Release
Emmanuele Bassi from GNOME has introduced a new versioning scheme where GNOME will transition to GNOME 40 following GNOME 3.38, scheduled for release in March 2021.
The new versioning includes alpha, beta, and release candidate stages before stable releases, with subsequent versions incrementing numerically. For further clarification on the versioning change, refer to the FAQ provided.
Image Source: Fossbytes
