GNOME 48, codenamed “Bengaluru,” has arrived with a host of improvements that focus on enhancing user experience, boosting performance, and introducing new features. This latest release of the popular Linux desktop environment brings significant changes that users of distributions like Ubuntu and Fedora can look forward to in their upcoming releases.
Dynamic Triple Buffering for Smoother Performance
One of the most anticipated features in GNOME 48 is the introduction of dynamic triple buffering. This technology, which has been in development for five years, significantly improves the smoothness of animations and reduces frame drops.
Dynamic triple buffering works by giving the compositor an extra render buffer. This allows it to prepare the next frame before the previous one has been displayed, resulting in more fluid transitions and animations, especially during bursts of activity. Users should notice improved responsiveness when opening the GNOME Shell overview or rapidly switching between applications.
Wellbeing Features to Promote Healthier Computing Habits
GNOME 48 introduces a new Wellbeing panel in the Settings app, designed to help users monitor and manage their screen time. This feature includes:
- Daily screen time tracking with historical data
- Customizable usage limits with reminders
- Break reminders to encourage regular breaks from the screen
The Wellbeing panel is optional and can be enabled by users who want to develop healthier computing habits. When a set screen time limit is reached, GNOME can display a notification and optionally switch the display to grayscale mode, subtly encouraging users to take a break.
Notification Stacking for a Cleaner Experience
To combat notification overload, GNOME 48 introduces notification stacking. This feature groups notifications from the same application into neat stacks, similar to how mobile operating systems handle notifications. Users can expand these stacks to view individual notifications, making it easier to manage and prioritize alerts without feeling overwhelmed.
HDR Support and Color Management
GNOME 48 adds support for High Dynamic Range (HDR) displays. Users with compatible monitors can enable HDR in the Display settings. While HDR-compatible Linux applications are currently limited, this lays the groundwork for future improvements in display quality.
Additionally, GNOME 48 implements the Wayland Color Management Protocol, which should lead to more accurate color reproduction across different applications and displays.
Power Management Improvements
The Power settings panel in GNOME 48 has been reorganized and now includes a new battery charge limiting feature. This option, available on supported hardware, allows users to limit battery charging to 80% when the device is plugged in. This can help extend the overall lifespan of the battery by reducing wear from constant full charges.
Centered Windows and New Default Fonts
GNOME 48 changes the default window placement behavior, now centering new windows on the screen. This makes window positioning more predictable and easier to manage, especially on larger displays.
The desktop environment also introduces new default fonts: Adwaita Sans (a fork of Inter) for the interface and Adwaita Mono (based on Iosevka) for monospace text. These fonts offer improved rendering on high-DPI displays and expanded character coverage.
File Manager Enhancements
Nautilus, GNOME’s file manager, receives several performance improvements in this release:
- Faster directory loading, especially for folders with many files
- Improved thumbnail generation that prioritizes visible files
- Better handling of bookmarks in the path bar
These changes should make file management tasks feel more responsive and intuitive.
New and Updated Applications
GNOME 48 introduces Decibels, a new minimalist audio player designed for simple audio file playback. It features a clean interface with a waveform display and basic playback controls.
Other application updates include:
- Loupe (image viewer): New editing features like crop, rotate, and flip
- Text Editor: Improved header bar layout and document properties interface
- Calendar: Enhanced event editor with timezone selection capabilities
- Web (Epiphany): Improved accessibility for web content in Flatpak builds
Developer-Focused Improvements
For developers, GNOME 48 brings several notable changes:
- Support for global shortcuts, allowing applications to register system-wide keyboard shortcuts
- Introduction of the USB portal for safer device access in sandboxed applications
- Improvements to GTK, including optimized size allocation algorithms and default use of portals for file chooser operations
- Enhancements to GJS, GNOME’s JavaScript runtime, including support for source maps and asynchronous console operations
GNOME 48 represents a significant step forward for the desktop environment, with improvements spanning performance, usability, and developer tools. As distributions like Ubuntu 25.04 and Fedora 42 adopt this release, users can look forward to a more responsive, feature-rich, and well-rounded desktop experience.