GNOME OS preview released as project aims for a mainstream Linux distro

The GNOME Project, the organisation behind one of the most widely used Linux desktop environments, has released an official preview of GNOME OS. Dutch technology site Tweakers reports that the operating system, until now mainly a testing ground for developers, is being turned into a mainstream Linux distribution for everyday users.

What happened

GNOME is a desktop environment for Linux distributions, meaning it provides the windows, menus and general look and feel you see on screen. Tweakers notes that Ubuntu, one of the best-known Linux distributions, uses GNOME by default in most of its builds. Alongside the desktop environment, the GNOME Project also maintains GNOME OS, an experimental operating system where developers can test new GNOME features and components before they appear in a final release.

GNOME OS is not new, and anyone could already download it. According to Tweakers, though, it was not very practical. It was only available as a nightly build, which means every change to GNOME went straight in without any quality control. It was also not optimised for different devices, and it lacked many features that ordinary users would find useful.

Two years ago, the GNOME developers said they wanted GNOME OS to become a normal Linux distribution. The first test version of that mainstream edition is now available. Tweakers bases its report on a blog post by Adrian Vovk, one of the GNOME developers, who writes that GNOME OS is now available to all users as a preview build.

The preview comes in two versions, one for x64 processors and one for Arm processors. Both are based on GNOME 51, the most recent release of the desktop environment. The nightly version will continue to exist in its current form next to the new preview.

According to Tweakers, the preview differs from the nightly build in several ways. It is optimised for systems with little memory, among other things. It also includes a Test Center app, where developers can install Flatpaks of software that is still in development. Flatpak is a packaging format for Linux applications that bundles software so it can be installed in a consistent way across systems.

Why it matters if you live in the Netherlands

For most people this is not something to install on their main computer yet. The developers themselves warn that although the GNOME OS Preview build is considerably more stable than the nightly version, it will still contain many problems. Still, the release is worth knowing about if you use Linux or are thinking about trying it.

• A more stable way to try GNOME OS. Until now, the only version on offer changed every night without quality checks. The preview gives curious users a steadier version to experiment with, ideally on a spare machine.
• Older or lower-spec hardware. Tweakers reports that the preview is optimised for systems with little memory. If you have an older laptop sitting in a drawer, this is the kind of device where testing a preview operating system makes sense.
• Arm support. Because there is an Arm version as well as an x64 version, the preview is not limited to traditional Intel and AMD-based PCs.
• A different approach to installing software. The developers want all software on GNOME OS to be installed as Flatpaks, because they consider this the most user-friendly way to install software. For consumers, that points towards an app-store style experience rather than the package managers many Linux distributions rely on.
• For developers and testers. The Test Center app lets developers install in-development software as Flatpaks, which makes the preview useful for people who build or test GNOME applications.

If you already use Ubuntu or another distribution that runs GNOME, nothing changes for your current system. GNOME OS is a separate operating system, and the GNOME desktop you use today continues to be developed as before.

What to watch next

The GNOME developers have outlined several improvements meant to make GNOME OS more suitable for people who are not developers. According to Tweakers, these include:

• an installer, so the system can be set up more easily on a computer;
• support for systemd-homed, which would add disk encryption;
• pre-installed software, so the system is useful straight after installation.

Disk encryption in particular is a feature many everyday users and employers expect from a modern operating system, so its arrival would be an important step towards GNOME OS being practical for daily use.

Patience will be needed. Tweakers reports that the developers expect GNOME OS to remain in the preview phase for at least a few more years. A finished, mainstream release is therefore some way off, and the preview should be seen as an early look at the direction the project is taking rather than a product ready to replace Windows, macOS or an established Linux distribution.

For now, the most useful thing to follow is how the preview develops, in particular when the installer and disk encryption support arrive. Those additions will show how close GNOME OS is to being a realistic option for people who simply want a working computer.

Source: Tweakers