Version 3.28 of Gnome has been released. This comprehensive, easy-to-use, open source desktop environment is available for operating systems belonging to the Unix family, such as Linux and the various BSD variants. The name is short for GNU Network Object Model Environment. Gnome consists of a desktop environment and a development platform for creating other applications, which can be integrated into the desktop environment. It is similar to the KDE in that regard. Version 3.28 is accompanied by the following notes.
Finding Things Faster: Nautilus Adds File Favoriting
Keeping track of important files and folders is easier in Nautilus 3.28.
The file manager, which is also known as ‘Files’, adds the ability to star files and folders on your system.
Using the new area in the sidebar called ‘Starred’ you can quickly get access to all of your starred files and folders at any time.
It’s easy to star a file or folder in Files 3.28:
- Right-click on file/folder to star when in icon view
- Click on the ‘star’ icon when in the list view
Nautilus 3.28 also comes with various improvements to the underlying code-base, as well as several bug fixes, and (finally) now lets you close tabs with a middle click.
BTW, GNOME removed desktop support in 3.28
As you may know GNOME 3.28 removes desktop support from Nautilus, meaning you can no longer put icons on the desktop.
‘Ubuntu 18.04 uses Nautilus 3.26 to keep the desktop intact’
GNOME devs say the code for this feature — only enabled by default in downstream projects like Ubuntu and Fedora — was holding back development of new features and performance improvements.
Don’t panic if you rely on the desktop, though.
GNOME devs say ‘desktop’ functionality could reappear in the future a GNOME Shell extension in the future (though as Nautilus currently lacks many of the APIs such an extension is not yet ready).
secondly, Ubuntu 18.04 uses an older version of Nautilus, Nautilus 3.26, by default to offer the desktop experience we all know and love.
This does mean that while the bulk of GNOME 3.28 features in Ubuntu 18.04 LTS, you won’t get the file favoriting feature mentioned above.
A Brand New Onscreen Keyboard
If you own a convertible or touch-screen device you’re going to royally appreciate the new onscreen keyboard in GNOME 3.28.
The new on-screen keyboard (OSK) is said to be easier to use. It automatically appear on-screen when you tap or click inside a text area. Helpfully, the OSK positions itself so that the text area is visible while you type, something the old OSK didn’t do.
Accordingly, a variety of keyboard layouts are supported by the new OSK.
Even Better Photos
If you read this site regularly you’ll already known about many of the improvements to Photosthe GNOME photo manager and editing app, made during this development cycle.
A big one: GNOME Photos 3.28 can import photos from SD cards and USB drives. When you connect a device with compatible files Photos will let you know:
You can then view the images and select the ones you want to import. Photos will also check the connected device to tell you when there are new images you may want to import.
Although small, this feature really helps speed up the process of adding photos to your collection.
Other improvements to the GNOME Photos app include:
- Shadows & Highlights editing
- Ability to change crop orientation
- Support for zoom gestures
- Option to set edited photo as a wallpaper
- Complete support for EXIF rotation
GNOME devs also plan to add a photo viewer to the app in future, and thus remove the need for a separate application like Eye of GNOME, and add the option to upload photos to Facebook.
GNOME Photos is fast becoming one of the real stand-out apps in the GNOME lineup, and with this update it continues to mature.
Metered Bandwidth Toggle
GNOME 3.28 has a new option to restrict background data on metered connections like mobile data and broadband with data cap.
As someone who regularly work out of a coffee shop with terrible Wi-Fi, necessitating a tether to my capped mobile data, this feature will come in very useful.
To set a metered connection in GNOME 3.28 (and Ubuntu 18.04 LTS) you just need to:
When you mark a network as metered GNOME will stop background network usage where possible. Right now, in this release, it simply stops auto-update from kicking in.
It can’t control everything so you do still need to be careful about which apps you use (ie don’t leave YouTube running on auto-play).
Sadly there’s no word on whether it will stop Ubuntu’s “Snap” apps updating silently in the background (which given their colossal file sizes, is not necessarily desirable).
Improved Support for USB, Bluetooth & Thunderbolt Devices GNOME’s Thunderbolt handling includes security checks on connected devices prevent data theft, showing notifications on connection and statug s, and the addition of a small ‘lighteninbolt’ icon in the top bar when a compatible Thunderbolt 3 device is attached.
You can now keep an eye on the power level of Playstation controllers’
It’s not just Thunderbolt and USB Type-C devices which benefit.
GNOME 3.28 lets you see the power level of connected Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) devices in the ‘Power’ settings panel. In addition, when a connected device battery is critically low GNOME 3.28 will (rather helpfully) show a notification to warn you.
A controversial change in this update sees GNOME default to two finger tap for right-click on touchpads. To use this you need to (duh) tap two fingers on the touchpad.
If you prefer the old behavior you can switch back to it using latest version of GNOME Tweaks.
Gamers will find there’s improved support for PlayStation 3 and 4 controllers (including aforementioned bluetooth LE power status) as well as USB PS3 joy pad clones.
Flatpack Improvements
Flatpak is fast becoming the new standard for Linux app distribution, and in GNOME 3.28 the fledgling packaging format gets a big boost.
Flatpak now has GTK+ theme handlinglanguage configuration support, and an improved CLI.
New App Preview: Usage
Usage is a new GNOME app shipping as an experimental preview in GNOME 3.28.
If you find the regular System Monitor app a little too info-dense then you’ll likely appreciate the pared down and refined look of Usage.
Usage not feature complete yet (hence the ‘preview’ tag) but it is a neat new way to get a glance-able overview of your system resource, er, usage!
Other GNOME 3.28 Changes & Improvements
Beyond the whizz-bang appeal of the headline features GNOME 3.28 features a stack of smaller improvements that, without knowing about them, you might not even notice!
For example, the refined preferences in GNOME Terminal to make tweaking the app to suit your tastes easier. The app also adds support for text underline effects, blinking text, and introduces options for changing line and letter spacing.
Setting also remembers the panel you last opened.
you’ll find a new avatar picker (and a selection of new avatar images) in Settings > User Accounts.
The ‘Software Sources’ dialog — useful for managing PPAs, etc — has been renamed ‘Software Repositories’ in GNOME 3.28. The tool also picks up some improved management features.
Other miscellaneous changes include:
- calendar can show weather forecast for appointments with location
- UTC time zone option in clocks
- New sorting options in Contacts
- New version of Cantarell font
- games has a new CRT video filter option
- boxes adds automatic OS downloads, easy file transfer
- Software allows you to sort applications by rating or by name
- Wikipedia integration into maps
- dconf editor has a new layout for lists and search results
| Version number | 3.28 |
| Release status | Final |
| Operating systems | Linux, BSD |
| Website | gnome |
| Download | |
| License type | Conditions (GNU/BSD/etc.) |