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GNOME 3.24 Released (softpedia.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the new-and-improved dept.

prisoninmate quotes a report from Softpedia: GNOME 3.24 just finished its six-month development cycle, and it's now the most advanced stable version of the modern and popular desktop environment used by default in numerous GNU/Linux distributions. It was developed since October 2016 under the GNOME 3.23.x umbrella, during which it received numerous improvements. Prominent new features of the GNOME 3.24 desktop environment include a Night Light functionality that promises to automatically shift the colors of your display to the warmer end of the spectrum after sunset, and a brand-new GNOME Control Center with redesigned Users, Keyboard and Mouse, Online Accounts, Bluetooth, and Printer panels. As for the GNOME apps, we can mention that the Nautilus file manager now lets users browse files as root (system administrator), GNOME Photos imitates Darktable's exposure and blacks adjustment tool, GNOME Music comes with ownCloud integration and lets you edit tags, and GNOME Calendar finally brings the Week view. New apps like GNOME Recipes are also part of this release. The full release notes can be viewed here. Softpedia notes in conclusion: "As mentioned before, it will take at least a couple of weeks for the new GNOME 3.24 packages to land on the stable repositories of your favorite distro, which means that you'll most probably be able to upgrade from GNOME 3.22 when the first point release, GNOME 3.24.1, is out on April 12, 2017."

118 comments

  1. Finally, I can switch to Gnome! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Said no one, ever.

    1. Re:Finally, I can switch to Gnome! by Hallow · · Score: 1

      You obviously never had to use Motif. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

    2. Re:Finally, I can switch to Gnome! by sconeu · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Actually, I have, and would rather use Motif thatn GNOME.

      --
      General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
    3. Re:Finally, I can switch to Gnome! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I used CDE (and thus Motif) for many years. It may look outdated now, but it was years ahead of its time. While it may not be as usable as, say, GNOME 2 or KDE 3 were, it's actually still managed to be better to use than GNOME 3 or KDE 4+ have been. That's how far our "modern" open source desktop projects have regressed.

      Gedit, a simple text editor for GNOME, is a perfect example of how stupid things have gotten. This is what Gedit's UI used to look like, back before the GNOME 3 disaster. And this is a more recent GNOME 3 version of Gedit. It's unbelievable how far it has regressed, and how quickly this has happened.

      And that's just a text editor! We see the same sort of nonsense throughout so much of GNOME 3. What were once usable and consistent menus and toolbars have been replaced with jumbled buttons and hamburger menus, among various other idiotic UI changes.

      What's worse is that all of these regressions are justified as making the applications "easier to use on tablets", yet most GNOME 3 users are likely using a desktop with a mouse! They've ruined the desktop's entire user experience for a class of users that doesn't even exist!

      Hate on Motif if you must. It and CDE provided a much better UI than GNOME 3 ever has or ever will.

    4. Re:Finally, I can switch to Gnome! by gfxguy · · Score: 0

      Yes, there are a number of you masochists out there. Back when I programmed on SGI, Motif was awesome (compared to others at the time).... so about 20 years ago. Now? Not so much.

      --
      Stupid sexy Flanders.
    5. Re:Finally, I can switch to Gnome! by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 1

      Motif is more like GTK. Maybe you meant CDE? I'd always figure out how to add GNU tools and fvwm to those systems!

      --
      My God, it's Full of Source!
      OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
    6. Re:Finally, I can switch to Gnome! by arth1 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Actually, I have, and would rather use Motif thatn GNOME.

      I do use mwm. It works great. They haven't broken things like being able to paste into a window without changing z-order.
      I also use a hammer that isn't painted a uniform color and doesn't play El Condor Pasa when I hit something.
      It's not about bells and whistles, it's about productivity.

    7. Re:Finally, I can switch to Gnome! by Bill+Hayden · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I'd upvote you a thousand times if I had mod points today.

      Ubuntu (via Unity), GNOME, and Microsoft have all completely jumped the shark to support a class of users that, as best as I can tell, does not exist. I use Linux as my main work OS, day-in day-out. I know exactly zero people who use Ubuntu, GNOME, or Windows on tablets. These three are removing usability piece by piece to support a glorious future that no one wants. At least on Linux there are sensible UI alternatives like xfce that allow people like me to get work done, but that does not spare us from the destruction of useful apps running in that UI, like gedit as mentioned above.

      --
      Protect your browser with the Force Safe Search add-on
    8. Re: Finally, I can switch to Gnome! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      MATE: Current, supported fork of Gnome 2
      Pluma: Current, supported fork of Gedit 2 for mate
      Caja: ditto fork of good version of Nautilus for mate
      etc.
      Don't whinge about Gnome 3 and its applications, just use MATE

    9. Re: Finally, I can switch to Gnome! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ubuntu 16.04 MATE edition has been a brilliant choiceâ for me. Really zippy on old hardware too. Just like the good old days of 10.4 + Gnome 2

    10. Re:Finally, I can switch to Gnome! by unixisc · · Score: 1

      I thought that MOTIF/CDE were like the KDE of today, and that it was Open Look that didn't have a successor

    11. Re:Finally, I can switch to Gnome! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Worse, who constantly switches indentation methods within the same document? I think it would be far more useful to have a line wrapping toggle in that location. Instead, that setting is buried under menus where it's a pain to switch back and forth.

    12. Re: Finally, I can switch to Gnome! by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      Don't whinge about Gnome 3 and its applications, just use MATE

      Exactly. I don't like Gnome, and I found this incredibly simple trick to avoid it. You won't believe what happens next!

      I use Ubuntu Mate. Works a trick. If I didn't use Mate, I'd use Mint. Seems weird about people crying about an interface thy don't like, then there are so many alternatives, a few of them exemplary.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    13. Re:Finally, I can switch to Gnome! by caseih · · Score: 1

      I know of quite a few people using Surface Pros and they love them. I've even heard of long-time mac users considering moving the Surface Pro. On the tablet, Windows 10 actually works pretty well. I recently bought an el cheap windows 10 tablet to do a bit of development on and it was surprising how usable it was. I still prefer my Android apps, but if you need to use traditional apps like MS office, they work surprisingly well on the tablet.

    14. Re:Finally, I can switch to Gnome! by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Ugh, no. Nobody means CDE. Though frankly I'm not clear why anyone would use mwm when they could use fvwm2. It looks just as bad, out of the box it works pretty much the same way, but it has all the bells and whistles that we expect to at minimum be contained in a vaguely modern window mangler. I have used mwm without the rest of CDE — I forget what the panel was called, ISTR it had some long and descriptive name which is no doubt why I can't remember. But the panel was arse, whereas just good old mwm was still fine.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    15. Re:Finally, I can switch to Gnome! by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 1

      Hate Gnome. Love Unity.

      --
      Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
    16. Re:Finally, I can switch to Gnome! by dbIII · · Score: 1

      There is a thing called "mwm" which stands for the motif window manager.
      Given how sloooooooow gnome can be at times despite using video acceleration hardware to attempt to make up for poor coding (problably in gtk and not the actual window manager) it's tempting to use almost anything else other than gnome once you have a few windows up.
      While the idea seems to have been to sacrifice speed for shiny it falls well behind on both to things like Enlightenment.

    17. Re:Finally, I can switch to Gnome! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      +3.22 BallmerBux

    18. Re:Finally, I can switch to Gnome! by GoingDown · · Score: 1

      Actually, line wrapping can be switched from the next menu to the right (where you see the LN xx, COL xx). It is not buried so far (at least in Gedit 3.22)

    19. Re:Finally, I can switch to Gnome! by buchanmilne · · Score: 1

      I used CDE (and thus Motif) for many years. It may look outdated now, but it was years ahead of its time. While it may not be as usable as, say, GNOME 2 or KDE 3 were, it's actually still managed to be better to use than GNOME 3 or KDE 4+ have been.

      I have seen CDE a few times (e.g. on Solaris), and found it very unusable, so much so that installing KDE or GNOME was much easier than trying to just use CDE.

      While KDE 4.0 was very rough, and 4.1 only addressed the roughest edges, from 4.4 KDE has had almost complete feature-parity with KDE 3. At least they aren't applying non-optional Mac-like interfaces (where the menus are 100s of pixels away from the Window they apply to like GNOME 3). It's quite frustrating using GNOME 3 apps (about the only one I use is simple-scan, as I'm not aware of a KDE scanning app that scans to PDF).

      Plasma 5 and KF5 are now also very good and quite polished.

    20. Re:Finally, I can switch to Gnome! by goose-incarnated · · Score: 2

      Actually, I have, and would rather use Motif thatn GNOME.

      I use a slightly modified WindowMaker (which means that I use a version I compiled myself after making a few changes). Many people are surprised at how minimal it is, but the productivity gains make it fully worth it.

      --
      I'm a minority race. Save your vitriol for white people.
    21. Re:Finally, I can switch to Gnome! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That GEdit comparison makes me sad :(

    22. Re:Finally, I can switch to Gnome! by Tranzistors · · Score: 1

      Weird. Linus switched. You think it was because of fraud or coercion?

    23. Re:Finally, I can switch to Gnome! by Tranzistors · · Score: 2

      I looked at the screenshots and GNOME 3 looks better. Perhaps you can clarify your dissatisfaction? What I see:

      • Missing file browser: it is still in gedit 3.x, just not enabled in the screenshot
      • Some missing buttons: all of those are sill available where they should be — either in menu or context menu. All of those have keyboard shotcuts.
      • Reduced wasted space: button bar, menus and title bar are are now compressed in one, reducing waste by 50% (excluding tabs).
      • Some settings are more accessible: code highlighting, tabulation setting per file, text line rendering options. Now status bar not only informs you of status, but lets you fix it, if something is not as it should be.
      • Of course there are visual differences, but those are customizable.
    24. Re:Finally, I can switch to Gnome! by squiggleslash · · Score: 1

      The Windows 10 UI would be fine if the latency issues could be fixed (it shouldn't take between two and ten seconds for the notifications area (always) or start menu (often) to appear): the real issues with Windows 10 are the privacy invasion crap and the underlying operating system.

      I'd like to see a real effort to build a modern 2-in-1 desktop for GNU/Linux, perhaps using Cinnamon as a starting point. It just takes someone who knows what they're doing, and wasn't born three days ago, completely unaware of what's been done in the past, what worked, and what didn't.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    25. Re:Finally, I can switch to Gnome! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Try actually using it. Screenshots don't tell the whole story.

    26. Re:Finally, I can switch to Gnome! by EPDowd · · Score: 1

      Gnome 3 is for people who don't really use their computer and want it to look like a phone. I abandoned Gnome 3 shortly after gnome 3 came out and gnome removed their feedback section rather then hear that nobody liked gnome 3.

      --
      73 49 111 01001001
    27. Re:Finally, I can switch to Gnome! by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 1

      fvwm is the most common desktop where I work, by a large margin.

      --
      I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
    28. Re:Finally, I can switch to Gnome! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Fully agree with you. XFCE is actually the best option for me, but sadly is uses some Gnome 3 applications that regress to "modern" fiasco interface like gedit.

      For example gedit menu are split between the left and right of the document title, browsing it very painful on a large screen. Before you do any action you first have to remember if you have to move your mouse on the left or on the right, very boring. Next, when you click on the menu you can't select the entry by releasing the mouse button. You have each time to release the button and to click a extra time on the entry. Even more worse, you can't browse on sub-menu without clicking on it first, so you have to click at least 3 times to select a item on it, completely ridiculous. Not counting the open menu that put the file selection box entry ant the end of the menu, so stupid. It's almost if there deliberate wan'ts to destroy the user attention to his own work.

      Those UI designers definitely have no real work to efficiently deliver under stress.

    29. Re:Finally, I can switch to Gnome! by lugannerd · · Score: 1

      Upvote!! Totally agree - non existent tablet users

    30. Re:Finally, I can switch to Gnome! by Tranzistors · · Score: 1

      I am using Fedora/gedit in my workplace. I moved from Ubuntu to Fedora because each release of GNOME gave me better work tools. My favourites so far:

      • Button “Open” gives searchable(!) list of recent files. It searches in whole path, not just name. This has saved my time a lot, when I remember vaguely what I edited a week ago, but no idea where it was.
      • Changing syntax highlighting in status bar. I regularly copy code snippets from cgit web pages in text editor and quick syntax switching is really neat.
      • Changing tabulation settings are useful too, since codebase I work with have almost all variations on it. Sometimes even in a single project.

      I personally use a lot of keyboard shortcuts, so removing the button bar didn't affect me at all. Moving Undo/Redo to context menu did reduce ability to dig into edit history fast, but keyboard shortcuts are more efficient, so I don't mind.

    31. Re:Finally, I can switch to Gnome! by MMC+Monster · · Score: 1

      The stupid thing is, you could easily make a secondary UI for tablet users and even protocols for a UI switch for when a tablet becomes a desktop (ie: docking).

      But, no. UIs are not built by engineers anymore. We've got to hire touchy-feely liberal arts guys that have no idea what good UI design means to make these decisions.

      For instance, I like the close/minimize/maximize buttons on the top left of the window. Linux Mint Cinnamon allows me to set that without a problem. But Gnome applications don't follow the OS settings. They apparently know better.

      Jackasses.

      --
      Help! I'm a slashdot refugee.
  2. It is left as an exercise for the reader by Hognoxious · · Score: 2, Funny

    It is left as an exercise for the reader to make a sarcastic quip about systemd.

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    1. Re:It is left as an exercise for the reader by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nope, it's time that someone points out that it's easy to run a redhat derivative without systemd as the init, ignoring the fact that systemd isn't an init.

      Seems odd that some people can get so upset about other people choosing not to have their code on their system, let alone run it.

    2. Re: It is left as an exercise for the reader by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You mean SystemD

    3. Re:It is left as an exercise for the reader by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      Well of course, there's CentOS 6.8. Using it right now. It won't be in support for ever, though.

      I'm hoping that either they get the bugs out of shitstemd or find something better before the plug gets pulled.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    4. Re:It is left as an exercise for the reader by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 1

      ignoring the fact that systemd isn't an init.

      Isn'it?

      --
      systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
    5. Re:It is left as an exercise for the reader by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      Seems odd that some people can get so upset about other people choosing not to have their code on their system, let alone run it.

      Kinda have that the wrong way around Cowboy. You can't make a thread about Linux without systemd trolling.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    6. Re: It is left as an exercise for the reader by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      f@ck systemd and the horse it rode in on

    7. Re:It is left as an exercise for the reader by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 1

      It is left as an exercise for the reader to make a sarcastic quip about systemd.

      I have one: people complain about Gnome. Maybe the reason is because Gnome is not part of systemd?

      --
      Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
    8. Re:It is left as an exercise for the reader by OolimPhon · · Score: 1

      I have one: people complain about Gnome. Maybe the reason is because Gnome is not part of systemd?

      Yet.

    9. Re:It is left as an exercise for the reader by Hognoxious · · Score: 1, Troll

      Historically Austria is a part of systemd.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    10. Re:It is left as an exercise for the reader by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Poettering is German, not Austria. Don't let him anschluss anything else...

    11. Re:It is left as an exercise for the reader by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You made the same joke as your parent, but seemed to miss it. Which one of us gets the whoosh?

  3. Another muslim terrorist attack by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    There's a reason Trump wants to keep filthy Muslims out of America.

    1. Re: Another muslim terrorist attack by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

      Modded down? Guess some muzzie's got modpoints today. Allah akbar, bro!

    2. Re: Another muslim terrorist attack by Tranzistors · · Score: 1

      I am more surprised someone modded it up. It has no insight, just offtopic trolling.

  4. So? by jawtheshark · · Score: 1

    Can you actually still do anything, or have all useful features been removed?

    --
    Ahhh...the great dumpster continuum. Many a free computer will be found there. -- sowth (748135)
    1. Re:So? by sjames · · Score: 1

      Just wait for the next version that will randomly poke the user in the eye. Users demand features so they're working on one.

    2. Re:So? by myowntrueself · · Score: 1

      Can you actually still do anything, or have all useful features been removed?

      I was going to ask which features had been removed this iteration! Restricting users options seems to be an ongoing trend with the Gnome.

      --
      In the free world the media isn't government run; the government is media run.
    3. Re:So? by jawtheshark · · Score: 1

      It definitely is. Gedit has been cited already, but what pissed me off more is gnome-terminal: the double click selection behaviour cannot be configured in the GUI any more. You need a CLI command reminiscent of registry manipulations on Windows. Insanity for a terminal. The definition of a tool used by power users...

      --
      Ahhh...the great dumpster continuum. Many a free computer will be found there. -- sowth (748135)
    4. Re:So? by jeremyp · · Score: 1

      Unfortunately not, due to a bug, you can still launch a web browser. Fortunately, there is a work around which is to make Google Chrome the default.

      --
      All I want is a secure system where it's easy to do anything I want. Is that too much to ask ~~ Randall Munroe
    5. Re:So? by Tranzistors · · Score: 1

      It seems you have issues reading release notes and user manuals. Have you got any mental issues that makes it difficult to read long technical texts? There is no shame in having such difficulties and help is available. For example dyslexia and ADHD are well studied conditions and there are tons of treatments and comping mechanisms developed. I would suggest you go to GP to get tested. If you have diagnosis, it will help you to navigate this world better -- even those with no apparent disorders can find the world confusing. Take care!

  5. Use MATE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Use MATE. It's cool and useful.

  6. You forgot funny... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "advanced stable version of the modern and popular" and funny, gnome is funny as well. Get over it.

  7. No thanks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I used to be a diehard Gnome 2 fan, but I won't touch it with a ten-foot pole. A great example of the Gnome 3.X debacle is gedit. It used to be one of the best GUI editors in Linux. Now it's completely worthless, prone to crashes, can't correctly display text on large files, and generally unusable.

    1. Re:No thanks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I used to be a diehard Gnome 2 fan, but I won't touch it with a ten-foot pole. A great example of the Gnome 3.X debacle is gedit. It used to be one of the best GUI editors in Linux. Now it's completely worthless, prone to crashes, can't correctly display text on large files, and generally unusable.

      so you cannot help yourself, if gedit is installed on your system, you are compelled to use it and experience all those bugs, the only answer is to remove not only the text editor but also its gui toolkit

    2. Re: No thanks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So you use Pluma, the current fork of the good version ofgedit.
      Duh!

    3. Re:No thanks by doom · · Score: 1

      Go look up the word "example", we'll wait. (Actually, I'm lying.)

    4. Re:No thanks by caseih · · Score: 1

      Fortunately Gnome 2's gedit is alive and well in the form of the poorly-named xed (formerly Pluma). Still works very well and development is ongoing.

    5. Re:No thanks by afgam28 · · Score: 2

      I'm really surprised that you (and others) care so much about gedit. Regardless of whether we're talking about the gnome 2 gedit or the gnome 3 one, neither of them are serious text editors for power users.

      All it does is provide a simple-to-use default editor for new users (who edit text files very occasionally). It's like Notepad on Windows. And the current gedit serves this purpose just fine.

      Serious users will install a serious text editor (e.g. vim, emacs, sublime, atom). This was true back in the gnome 2 days, and is still true today.

    6. Re:No thanks by dbIII · · Score: 1

      Insanely slow as well - so much so that the "X Sux" trolls use the new gedit as "proof" that X is slow.

    7. Re:No thanks by dbIII · · Score: 3, Insightful

      neither of them are serious text editors for power users.

      No but it's a good example of drastic changes to a functioning piece of software that leave some users unimpressed.

    8. Re:No thanks by armanox · · Score: 1

      Back in the GNOME 2 days I used to use KATE instead of GEdit myself. Now I think I use vim more then any other editor.

      --
      I'm starting to think GNU is the problem with "GNU/Linux" these days.
  8. Found the LUDDITE! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    ONLY apps can app apps, and the new AppEdit is 500% appier than the old LUDDITE gedit!

    Apps!

    1. Re:Found the LUDDITE! by RightwingNutjob · · Score: 2

      It's an act of courage to remove features everyone uses and doesn't think about, and then to tell those people with a straight face that it's an improvement. No, really. You can't have any vestigial shred of fear in you to do that.

    2. Re:Found the LUDDITE! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's an act of courage to remove features everyone uses and doesn't think about, and then to tell those people with a straight face that it's an improvement.

      sed s/courage/psychopathy/g

  9. Software that promises... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I love deterministic code, it should either do something or not. If I want my colors shifted I just install redshift. That not modern enough?

  10. Just a Reminder... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Please use and support MATE:

    http://mate-desktop.org/

  11. Unlikely to ever land... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    on the stable repositories of my favorite distros and I can't tell you how relaxing that is. I'll leave it for the redhat derivative.

  12. The best thing about Gnome by OneHundredAndTen · · Score: 1

    By a mile, the best thing about Gnome is that you do not have to use it.

    1. Re:The best thing about Gnome by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's what I thought about a number of redhat projects, but the faster you run the more distros they infect. Boo redhat boo.

  13. Blah blah blah, gnome sucks, blah, blah, blah by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Same old story every single time Gnome is mentioned. Gnome 3 is here- get the hell over it. There is still MATE if you're wanting Gnome 2.

    1. Re:Blah blah blah, gnome sucks, blah, blah, blah by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Same old story every single time Gnome is mentioned. Gnome 3 is here- get the hell over it.

      We do not want to get over it. We want to make fun of that PoS at every opportunity.

    2. Re:Blah blah blah, gnome sucks, blah, blah, blah by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      wont make gnome3 suck less.

  14. They lost me at 3.0 by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 1

    I preferred Gnome 2.x to KDE but when Gnome 3.0 came out, I jumped ship because they took a usable desktop and redesigned it for tablets and then tried to push it to desktop users. I chose something more lightweight and isn't ensnared in Systemd: LXQt. I use Linux so I don't have to put up with people's bullshit, not so I have to put up with the bullshit of different people.

    I see no reason why anyone should use Gnome anymore.

    --
    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
    1. Re:They lost me at 3.0 by doom · · Score: 1

      Been using icewm for nearly twenty years now, I rarely know what you guys are talking about.

      One of the nice things about icewm is no one ever re-designs the UI on you, so there are still keyboard alternates for everything.

      And no one had the bright idea to shove everything one click down in the hamburger.

      What I want to see is a cranky-old farts distro that maintains old versions of things any time someone changes the UI.

    2. Re:They lost me at 3.0 by Tranzistors · · Score: 1

      I jumped ship because they took a usable desktop and redesigned it for tablets and then tried to push it to desktop users.

      What made you think GNOME was designed for tablets? The 3.0 was totally unusable on tablets. Further releases got slightly better, but I have not seen any GNOME developer actively working on making it work on tablets, bar fixing bugs being reported. Was it the big application icons in grid layout and removal of “start menu”? This is a visual similarity at best and functionally very different:

      • To get to application list, you have to get in overview mode, press grid button and witch to “all aplications” mode. This feature is buried and not the usual use case.
      • Most used applications should be in the docker. Just like on windows or macs.
      • Accessing random application is most efficiently done with keyboard — get into overview and start typing a keyword. Similar to kupfer. In tablet that is not a good usecase.
      • Accessing “overview” is very desktop oriented. Compared with menu system, it is faster with mouse and as fast with keyboard.

      Besides, why would design elements found in touch interfaces should be an obvious fault? Big icons and buttins are necessary in touch interfaces, but they help on desktop too — time to position a mouse pointer on a tiny button takes more time than to put it on a big button. It does cost a screen estate, but at lest for me it is a sacrifice I am willing to make.

    3. Re:They lost me at 3.0 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What I want to see is a cranky-old farts distro that maintains
      old versions of things any time someone changes the UI.

      Too bad you're not on Windows 10, you're going to get that soon.

    4. Re:They lost me at 3.0 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They might failed at that too, but they obviously *tried* to become mobile-"first".

      They definitely stopped caring about PCs without touchscreens with gnome 3.0

  15. Do you still have to configure it via a webbrowser by squiggleslash · · Score: 1

    Last time I used it, the only way to modify the taskbars was to use a friggin' web browser, using a combination of an external website (and if that's down, you're SOL) and a browser plugin.

    Have they recognized how utterly stupid that is yet, or is that still the functionality for desktop users?

    --
    You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
  16. Here here! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    WindowMaker (plus thunar if file manager features are needed. DockApps more than cover the other 'DE' needs), E17, LXDE, XFCE in that order are my preferred environments now. The first of those since Slackware 3.x in the mid 90s.

    While there have been changes in the years since, many of those original window managers and desktop environments still provide the basic features for the 'non-media' productive user. And about the only 'new' feature I've seen that could be useful (but also is a memory/cpu hog, which is why it wasn't implemented sooner...) is thumbnails in the file manager for easily skimming through otherwise ambiguously named image/video files looking for the right ones for whatever activity you need them for.)

    Other than that, most of the changes made for Linux DEs in the past 10+ years have been bloat or eyecandy, and just as often the cause of rendering or stability bugs on an otherwise productive system platform.

    But hey what do I know. I have only been using computers since before I could walk, and socializing online since before the modern travesty of 'social media' existed.

    1. Re:Here here! by armanox · · Score: 1

      Mmm. I love WindowMaker, especially on older systems. I for a couple of years I went with AfterStep as my primary desktop too. I've actually found that Unity (Desktop) reminds me of the NeXT Interface, like an alternative that it could have actually evolved into had it not evolved into OS X.

      --
      I'm starting to think GNU is the problem with "GNU/Linux" these days.
  17. sunset mode by Rutulian · · Score: 1, Funny

    Prominent new features of the GNOME 3.24 desktop environment include a Night Light functionality that promises to automatically shift the colors of your display to the warmer end of the spectrum after sunset,

    Please tell me you're joking. ....
    OMG, you're not joking! Seriously, why is this a thing?

    1. Re:sunset mode by WheezyJoe · · Score: 1

      Seriously, why is this a thing?

      Because iOS has it? Not because it's like killer-app useful or anything, but just because, wow, that's neat, we oughta do that so that we can say we got that?

      Gnome has gone off the rails... rather than work on making it more useful, so people might want to use it and stick with it, they put all this effort into keep-up-with-the-Joneses sugar-coating shit? This has been going on for years! The Gnome project has their priorities fucked, kicking the bugs and non-useability down the road so they can toot about... sunset mode?????

      Fuck my grandma and stuff a Twinkie up my ass! It's the year of the Linux Desktop because Gnome's got fucking sunset mode!!!

      --
      Take it easy, Charlie, I've got an Angle...
    2. Re:sunset mode by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Joy! Now after dark, I can watch Gedit crash without my eyes getting tired!

    3. Re:sunset mode by Trogre · · Score: 2

      Well it will be nice to not have to install Redshift for my GNOME users, but since most of my Linux users do not use GNOME as their desktop environment this isn't going to affect me much.

      A useful feature for GNOME users though, but hardly worth top billing in the feature list.

      --
      "Nine times out of ten, starting a fire is not the best way to solve the problem." - my wife
    4. Re:sunset mode by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      Seriously, why is this a thing?

      So someone held a gun to your head and forced you to use it? Go to distrowatch, and get one of the distros that doesn't cause you to blow your stack

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    5. Re:sunset mode by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Every project goes this way eventually. Firefox is usually the other poster child, right after GNOME. For my part, I really miss avant-window-navigator and compiz+emerald. For me that was kind of the apex of eye candy and usability. I haven't tried to build that stuff recently, but last time I gave it a shot, it was a long and uphill battle with very little satisfaction at the end.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    6. Re:sunset mode by Misagon · · Score: 3, Informative

      No, that is a serious thing. Colour temperature of the ambient light around you affects with your day-night cycle. We are made to respond to the sun's light which is colder in the morning (to wake you up) and warmer in the evening (which helps you sleep).
      When the primary light source is your computer/device screen then that is what affects you the most.

      This has been covered several times before here on Slashdot. Some that are easy to find.
      Can Blocking Blue Light Help Bipolar Disorder As Well as Sleep Issues?
      Microsoft To Add Flux Like Night Mode In Windows 10, Rendering 3rd-Party App's Existence Useless

      However, I think that the change should not be abrupt but be gradual to better cohere with the sun's natural cycle. But I suspect that they chose to make it a special mode so as not to interfere with colour accuracy during work time.

      Myself, I wish that I could also get LED bulbs that changed colour temperature gradually depending on the time of day, and that they wouldn't be expensive and hackable (Like Phillips ... ). I live in the North where some winter days are darker than summer nights, and thus artificial light is important all day.

      --
      "We mustn't be caught by surprise by our own advancing technology" -- Aldous Huxley
    7. Re:sunset mode by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's because the developers are all bed wetting crybabies and they want their computer to remind them of those happy days when they could just lie in their cot all day popping their pants. This is also why they keep remove features as it's so much easier to stay snug and sleepy when theree's nothing that can be done.

      Gnome 4 will consist of one full screen, very highly artstic button, that shuts down the computer.

    8. Re:sunset mode by jbengt · · Score: 1

      . . . the sun's light which is colder in the morning (to wake you up) and warmer in the evening (which helps you sleep)

      Sorry, but this is just not true.

    9. Re:sunset mode by TheStickBoy · · Score: 1

      ...Myself, I wish that I could also get LED bulbs that changed colour temperature gradually depending on the time of day, and that they wouldn't be expensive and hackable (Like Phillips ... ). I live in the North where some winter days are darker than summer nights, and thus artificial light is important all day.

      I wanted to try Phillips wake-up light but thought they were too expensive for something that might not work
      I had an old digital picture frame that wasn't being used by a family member.
      I quickly created and saved about 50 pictures that gradually moved from black to orange to yellow.
      photoshop -> adjust brightness -> save
      I set the digital picture frame to auto turn on at 6am. It worked!
      embarrassing hack? maybe.

    10. Re:sunset mode by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      >> the sun's light which is colder in the morning (to wake you up) and warmer in the evening (which helps you sleep)

      > Sorry, but this is just not true.

      It's actually cooler in the morning and evening (around 2000k) and warmest at midday (around 5500k).

    11. Re:sunset mode by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Same AC here...

      D'oh! I got that backwards. Color temperatures above 5000k are considered 'cool' even though they are higher than 'warm' temperatures under 3000k. Sorry for the confusion... it's counterintuitive so quite common.

  18. Well I'm gonna break up the hate party by flacco · · Score: 3, Informative

    There is a perplexing amount of GNOME hate in the top comments. I'm a very happy user. I've been using Linux almost exclusively in all capacities since about 1999 and have sampled and/or used a lot of desktop environments. GNOME is the best, IMHO.

    --
    pr0n - keeping monitor glass spotless since 1981.
    1. Re:Well I'm gonna break up the hate party by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      There is a perplexing amount of GNOME hate in the top comments. I'm a very happy user. I've been using Linux almost exclusively in all capacities since about 1999 and have sampled and/or used a lot of desktop environments. GNOME is the best, IMHO.

      If its what you like, it's all you need. Too many slashdot users seem to think that something they don't like must suck.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    2. Re:Well I'm gonna break up the hate party by dbreeze · · Score: 1

      Damn you happy Gnome user, and your HO... No one likes a party pooper.

      --
      When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law he tore his robes.2Kings22:11
    3. Re:Well I'm gonna break up the hate party by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Too many slashdot users seem to think that something they don't like must suck.

      I have read this sentence some 40 times now, and still can't figure it out. What do you mean?

      Does the slang expression "X sucks" have a different definition in your idiolect of English?
      You seem to interpret it as something different from "I don't like X". What could that something be?

    4. Re:Well I'm gonna break up the hate party by Chris+Walker · · Score: 1

      I've also been using Linux for the same amount of time as my primary dev platform. I, like many others, hated Gnome 3 when it first came out. I still grumble about it when something weird breaks, but I wouldn't go back to Gnome 2 now if you paid me. Gnome shell with the right extensions is in fact now my favorite desktop. I wish more things were customizable but with extensions I can get most of what is needed to make it the way I want it. I don't care if those who prefer MATE or whatever use that instead; choice is good.

      For some reason people seem to believe if they don't like something, no one else possibly could. Try to grow up and stop complaining about something you don't even use.

    5. Re:Well I'm gonna break up the hate party by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Me too. I love Gnome 3

  19. File Dialog by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is the open file dialog still a steaming pile of hot trash? Compare it to windows or KDE and you'll feel the hate making you focused. Making you stronger...

    1. Re:File Dialog by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Modern GUIs seem to have that in common these days.

    2. Re:File Dialog by Tranzistors · · Score: 1

      I just opened “open file” dialog (gedit 3.22) and it looks like it has widgets, panes, lists, buttons and such. Nowhere do I see any piles of any kind of trash. Cannot replicate issue, more information needed.

    3. Re:File Dialog by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Compare it to KDE and see what a real dialog looks like. The rest of gnome is superior to KDE, but the dialog SUCKS. The OP is right.

    4. Re:File Dialog by Tranzistors · · Score: 1

      I just looked up some images on KDE open file dialogs and they look a lot like GNOME ones. Differences: GNOME has recursive search and bookmarks, KDE has zooming options and configuration. I am not sure what the configuration options are and if KDE also has bookmarks, but no screenshot shows them.

  20. Gnomes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Did they remove yet more standard features, which to get back, you would need to install some 3rd party extension?

    1. Re:Gnomes by Tranzistors · · Score: 1

      Release notes show no removal of features. If you notice regressions, please report it.

  21. The religion of Linux. by geekmux · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Look at Microsoft. One browser. One Office suite.

    Now look at Linux. KDE vs. GNOME. EMACS vs. vi. BSD vs. Linux. It's the Organized Religion of software, with followers locked in endless battles over which system is The One.

    Religion never finding true peace is exactly why Linux has never found the Year of the Desktop.

    You may return to your inevitable flame war I fully expect here, since one of the religious lines has been crossed.

    1. Re:The religion of Linux. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Look at North-Korea. One leader. One lifestyle.

      Now look at the western world. Republicans vs. Democrats vs. Greens. Conservatives vs. Liberals vs. a bunch of other flavors. McDonald's vs. Burger King vs. Pizza etc... It's the Organized Kaos of contradicting interests, with followers locked in endless battles over which system is The Best(TM).

      Democracy never finding true peace is exactly why it must never stagnate into The One Right Solution.

      I pass on your supposed flame war, was just thinking about how much I'd need a Strong Leader...

    2. Re:The religion of Linux. by geekmux · · Score: 1

      Look at North-Korea. One leader. One lifestyle.

      Look at the TCP/IP. One solution. One standard protocol. There are good examples, and there are shitty examples. North Korea tends to fit into the latter.

      Now look at the western world. Republicans vs. Democrats vs. Greens. Conservatives vs. Liberals vs. a bunch of other flavors. McDonald's vs. Burger King vs. Pizza etc... It's the Organized Kaos of contradicting interests, with followers locked in endless battles over which system is The Best(TM).

      Democracy never finding true peace is exactly why it must never stagnate into The One Right Solution.

      True peace should be viewed and treated as a goal and a positive thing, not a fucking stagnation point.

      And my analogy was centered around religious warmongering, which much like the KDE/GNOME/EMACS/BSD/Linux/vi bickering, can be far more pointless and futile than mere politics.

      I pass on your supposed flame war, was just thinking about how much I'd need a Strong Leader...

      Ever read a rant from the likes of Linus or Theo? We've had plenty of Strong Headed Leaders in this space. The end result is 2017, the Flame Wars rage on, and the Year of the Desktop is a fantasy.

    3. Re:The religion of Linux. by walterbyrd · · Score: 1

      How can you get so much wrong in one short post?

      > Look at Microsoft. One browser. One Office suite.

      Lots of browsers are used on Windows. I use LibreOffice on Windows.

      > Now look at Linux. KDE vs. GNOME

      Okay, that is true.

      > EMACS vs. vi.

      Lots of editors are used with Windows.

      > BSD vs. Linux.

      BSD is not Linux. It would make as much sense to claim: "MacOS vs. Windows"

      > It's the Organized Religion of software, with followers locked in endless battles over which system is The One.

      Hardly exclusive to Linux. There is MacOS vs. Windows, Android vs iOS, Firefox vs. Chrome, many competing applications.

      > Religion never finding true peace is exactly why Linux has never found the Year of the Desktop.

      No. It's all about the apps.

    4. Re:The religion of Linux. by geekmux · · Score: 1

      The comparison to Windows was meant to highlight the utter lack of infighting, unlike the Linux community, riddled with "trigger words" such as EMACS, vi, BSD, Linux, GNOME, or KDE, which manage to incite flame wars every time.

      Yes, there are many options in Windows, but the overwhelming majority of the user base doesn't give a shit enough to argue endlessly about it.

  22. Prefer Athena Widgets and uwm for by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...a more austere, all business desktop.

  23. Idiotic 'user experience' experts... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They know nothing about interface design, all are too young to even have used a computer when the first Macintosh came out, they didn't see Windows 3.1, and so on - they haven't got a clue how to design a good interface.

  24. Mod parent up! by walterbyrd · · Score: 1

    MATE is far better than Gnome 3.

  25. I love GNOME 3 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    Hi,

    don't know why people complain about productivity in GNOME... GNOME is the perfect choice for people with productivity in mind:

    - First and more important. IT WORKS, so you can focus on your work, not on your desktop environment to work.
    - You can do almost the most important things with shortcuts. No need for the mouse (for me, the productivity killer).
    - It is beautiful and well designed for the general user. If you have special needs, like "window border background configurability" or "a clock in the center of the third desktop if monday else in forth".... that's not a productivity issue.
    - A lot of people complain about gedit... omg... are you using gedit for any serious task?
    - It is FAST, at least faster than other high standard desktop environments from where you write lines complaining about GNOME.

  26. Gnome released... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ... but will it blend?