GNOME Shell
GNOME Shell is the core user interface of the GNOME desktop environment starting with version 3,[5] which was released on April 6, 2011. It provides basic functionality like switching between windows and launching applications. It replaces GNOME Panel[6] and other software components from GNOME 2 to offer a user experience that breaks from the previous model of desktop metaphor, used in earlier versions of GNOME.
GNOME shell uses Mutter, a compositing window manager based on the Metacity window manager, and the Clutter toolkit to provide visual effects and hardware acceleration.[7] According to GNOME Shell maintainer[8] Owen Taylor, it is set up as a Mutter plugin largely written in Javascript.[9]
Features
Changes to the user interface (UI) include, but are not limited to:
- A new Activities overview, which houses:
- A dock (called "Dash") for quickly switching between and launching applications
- A window picker, similar to Mac OS X's Exposé, also incorporating a workspace switcher/manager
- An application picker
- Search
- A messaging tray, an area at the bottom of the screen used for housing both interactive and static notifications separately from system status icons
- "Snapping" windows to screen borders to make them fill up a half of the screen or the whole screen
- A single window button, Close, instead of three. (Minimization has been removed due to the lack of a panel to minimize to, in favor of workspace window management. Maximization can be accomplished using the afore-mentioned window snapping.)
- A fallback mode is offered for those without hardware acceleration which offers a desktop more similar to the GNOME Panel. This mode can also be toggled through the System Settings menu.[10]
Extensibility
The functionality of GNOME Shell can be changed with extensions, which could be written in JavaScript. Several extensions are hosted in GNOME's git repository, though they are not official.[11]
Reception
Gnome 3 shell has received mixed reviews. For Linus Torvalds, Gnome 3 shell is an "unholy mess".[12] However, Rodney Gedda believes "so far [as of April 7th, 2011] the GNOME 3 reception has been positive",[13] although it has been criticized for a variety of reasons, mostly related to design decisions and reduced user control over the environment. For example, users in the free software community have raised concerns that the planned tight integration with Mutter will mean that users of GNOME Shell will not be able to switch to an alternative window manager without breaking their desktop. In particular, users will not be able to use Compiz while GNOME Shell is running.[14]
Adoption
Gallery
See also
- Unity, a shell interface for GNOME used by the Ubuntu project
- Tint2, a lightweight and unintrusive taskbar (compatible with GNOME Shell)
References
- ^ Piñeiro Iglesias, Alejandro (2011-11-16). "GNOME 3.2.2 released". gnome-announce mailing list. https://mail.gnome.org/archives/gnome-announce-list/2011-November/msg00020.html.
- ^ Frederic Peters (2011-12-23). "GNOME 3.3.3 Development Release". gnome-announce mailing list. https://mail.gnome.org/archives/gnome-announce-list/2011-December/msg00033.html.
- ^ GNOME 3.0 depends on Mono, "GNOME 3 Myths", GNOME Live!, http://live.gnome.org/GNOME3Myths#GNOME_3.0_depends_on_Mono.21, retrieved 2010-12-19
- ^ Module Statistics: gnome-shell, http://l10n.gnome.org/module/gnome-shell/, retrieved 2011-02-14
- ^ "Planning for GNOME 3.0", GNOME Live!, http://live.gnome.org/ThreePointZero/Plan, retrieved 2011-03-23
- ^ Sharma, Apoorva (2010-03-23). "Why does Gnome-shell replace the current gnome-panel". gnome-shell-list mailing list. http://mail.gnome.org/archives/gnome-shell-list/2010-March/msg00092.html.
- ^ Kissling, Kristian (2009-07-08), "Mutter: Window Manager in GNOME's Future", Linux Pro Magazine, http://www.linuxpromagazine.com/Online/News/Mutter-Window-Manager-in-GNOME-s-Future, retrieved 2011-03-23
- ^ Cutler, Paul (2009-07-01), Behind the Scenes with Owen Taylor, http://gnomejournal.org/article/74/behind-the-scenes-with-owen-taylor, retrieved 2011-11-25
- ^ Taylor, Owen (2009-03-23). "Metacity, Mutter, GNOME Shell, GNOME-2.28". desktop-devel-list mailing list. http://mail.gnome.org/archives/desktop-devel-list/2009-March/msg00106.html. "gnome-shell is set up as a Mutter plugin that is largely written in JavaScript"
- ^ Ljubunčić, Igor (2011-04-06), Gnome 3 Fallback mode - Get your productivity back, Dedoimedo, http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/gnome-3-fallback.html, retrieved 2011-11-25
- ^ "Extensions", GNOME Live!, https://live.gnome.org/GnomeShell/Extensions, retrieved 2011-11-25
- ^ Linus Torvalds Ditches GNOME For Xfce, Digitizer, 2011-08-04, http://digitizor.com/2011/08/04/linus-torvalds-ditches-gnome-for-xfce/, retrieved 2011-11-08
- ^ Gedda, Rodney, "GNOME 3 is out: will Ubuntu reconsider?", Computerworld, http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/382495/gnome_3_will_ubuntu_reconsider_/, retrieved 2011-05-07
- ^ Taylor, Owen (2009-03-24). "Re: Metacity, Mutter, GNOME Shell, GNOME-2.28". desktop-devel-list mailing list. http://www.mail-archive.com/desktop-devel-list@gnome.org/msg15587.html.
- ^ Releases/15/FeatureList, Fedora Project, http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Releases/15/FeatureList, retrieved 2011-11-25
- ^ Clem (2011-11-04), "Linux Mint 12 Preview", The Linux Mint Blog, http://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=1851, retrieved 2011-11-25
- ^ "Gnome 3 and MGSE", New features in Linux Mint 12, Linux Mint, http://www.linuxmint.com/rel_lisa_whatsnew.php#gnome3, retrieved 2011-11-25
- ^ Portal:12.1, OpenSuSE Project, http://en.opensuse.org/Portal:12.1, retrieved 2011-11-25
- ^ Bîru, Ionuț Mircea (2011-04-30), "GNOME3 in extra", Arch Linux, http://www.archlinux.org/news/gnome3-in-extra/, retrieved 2011-12-04
- ^ Jacoutot, Antoine (2011-09-12). "Re: move to GNOME 3". openbsd-ports mailing list. http://marc.info/?l=openbsd-ports&m=131585247418198&w=2.
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