View source for GNOME

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2014}}
{{about|the GNOME desktop environment||Gnome (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox software
| logo = [[File:Gnomelogo.svg|80px|GNOME logo]]
| screenshot = [[File:GNOME Shell.png|300px]]
| caption = GNOME 3.12 showing the Overview
| developer = [[The GNOME Project]]
| released = {{Start date|1999|03|03}}
| frequently updated = yes
| programming language = [[C (programming language)|C]], [[C++]], [[Vala (programming language)|Vala]], [[Python (programming language)|Python]], [[JavaScript]]<ref name="gnomelanguages">{{cite web | url=https://www.ohloh.net/p/gnome/analyses/latest/languages_summary | title=GNOME Languages | website=[[Ohloh]] | publisher=Black Duck Software, Inc. | accessdate=May 22, 2014}}</ref>
| operating system = [[Linux-only]] with [[X Window System core protocol|X11]] or [[Wayland (display server protocol)|Wayland]]
| genre = [[Desktop environment]]
| status = Active
| language = More than 40 languages<ref name="gnome312releasenotes">{{cite web | url=https://help.gnome.org/misc/release-notes/3.12/ | title=GNOME 3.12 Release Notes | last=Day | first=Allan | publisher=The GNOME Project | accessdate=May 22, 2014}}</ref>
| license = [[GNU General Public License|GPL]], [[GNU Lesser General Public License|LGPL]]
| website = {{URL|//www.gnome.org/}}
| working state = Current
}}
'''GNOME''' (pronounced {{IPAc-en|ɡ|ˈ|n|oʊ|m}}<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n77cwRJUrLg |title = Introducing GNOME 3.12 |date = March 26, 2014 |accessdate = July 2, 2014}}</ref> or {{IPAc-en|ˈ|n|ou|m}}<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lepXx1kDelo |title = GNOME 3: Fewer interruptions |first = Jason D. |last = Clinton | work = The GNOME Project | publisher = [[YouTube]] |date = April 2, 2011 | accessdate = April 7, 2011}}</ref>) is a [[desktop environment]] which is composed entirely of [[free and open-source software]] and targets to be cross-platform, i.e. run on multiple operating systems, its main focus being those based on the [[Linux kernel]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://blogs.gnome.org/mclasen/2014/02/19/on-portability/ |title=Portability of the GNOME desktop environment first = Matthias |last = Clasen |date=February 19, 2014 |accessdate=March 18, 2014}}</ref>

GNOME is developed by [[The GNOME Project]], which is composed of both volunteers and paid contributors, the largest corporate contributor being [[Red Hat]].<ref>[https://www.neary-consulting.com/docs/GNOME_Census.pdf GNOME census]</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://blogs.gnome.org/otte/2012/07/27/staring-into-the-abyss/ |title=staring into the abyss |date=July 27, 2012 |accessdate=March 15, 2014}}</ref> It is an international project that aims to develop [[software framework]]s for the development of software, to program end-user applications based on these frameworks and coordinates the efforts for [[internationalization and localization]] as well as for [[accessibility]] of that software.

GNOME is part of the [[GNU Project]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.gnu.org/software/software.html | title=GNU Software | publisher=[[Free Software Foundation]] | accessdate=June 16, 2014}}</ref>

== Design ==
GNOME aims to be simple and easy to use<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.gnome.org/gnome-3/ | title=GNOME 3 | publisher=The GNOME Project | accessdate=June 12, 2014}}</ref> and focuses on:<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.gnome.org/about/ | title=About US | publisher=The GNOME Project | accessdate=June 12, 2014}}</ref>

* Independence – the governing board is democratically elected and technical decisions are made by the engineers doing the work.
* Freedom – development infrastructure and communication channels are public, the code can be freely downloaded, modified and shared and all  contributors have the same rights.
* Connectedness – work spans the entire Free software stack.
* People – emphasis on [[Computer accessibility|accessibility]] and [[Internationalization and localization|internationalization]].<ref name="gnome312releasenotes"/> GNOME is available in more than 40 languages (at least 80 percent of strings translated)<ref name="gnome312releasenotes"/> and is being translated to 190 languages.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://l10n.gnome.org/languages/ | title=GNOME Languages | website=Damned Lies | publisher=The GNOME Project | accessdate=May 22, 2014}}</ref>

=== GNOME Shell ===
{{overlay
| image = GNOME Shell.png
| float = right
| width = 400
| height = 225
| legend1title = {{center|[[GNOME Shell]] Overview}}
| overlay1 = Activities button
| overlay1top = 1
| overlay1left = 1
| overlay2 = Dash
| overlay2top = 110
| overlay2left = 7
| overlay3 = Search bar
| overlay3top = 4
| overlay3left = 195
| overlay4 = Notification area
| overlay4top = 205
| overlay4left = 195
| overlay5 = Status menu
| overlay5top = 1
| overlay5left = 392
| overlay6 = Workspace list
| overlay6top = 110
| overlay6left = 392
}}
[[GNOME Shell]] is the official [[user interface]] of the GNOME desktop environment. It features a top bar holding (from left to right) an Activities button, an application menu, a clock and an integrated system status menu.<ref name="gnomeshellterminology">{{cite web | url=https://wiki.gnome.org/Projects/GnomeShell/Terminology | title=Terminology for Gnome Shell | website=GNOME Wiki | publisher=The GNOME Project | accessdate=May 22, 2014}}</ref><ref name="gnome310releasenotes">{{cite web | url=https://help.gnome.org/misc/release-notes/3.10/ | title=GNOME 3.10 Release Notes | last=Day | first=Allan | publisher=The GNOME Project | accessdate=May 22, 2014}}</ref> The application menu displays the name of the application in focus and provides access to functions such as accessing the application's preferences, closing the application, or creating a new application window. The status menu holds various system status indicators, shortcuts to system settings, and session actions including logging out, switching users, locking the screen, and suspending the computer.

Clicking on the Activities button, moving the mouse to the top-left hot corner or pressing the [[Super key (keyboard button)|Super key]] brings up the Overview.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://wiki.gnome.org/Gnome3CheatSheet | title=GNOME 3 Cheat Sheet | website=GNOME Wiki | publisher=The GNOME Project | accessdate=June 13, 2014}}</ref> The Overview gives users an overview of current activities and provides a way to switch between windows and workspaces and to launch applications. The Dash on the left houses shortcuts to favorite applications and open windows and an application picker button to show a list of all installed applications.<ref name="gnomeshellterminology"/> A search bar appears at the top and a workspace list for switching between workspaces is on the right. Notifications appear from the bottom of the screen.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://live.gnome.org/GnomeShell/Design | title=GNOME Shell Design | publisher=The GNOME Project | accessdate=December 3, 2011}}</ref>

[[File:GNOME 3 classic mode.png|thumb|GNOME 3 Classic Mode]]
Beginning with GNOME 3.8, GNOME provides a Classic Mode for people who prefer a more traditional desktop experience.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://help.gnome.org/misc/release-notes/3.8/ | title=GNOME 3.8 Release Notes | last=Day | first=Allan | publisher=The GNOME Project | accessdate=June 13, 2014}}</ref>

=== Compatibility ===
{{for|Linux distributions using GNOME|Comparison of Linux distributions}}
GNOME runs on the [[X Window System]] and as of GNOME 3.10 also on [[Wayland (display server protocol)|Wayland]].<ref name="gnome310releasenotes"/> Versions of GNOME are available in most [[Linux distribution]]s either as the default desktop environment or as an installable option and also in the [[ports collection]]s of most [[Berkeley Software Distribution|BSDs]].

In May 2011 [[Lennart Poettering]] proposed [[systemd]] as a GNOME dependency.<ref>{{cite mailing list | url=https://mail.gnome.org/archives/desktop-devel-list/2011-May/msg00427.html | title=systemd as external dependency | date=May 18, 2011 | accessdate=June 12, 2014 | mailinglist=desktop-devel | last=Poettering | first=Lennart | authorlink=Lennart Poettering}}</ref> As systemd is available only on Linux, the proposal led to a discussion of possibly dropping support for other platforms in future GNOME releases. Since GNOME 3.2 [[multiseat configuration|multiseat]] support has been only available on systems using systemd.<ref name="gnome32releasenotes">{{cite web | url=https://library.gnome.org/misc/release-notes/3.2/ | title=GNOME 3.2 Release Notes | first1=Olav | last1=Vitters | first2=André | last2=Klapper | first3=Allan | last3=Day | publisher=The GNOME Project | accessdate=October 5, 2011}}</ref> In November 2012 the GNOME release team concluded that systemd can be relied upon for non-basic functionality.<ref>{{cite mailing list | url=https://mail.gnome.org/archives/release-team/2012-November/msg00015.html | title=20121104 meeting minutes | date=November 6, 2012 | accessdate=June 12, 2014 | mailinglist=release-team | last=Peters | first=Frederic}}</ref>

=== Human Interface Guidelines ===
Since GNOME 2, usability has been a key focus for GNOME. To this end, the GNOME [[Human Interface Guidelines]] (HIG) were created. All GNOME programs share a common [[graphical user interface]] (GUI), which is not limited to the employment of the same [[GUI widget]]s. Rather, the design of the GNOME GUI is guided by concepts described in the GNOME HIG, itself relying on insights from [[cognitive ergonomics]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://wiki.gnome.org/Design/HIG | title=GNOME Human Interface Guidelines}}</ref> Following the HIG, developers can create high-quality, consistent, and usable GUI programs, as it addresses everything from GUI design to recommended pixel-based layout of widgets.

During the GNOME 2 rewrite, many settings deemed of little value to the majority of users were removed. [[Havoc Pennington]] summarized the usability work in his 2002 essay "Free Software UI", emphasizing the idea that all preferences have a cost, and it is better to make software behave correctly by default than to add a UI preference to get the desired behavior:

{{quote|A traditional free software application is configurable so that it has the union of all features anyone's ever seen in any equivalent application on any other historical platform. Or even configurable to be the union of all applications that anyone's ever seen on any historical platform ([[Emacs]] *cough*).{{break}}Does this hurt anything? Yes it does. It turns out that preferences have a cost. Of course, some preferences also have important benefits – and can be crucial interface features. But each one has a price, and you have to carefully consider its value. Many users and developers don't understand this, and end up with a lot of cost and little value for their preferences dollar.|[[Havoc Pennington]]|<ref>{{cite web | url=https://ometer.com/free-software-ui.html | title=Free Software UI | first=Havoc | last=Pennington | authorlink=Havoc Pennington | date=April 2002 | accessdate=December 4, 2011}}</ref>}}

=== Accessibility ===
GNOME aims to make and keep the desktop environment [[Human factors and ergonomics|physically]] and [[Cognitive ergonomics|cognitively ergonomic]] for people with [[disability|disabilities]]. The GNOME HIG tries to take this into account as far as possible but specific issues are solved by special software.

GNOME addresses [[computer accessibility]] issues by using the [[Accessibility Toolkit]] (ATK) [[application programming interface]], which allows enhancing user experience by using special [[input method]]s and [[speech synthesis]] and [[speech recognition]] software. Particular utilities are registered with ATK using [[Assistive Technology Service Provider Interface]] (AT-SPI), and become globally used throughout the desktop. Several assistive technology providers, including [[Orca (assistive technology)|Orca]] screen reader and [[Dasher (software)|Dasher]] input method, were developed specifically for use with GNOME.

== Applications ==
{{unreferenced section|date=April 2014}}

=== Core Applications ===
{{Main|GNOME Core Applications}}
There are countless [[GTK+]]- and [[Clutter (software)|Clutter]]-based programs written by various authors. Since the release of GNOME 3.0, [[The GNOME Project]] concentrates on developing a set of programs that accounts for the GNOME Core Applications. All programs that form the GNOME Core Applications have a certain design and the tight integration with one another in common. Some programs are simply renamed existing programs with a revamped user interface, while others have been written from scratch.

=== Games ===
{{Main|GNOME Games}}
GNOME Games have the look and feel of the GNOME Core Applications and are released simultaneously with GNOME. All have been rewritten conforming to the current GNOME Human Interface Guidelines.

=== Development Tools ===
[[Anjuta]] [[integrated development environment]], [[Glade Interface Designer|Glade]] user interface construction tool and [[Devhelp]] API browser were created to provide development tools consistent with the GNOME desktop and to facilitate the development of GNOME software. The [[Accerciser]] accessibility explorer and several debugging tools, including [[Nemiver]], [[GtkInspector]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://blogs.gnome.org/mclasen/2014/05/15/introducing-gtkinspector/ |title=GtkInspector Author's blog entry |author=Matthias Clasen |date=May 15, 2014 |accessdate=May 17, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://wiki.gnome.org/Projects/GTK%2B/Inspector |title=GtkInspector in GNOME wiki |date=May 15, 2014 |accessdate=May 17, 2014}}</ref> and [[Alleyoop (software)|Alleyoop]], have also been provided to facilitate development of GNOME software.

Integration options for third-party development tools (e.g. [[NoFlo]]) also exist.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://lwn.net/Articles/597216/  |title=Bergius: Flowhub and the GNOME Developer Experience |work=[[LWN.net]] |date=May 2, 2014 |accessdate=May 24, 2014 }}</ref>

== Development ==
GNOME is developed by [[The GNOME Project]] and provides the GNOME Desktop Environment, a [[graphical user interface]] and a set of core applications, and the GNOME Development Platform, a framework for building applications that integrate with the desktop.<ref>{{cite web | title=GNOME Quick SWOT Analysis | work=The GNOME Project | url=https://wiki.gnome.org/Engagement/SWOT | accessdate=March 18, 2014}}</ref>

As with most free software projects, GNOME development is loosely managed. Discussion chiefly occurs on a number of public mailing lists.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://mail.gnome.org | title=GTK+ and GNOME Mailing Lists | publisher=The GNOME Project | accessdate=December 4, 2011}}</ref> GNOME developers and users gather at an annual [[GUADEC]] meeting to discuss the current state and the future direction of GNOME.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://guadec.expectnation.com/public/content/about | title=About | publisher=[[GNOME Users And Developers European Conference|GUADEC]] | accessdate=December 3, 2011}}</ref> GNOME incorporates standards and programs from [[freedesktop.org]] to better [[Interoperability|interoperate]] with other desktops.

GNOME is mainly written in [[C (programming language)|C]], [[C++]], [[Vala (programming language)|Vala]], [[Python (programming language)|Python]] and [[JavaScript]].<ref name="gnomelanguages" /> A number of [[language binding]]s [[List of language bindings for GTK+|are available]].

=== Release cycle ===
Each of the component software products in the GNOME project has its own version number and [[Software release life cycle|release schedule]]. However, individual module maintainers coordinate their efforts to create a full GNOME stable release on an approximately six-month schedule. Some experimental projects are excluded from these releases.

GNOME releases are made to the main FTP server in the form of [[source code]] with [[configure (computing)|configure]] scripts, which are compiled by operating system vendors and integrated with the rest of their systems before distribution. Most vendors use only stable and tested versions of GNOME, and provide it in the form of easily installed, pre-compiled packages. The source code of every stable and development version of GNOME is stored in the GNOME [[Git (software)|Git]] [[source code repository]].

A number of build-[[Scripting programming language|scripts]] (such as [[JHBuild]] or [[GARNOME]]) are available to help automate the process of compiling the source code.

=== Development Platform ===
[[GLib]] data structures and utilities library, [[GObject]] object and type system and [[GTK+]] [[widget toolkit]] comprise the central part of GNOME development platform. This foundation is further extended with [[D-Bus]] [[inter-process communication|IPC]] framework, [[Cairo (graphics)|Cairo]] 2D vector-based drawing library, [[Clutter (software)|Clutter]] accelerated graphics library, [[Pango]] international text rendering library, [[PulseAudio]] low-level audio [[application programming interface|API]], [[GStreamer]] multimedia framework, and several specialized libraries including [[NetworkManager]], [[PackageKit]], [[Telepathy (software)|Telepathy]] (instant messaging) and [[WebKit]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://developer.gnome.org/platform-overview/stable/tech.html.en | title=Platform libraries | last=Bull | first=Phil | publisher=The GNOME Project | accessdate=May 21, 2014}}</ref>

As of April 2009, all ESD modules in GNOME have been ported to [[libcanberra]] for event sounds or [[GStreamer]]/[[PulseAudio]] for everything else.<ref>
{{cite web |url = https://0pointer.de/blog/projects/esound-free.html |title =  Lennart's Blog aggregated on Planet Gnome |date = April 5, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://0pointer.de/lennart/projects/libcanberra/ |title=libcanberra git}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://developer.gnome.org/libcanberra/ |title=libcanberra docomentation}}</ref>

== History ==
[[File:GNOME-escritorio-1.x.png|thumb|GNOME 1, 1999]]
{{See also|History_of_free_and_open-source_software#Desktop_(1984-)|label 1=History of free and open-source software: Desktop}}
GNOME was started in August 1997 by [[Miguel de Icaza]] and [[Federico Mena]]<ref>{{cite web |url=//www.gnome.org/about/ |title=About Us &#124; GNOME |accessdate=December 9, 2011}}</ref> as a [[free software]] project to develop a [[desktop environment]] and [[application software|applications]] for it.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://lists.debian.org/debian-user/1997/08/msg02286.html |title=The GNOME Desktop project (fwd) |accessdate=December 10, 2011}}</ref> It was founded in part because [[K Desktop Environment 1|K Desktop Environment]], an already existing free software desktop environment, relied on the [[Qt (toolkit)|Qt]] [[widget toolkit]] which used a [[proprietary software]] license until version 2.0 (June 1999).<ref>{{citation|url = https://web.archive.org/web/19991007065648/https://www.troll.no/announce/qt-200.html|title = Announcement: Qt version 2.0 released | date = June 25, 1999 | accessdate = April 16, 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = https://linuxtoday.com/news_story.php3?ltsn=2000-09-05-001-21-OP-LF-KE |title = Stallman on Qt, the GPL, KDE, and GNOME |last = Stallman |first = Richard Stallman |date = September 5, 2000 |accessdate = September 9, 2005 }}</ref> In place of Qt, the [[GTK+]] toolkit was chosen as the base of GNOME. GTK+ uses the [[GNU Lesser Public License]] (LGPL), a free software license that allows software linking to it to use a much wider set of licenses, including proprietary software licenses.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.gnu.org/licenses/why-not-lgpl.html |title = Why you shouldn't use the Lesser GPL for your next library |work = [[Free Software Foundation]] |accessdate=January 20, 2008 }}</ref> GNOME itself is licensed under the LGPL for its libraries, and the [[GNU General Public License]] (GPL) for its applications.<ref>The GNOME Project: "[https://live.gnome.org/CopyrightAssignment/Guidelines GNOME Foundation Guidelines on Copyright Assignment]". Accessed March 26, 2013.</ref>

The name "GNOME" was initially an acronym of ''GNU Network Object Model Environment'', referring to the original intention of creating a [[distributed object]] framework similar to [[Microsoft]]'s [[Object Linking and Embedding|OLE]];<ref>{{cite web | url = https://developer.gnome.org/doc/GGAD/ggad.html | title = GTK+ / Gnome Application Development | last = Pennington | first = Havoc | authorlink = Havoc Pennington | chapter = What is Gnome? | chapterurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20100514071800/https://developer.gnome.org/doc/GGAD/z2.html | year = 1999 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20100824183314/https://developer.gnome.org/doc/GGAD/ggad.html | archivedate = August 24, 2010 }}</ref> but it was dropped, because it no longer reflected the core vision of the GNOME project.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://mail.gnome.org/archives/marketing-list/2010-April/msg00050.html | title=Re: GNOME -> Gnome | accessdate=December 10, 2011}}</ref>

The California startup [[Eazel]] developed the [[Nautilus (file manager)|Nautilus file manager]] from 1999 to 2001. De Icaza and [[Nat Friedman]] founded Helix Code (later [[Ximian]]) in 1999 in Massachusetts. The company developed GNOME's infrastructure and applications, and in 2003 was purchased by [[Novell]].

{{anchor|GNOME Office}} During the transition to GNOME 2 around the year 2001 and shortly thereafter there were brief talks about creating a ''GNOME Office'' suite.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.linuxorbit.com/features/goffice.php3 | title=GNOME Office, how far along are we? | first=John | last=Gowin | work=Linux Orbit | date=November 9, 2001 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050101055043/https://www.linuxorbit.com/features/goffice.php3 | archivedate=January 1, 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite mailing list | url=https://lwn.net/2001/0412/a/guadec-report-2001.php3 | title=GUADEC Results | first=Sam | last=TH | mailinglist=gnome-office-list | publisher=[[LWN.net]] | date=April 10, 2001 | accessdate=May 3, 2014}}</ref> On September 15, 2003 GNOME-Office 1.0, consisting of [[AbiWord]] 2.0, [[GNOME-DB]] 1.0 and [[Gnumeric]] 1.2.0 was released.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.osnews.com/comments/4548 | title=GNOME-Office 1.0 Released; Nautilus Becomes Object-Oriented | first=Eugenia | last=Loli | work=[[OSNews]] | date=September 15, 2003 | accessdate=May 4, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.linuxcompatible.org/news/story/gnome_office_10_released.html | title=GNOME-Office 1.0 Released | first=Philipp | last=Esselbach | work=Linux Compatible | date=September 15, 2003 | accessdate=May 4, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release | url=https://www.abisource.com/release-notes/archives/2.0.0.html | title=GNOME-Office 1.0 Released | date=September 15, 2003 | accessdate=May 4, 2014
}}</ref> Although some release planning for GNOME Office 1.2 was happening on gnome-office mailing list,<ref>{{cite mailing list | url=https://mail.gnome.org/archives/gnome-office-list/2004-June/msg00011.html | title=Next GNOME-Office release | first=Martin | last=Sevior | mailinglist=gnome-office-list | date=June 30, 2004 | accessdate=May 4, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite mailing list | url=https://mail.gnome.org/archives/gnome-office-list/2004-July/msg00053.html | title=Update on progress for GNOME-Office-1.2 | first=Martin | last=Sevior | mailinglist=gnome-office-list | date=July 30, 2004 | accessdate=May 4, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite mailing list | url=https://mail.gnome.org/archives/gnome-office-list/2004-October/msg00000.html | title=Three weeks until gnome-office-1.2, what progress on the website? | first=Martin | last=Sevior | mailinglist=gnome-office-list | date=October 2, 2004 | accessdate=May 4, 2014}}</ref> and Gnumeric 1.4 was announced as a part of it,<ref>{{cite mailing list | url=https://mail.gnome.org/archives/gnome-office-list/2004-December/msg00003.html | title=Gnumeric 1.4 is Here! | first=Morten | last=Welinder | mailinglist=gnome-office-list | date=December 19, 2004 | accessdate=May 4, 2014}}</ref> the 1.2 release of the suite itself was never announced. {{As of|2014|5|4|df=US}} GNOME wiki only mentions "GNOME/Gtk applications that are useful in an office enviroment".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/GnomeOffice | title=Office Applications | work=[[The GNOME Project]] | accessdate=May 4, 2014}}</ref>

[[File:Gnome-2.6-en.png|thumb|GNOME 2.6, March 2004]]

=== GNOME 2 ===
GNOME 2 was very similar to a conventional desktop interface, featuring a simple desktop in which users could interact with virtual objects, such as windows, icons, and files. GNOME 2 used [[Metacity]] as its default [[window manager]]. The handling of windows, applications, and files in GNOME 2 is similar to that of contemporary desktop operating systems. In the default configuration of GNOME 2, the desktop has a launcher menu for quick access to installed programs and file locations; open windows may be accessed by a taskbar along the bottom of the screen, and the top-right corner features a notification area for programs to display notices while running in the background. However, these features can be moved to almost any position or orientation the user desires, replaced with other functions or removed altogether.

=== GNOME 3 ===
{{See also|Controversy over GNOME 3}}
{{Move portions from|Controversy over GNOME 3|section=y|discuss=talk:Controversy over GNOME 3#Merge this article into GNOME?|date=April 2014}}
Before GNOME 3, GNOME used the traditional [[desktop metaphor]] but in GNOME 3 this was abandoned in favor of [[GNOME Shell]] where switching between different tasks and virtual workspaces takes place in a separate area called the Overview. Also in GNOME 3, [[Mutter (window manager)|Mutter]] replaced Metacity as the default window manager, the minimize and maximize buttons no longer appear on the titlebar by default, and [[Adwaita (software)|Adwaita]] replaced [[Clearlooks]] as the default theme. Many [[GNOME Core Applications]] also went through redesigns to provide a more consistent user experience.

These changes received mixed reaction from the user community, though the outcome is not yet clear. The [[MATE (desktop environment)|MATE]] desktop environment, software forked from GNOME 2, aims to retain the traditional GNOME 2 interface while keeping it compatible with GNOME 3. The [[Linux Mint]] team addressed the issue in another way by developing the "Mint GNOME Shell Extensions". This led to the [[Cinnamon (user interface)|Cinnamon]] user interface, which attempts to provide a more traditional user environment based on the desktop metaphor, like GNOME 2.

=== Releases ===
{|class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%;"
|-
! colspan=6 | Release history
|-
! Version
! Date
! Information
|-
!
| August 1997
| GNOME development announced<ref>{{cite web | url = https://primates.ximian.com/~miguel/gnome-history.html | title = The story of the GNOME project | first = Miguel | last = de Icaza }}</ref>
|-
! 1.0
| March 1999
| First major GNOME release<ref>{{cite press release | title=GNOME 1.0 Released | url=https://www.gnome.org/press/1999/03/gnome-1-0-released/ | location=San Jose, California | publisher=The GNOME Project | date=March 3, 1999 | accessdate=June 8, 2014}}</ref>
|-
! 1.2
| May 2000
| "Bongo"<ref>{{cite press release | title=GNOME 1.2 "Bongo GNOME" Unleashed | url=https://www.gnome.org/press/2000/05/gnome-1-2-bongo-gnome-unleashed/ | publisher=The GNOME Project | date=May 25, 2000 | accessdate=June 8, 2014}}</ref>
|-
! 1.4
| April 2001
| "Tranquility"<ref>{{cite press release | title=GNOME 1.4 Released: Desktop Environment Boasts Power, Stability, Polish and Integration | url=https://www.gnome.org/press/2001/04/gnome-1-4-released-desktop-environment-boasts-power-stability-polish-and-integration/ | location=Copenhagen, Denmark | publisher=The GNOME Project | agency=Business Wire | date=April 2, 2001 | accessdate=June 8, 2014}}</ref>
|-
! colspan="4" style="background:light-gray"|GNOME 2
|-
! 2.0
| June 2002
| Major upgrade based on GTK+2. Introduction of the [[Human Interface Guidelines]].<ref>{{cite mailing list | url=https://mail.gnome.org/archives/desktop-devel-list/2002-June/msg00592.html | title=GNOME 2.0 Desktop and Developer Platform Released! | date=June 27, 2002 | accessdate=September 20, 2007 | mailinglist=desktop-devel | last=Waugh | first=Jeff | authorlink= }}</ref>
|-
! 2.2
| February 2003
| Multimedia and file manager improvements.<ref>{{cite press release | title=GNOME 2.2 Released: Latest version of the popular, multi-platform desktop environment boasts improved usability and a host of new utilities and applications | url=https://www.gnome.org/press/2003/02/gnome-2-2-released-latest-version-of-the-popular-multi-platform-desktop-environment-boasts-improved-usability-and-a-host-of-new-utilities-and-applications/ | location=Boston, Massachusetts | publisher=The GNOME Project | date=February 5, 2003 | accessdate=June 8, 2014}}</ref>
|-
! 2.4
| {{nowrap|September 2003}}
| "Temujin": Epiphany, accessibility support.<ref>{{cite mailing list | url=https://mail.gnome.org/archives/gnome-announce-list/2003-September/msg00062.html | title=Announcing the GNOME 2.4.0 Desktop & Developer Platform | date=September 11, 2003 | accessdate=September 20, 2007 | mailinglist=gnome-announce | last=Waugh | first=Jeff | authorlink= }}</ref>
|-
! 2.6
| March 2004
| Nautilus changes to a [[spatial file manager]], and a new GTK+ [[file dialog]] is introduced. A short-lived fork of GNOME, GoneME, is created as a response to the changes in this version.<ref>{{cite mailing list | url=https://mail.gnome.org/archives/gnome-announce-list/2004-March/msg00131.html | title=Announcing the GNOME 2.6.0 Desktop & Developer Platform | date=March 31, 2004 | accessdate=September 20, 2007 | mailinglist=gnome-announce | last=Sobala | first=Andrew | authorlink= }}</ref>
|-
! 2.8
| September 2004
| Improved removable device support, adds [[Novell Evolution|Evolution]].<ref>{{cite press release | title=GNOME 2.8 released! | url=https://www.gnome.org/press/2004/09/gnome-2-8-released/ | location=Boston, Massachusetts | publisher=The GNOME Project | date=September 15, 2004 | accessdate=June 8, 2014}}</ref>
|-
! 2.10
| March 2005
| Lower memory requirements and performance improvements. Adds: new panel applets (modem control, drive mounter and trashcan); and the [[Totem (media player)|Totem]] and [[Sound Juicer]] applications.<ref>{{cite press release | title=GNOME 2.10 released! | url=https://www.gnome.org/press/2005/03/gnome-2-10-released/ | location=Boston, Massachusetts | publisher=The GNOME Project | date=March 9, 2005 | accessdate=June 8, 2014}}</ref>
|-
! 2.12
| September 2005
| Nautilus improvements; improvements in cut/paste between applications and freedesktop.org integration. Adds: Evince PDF viewer; New default theme: Clearlooks; menu editor; keyring manager and admin tools. Based on GTK+ 2.8 with cairo support.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://library.gnome.org/misc/release-notes/2.12/ | title=GNOME 2.12 Release Notes | accessdate=October 31, 2010}}</ref>
|-
! 2.14
| March 2006
| Performance improvements (over 100% in some cases); usability improvements in user preferences; GStreamer 0.10 multimedia framework. Adds: [[Ekiga]] [[video conferencing]] application; Deskbar search tool; Pessulus lockdown editor; [[Fast user switching]]; Sabayon system administration tool.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://library.gnome.org/misc/release-notes/2.14/ | title=GNOME 2.14 Release Notes | accessdate=October 31, 2010}}</ref>
|-
! 2.16
| September 2006
| Performance improvements. Adds: [[Tomboy (software)|Tomboy]] notetaking application; [[Baobab (software)|Baobab]] disk usage analyser; [[Orca (assistive technology)|Orca]] screen reader; GNOME Power Manager (improving laptop battery life); improvements to Totem, Nautilus; [[compositing]] support for Metacity; new icon theme. Based on GTK+ 2.10 with new print dialog.<ref>{{cite mailing list | url=https://mail.gnome.org/archives/gnome-announce-list/2006-September/msg00042.html | title=Celebrating the release of GNOME 2.16! | date=September 6, 2006 | accessdate=September 20, 2007 | mailinglist=gnome-announce | last=Newren | first=Elijah | authorlink= }}</ref>
|-
! 2.18
| March 2007
| Performance improvements. Adds: [[Seahorse (software)|Seahorse]] [[GNU Privacy Guard|GPG]] security application, allowing encryption of emails and local files; Baobab disk usage analyser improved to support ring chart view; Orca screen reader; improvements to Evince, Epiphany and GNOME Power Manager, Volume control; two new games, GNOME Sudoku and [[glChess]]. MP3 and AAC audio encoding.<ref>{{cite mailing list | url=https://mail.gnome.org/archives/gnome-announce-list/2007-March/msg00056.html | title=Celebrating the release of GNOME 2.18! | date=March 14, 2007 | accessdate=September 20, 2007 | mailinglist=gnome-announce | last=Newren | first=Elijah | authorlink= }}</ref>
|-
! 2.20
| September 2007
| Tenth anniversary release. Evolution backup functionality; improvements in Epiphany, EOG, GNOME Power Manager; password keyring management in Seahorse. Adds: PDF forms editing in Evince; integrated search in the file manager dialogs; automatic multimedia [[codec]] installer.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070919-gnome-2-20-officially-released.html | title = GNOME 2.20 officially released | first = Paul | last = Ryan | authorlink = | work = [[Ars Technica]] | date = September 19, 2007 | accessdate = September 20, 2007}}</ref>
|-
! 2.22
| March 2008
| Addition of [[Cheese (software)|Cheese]], a tool for taking photos from webcams and [[Vinagre|Remote Desktop Viewer]]; basic window compositing support in [[Metacity]]; introduction of [[GVFS]]; improved playback support for DVDs and [[YouTube]], [[MythTV]] support in Totem; internationalised clock applet; Google Calendar support and message tagging in [[Evolution (software)|Evolution]]; improvements in Evince, Tomboy, Sound Juicer and Calculator.<ref>{{cite mailing list | url=https://mail.gnome.org/archives/gnome-announce-list/2008-March/msg00060.html | title=Celebrating the release of GNOME 2.22! | date=March 12, 2008 | accessdate=March 12, 2008 | mailinglist=gnome-announce-list | last=Untz | first=Vincent | authorlink= }}</ref>
|-
! 2.24
| September 2008
| Addition of the Empathy instant messenger client, [[Ekiga]] 3.0, tabbed browsing in Nautilus, better multiple screens support and improved digital TV support.<ref>{{cite mailing list | url=https://mail.gnome.org/archives/gnome-announce-list/2008-September/msg00132.html | title=Celebrating the release of GNOME 2.24! | date=September 24, 2008 | accessdate=September 27, 2008 | mailinglist=gnome-announce-list | last=Untz | first=Vincent}}</ref>
|-
! 2.26
| March 2009
| New optical disc recording application [[Brasero (software)|Brasero]], simpler file sharing, media player improvements, support for [[Multi-monitor|multiple monitors]] and [[fingerprint reader]] support.<ref>{{cite mailing list | url=https://mail.gnome.org/archives/gnome-announce-list/2009-March/msg00091.html | title=Celebrating the release of GNOME 2.26! | date=March 18, 2009 | accessdate=March 18, 2009 | mailinglist=gnome-announce-list | last=Untz | first=Vincent}}</ref>
|-
! 2.28
| September 2009
| Addition of GNOME Bluetooth module. Improvements to Epiphany web browser, Empathy instant messenger client, Time Tracker, and accessibility. Upgrade to [[GTK+]] version 2.18.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.osnews.com/story/22224/GNOME_2_28_Released | title=GNOME 2.28 Released | last=Holwerda | first=Thom | publisher=[[OSNews]] | date=September 24, 2009 | accessdate=April 5, 2009}}</ref>
|-
! 2.30
| March 2010
| Improvements to Nautilus file manager, Empathy instant messenger client, Tomboy, Evince, Time Tracker, Epiphany, and [[Vinagre]]. iPod and iPod Touch devices are now partially supported via GVFS through libimobiledevice. Uses [[GTK+]] 2.20.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.osnews.com/story/23092/GNOME_2_30_Released | title=GNOME 2.30 Released | last=Holwerda | first=Thom | publisher=[[OSNews]] | date=March 31, 2010 | accessdate=April 4, 2010}}</ref>
|-
! 2.32
| September 2010
| Addition of Rygel and GNOME Color Manager. Improvements to Empathy instant messenger client, Evince, Nautilus file manager and others. 3.0 was intended to be released in September 2010, so a large part of the development effort since 2.30 went towards 3.0.<ref name="rel2.32">{{cite web | url=https://library.gnome.org/misc/release-notes/2.32/ | title=GNOME 2.32 Release Notes | accessdate=October 31, 2010}}</ref>
|-
! colspan="4" style="background:light-gray"|GNOME 3
|-
! 3.0
| April 2011
| Introduction of [[GNOME Shell]]. A redesigned settings framework with fewer, more focused options. Topic-oriented help based on the [[Mallard (documentation)|Mallard markup language]]. Side-by-side window tiling. A new visual theme and default font. Adoption of GTK+ 3.0 with its improved language bindings, themes, touch, and multiplatform support. Removal of long-deprecated development APIs.<ref name="release-notes-3.0">{{cite web | url = https://library.gnome.org/misc/release-notes/3.0/ | title = GNOME 3.0 Release Notes | publisher = The GNOME Project | accessdate = April 7, 2011}}</ref>
|-
! 3.2
| September 2011
| Online accounts support; Web applications support; contacts manager; documents and files manager; quick preview of files in the File Manager; greater integration; better documentation; enhanced looks and various performance improvements.<ref name="gnome32releasenotes"/>
|-
! 3.4
| March 2012
| New Look for GNOME 3 Applications: Documents, Epiphany (now called Web), and [[GNOME Contacts]]. Search for documents from the Activities overview. Application menus support. Refreshed interface components: New color picker, redesigned scrollbars, easier to use spin buttons, and hideable title bars. Smooth scrolling support. New animated backgrounds. Improved system settings with new Wacom panel. Easier extensions management. Better hardware support. Topic-oriented documentation. Video calling and Live Messenger support in Empathy. Better accessibility: Improved Orca integration, better high contrast mode, and new *****m settings. Plus many other application enhancements and smaller details.<ref name="release-notes-3.4">{{cite web | url = https://library.gnome.org/misc/release-notes/3.4/ | title = A list of features that have been implemented for 3.4 | publisher = The GNOME Project | accessdate = March 28, 2012}}</ref>
|-
! 3.6
| September 2012
| Refreshed Core components: New applications button and improved layout in the Activities Overview. A new login and lock screen. Redesigned Message Tray. Notifications are now smarter, more noticeable, easier to dismiss. Improved interface and settings for System Settings. The user menu now shows Power Off by default. Integrated Input Methods. Accessibility is always on. New applications: Boxes, that was introduced as a preview version in GNOME 3.4, and Clocks, an application to handle world times. Updated looks for Disk Usage Analyzer, Empathy and Font Viewer. Improved [[braille]] support in [[Orca (assistive technology)|Orca]]. In Web, the previously blank start page was replaced by a grid that holds your most visited pages, plus better full screen mode and a beta of WebKit2. Evolution renders email using WebKit. Major improvements to Disks. Revamped Files application (also known as Nautilus), with new features like Recent files and search.
|-
! 3.8
| March 2013
| Refreshed Core components: A new applications view with frequently used and all apps. An overhauled window layout. New input methods OSD switcher. The Notifications & Messaging tray now react to the force with which the pointer is pressed against the screen edge. Added Classic mode for those who prefer a more traditional desktop experience. The GNOME Settings application features an updated toolbar design. New Initial Setup assistant. GNOME Online Accounts integrates with more services. Web has been upgraded to use the WebKit2 engine. Web has a new private browsing mode. Documents has gained a new dual page mode & Google Documents integration. Improved user interface of Contacts. [[GNOME Files]], [[GNOME Boxes]] and [[GNOME Disks]] have received a number of improvements. Integration of [[ownCloud]]. New [[GNOME Core Applications]]: [[GNOME Clocks]] and [[GNOME Weather]].
|-
! 3.10
| September 2013
| A reworked system status area, which gives a more focused overview of the system. A collection of new applications, including [[GNOME Maps]], [[GNOME Notes]], [[GNOME Music]] and [[GNOME Photos]]. New geolocation features, such as automatic time zones and world clocks. [[HiDPI]] support<ref>{{cite web |url=https://git.gnome.org/browse/gnome-shell//commit/?id=d868e6bfaff4e1174220ae6158cd7a0a02904ffc |title=Add high dpi support |date=February 12, 2014}}</ref> and smart card support. [[D-Bus]] activation made possible with [[GLib]] 2.38<ref>{{cite web |url=https://wiki.gnome.org/Initiatives/GnomeGoals/DBusActivatable |title=Convert applications to DBusActivatable}}</ref>
|-
! 3.12
| March 2014<ref name=wallen2014>{{cite web | title=GNOME 3.10 has resurrected what was once the darling of the Linux desktop | last=Wallen | first=Jack | url=https://www.techrepublic.com/article/gnome-3-10-has-resurrected-what-was-once-the-darling-of-the-linux-desktop/ | publisher=TechRepublic | deadurl=no | date=March 28, 2014 | archivedate=March 28, 2014 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140328234824/https://www.techrepublic.com/article/gnome-3-10-has-resurrected-what-was-once-the-darling-of-the-linux-desktop/ }}</ref>
| Improved keyboard navigation and window selection in the Overview. Revamped first set-up utility based on usability tests. Wired networking re-added to the system status area. Customizable application folders in the Applications view. Introduction of new GTK+ widgets such as popovers in many applications. New tab style in GTK+. [[GNOME Videos]] [[GNOME Terminal]] and [[gedit]] were given a fresh look, more consistent with the HIG. A search provider for the terminal emulator is included in [[GNOME Shell]]. Improvements to [[GNOME Software]] and high-density display support. A new sound recorder application. New desktop notifications API. Progress in the [[Wayland (display server protocol)|Wayland]] port has reached a usable state that can be optionally previewed.
|-
! 3.14
| September 2014
|
|}

== See also ==
{{Portal|Free software}}
{{refbegin|3}}
* [[GNOME Foundation]]
* [[Comparison of X Window System desktop environments]]
* [[MATE (desktop environment)]]
* [[Unity (user interface)]]
* [[Cinnamon (user interface)]]
* [[KDE Plasma Desktop]]
* [[List of GNOME applications]]
* [[The GNOME Project]]
{{refend}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
{{Wikibooks|Using GNOME}}
{{Commons|GNOME}}
* {{Official website|//www.gnome.org/}}
* [https://worldofgnome.org World of Gnome blog]

{{GNOME}}
{{GNU}}
{{X desktop environments and window managers}}
{{FLOSS}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gnome}}
[[Category:Desktop environments based on GTK+]]
[[Category:1999 software]]
[[Category:GNU Project software]]
[[Category:GNOME| ]]
[[Category:X Window System]]
[[Category:Free software programmed in C]]
[[Category:Desktop environments]]