FOSSPicks
FOSSPicks

Nate explores some top FOSS tools, including the latest Gnome desktop, a slick 3D model viewer, LibreQuake, and a neat currency converter.
Desktop environment
Gnome 47
On September 18, the Gnome Community released the latest version of the desktop, codenamed "Denver." The top-billed new "Accent Colors" feature is underwhelming to Ubuntu users, given the OS has supported this since 2022. Still, it's easy to access via Gnome settings and was the first change I made when testing Gnome 47 in a daily build of Ubuntu 24.10.
The Nautilus file manager has also been overhauled. Traditionally, bookmarks to Home folder locations such as Documents and Pictures couldn't be removed. This is now supported and I put it to good effect to remove the redundant Videos folder. I also noted that the Other Locations bookmark is no longer there. All internal drives are listed in the sidebar instead. The release notes also state that file searching has been improved in that users will see an info button if trying to search a location that isn't indexed or a remote folder. This provides more contextual information, though it doesn't speed up the search.
A number of other Gnome apps have also been updated. The Gnome Web browser, Epiphany, has a new bookmarks sidebar to make bookmarks easier to search and navigate, as well as an auto-fill feature for forms. Gnome Calendar also contains numerous bug fixes and an improved layout for displaying event details. Some new Gnome Circle apps have been added including the Mastodon client Tuba, which I reviewed last month, as well as the currency converter Valuta, which is covered in this issue.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
There's a New Linux AI Assistant in Town
Newelle is a Linux AI assistant that can work with different LLMs and includes document parsing and profiles.
-
Linux Kernel 6.16 Released with Minor Fixes
The latest Linux kernel doesn't really include any big-ticket features, just a lot of lines of code.
-
EU Sovereign Tech Fund Gains Traction
OpenForum Europe recently released a report regarding a sovereign tech fund with backing from several significant entities.
-
FreeBSD Promises a Full Desktop Installer
FreeBSD has lacked an option to include a full desktop environment during installation.
-
Linux Hits an Important Milestone
If you pay attention to the news in the Linux-sphere, you've probably heard that the open source operating system recently crashed through a ceiling no one thought possible.
-
Plasma Bigscreen Returns
A developer discovered that the Plasma Bigscreen feature had been sitting untouched, so he decided to do something about it.
-
CachyOS Now Lets Users Choose Their Shell
Imagine getting the opportunity to select which shell you want during the installation of your favorite Linux distribution. That's now a thing.
-
Wayland 1.24 Released with Fixes and New Features
Wayland continues to move forward, while X11 slowly vanishes into the shadows, and the latest release includes plenty of improvements.
-
Bugs Found in sudo
Two critical flaws allow users to gain access to root privileges.
-
Fedora Continues 32-Bit Support
In a move that should come as a relief to some portions of the Linux community, Fedora will continue supporting 32-bit architecture.