| Greatly improved Gnome arrives |
Feb. 22, 2006
 Gnome, the popular Linux desktop, is about to hit a major milestone with its 2.14 release. Don't be fooled by the modest "2.14" designation -- this is an important update that includes both new features and better performance.
The most important of the new features aren't for end-users though, they're for business system administrators. These are Sabayon and Pessulus.
Sabayon enables managers to create group profiles for users with default and mandatory desktop settings. According to Seth Nickell, a Gnome developer, "Most design work for Gnome has gone into improving the end user experience. Sabayon [however,] is Gnome's first major design targeted at improving the user experience for people who administer Gnome systems."
That said, Nickell also points out that "It's still a very young project, and is rather rough around the edges. Things are falling into place pretty quickly now, but there's a lot of work still to go just in making the current feature set work better."
Pessulus, which enables administrators to disable Gnome desktop functionality, is also brand spanking new. With this program, a manager can easily set up desktops so that users can't access the command line, add new programs, and all the other basics of keeping a corporate or public desktop shipshape.
What most users will notice about this new Gnome, however, is its increase in speed. Thanks to a new memory allocator, GSlice, users will see improvements throughout the desktop.
Gnome also now includes an improved VoIP program, Ekiga, formerly Gnome Meeting, which can integrate with the Evolution email-client address book or LDAP servers.
With other improvements to Evolution, its Beagle-powered search facilities, and fast-user switching, Gnome 2.14 appears to be a large step forward for the Linux desktop.
A brief introduction to Gnome 2.14's new features, including lots of screenshots, is available here.
The final version of the new Gnome is due out on March 15th.
-- Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols
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