Sponsors of elementary OS now have early access to the next major version of the Ubuntu-based desktop Linux operating system.
elementary OS 8 is the next major update, following on from this year’s elementary OS 7.x series. It is based on the packages from the Ubuntu 24.04 repositories, but as that release isn’t out until April a final release of elementary OS 8 will likely be early summer at the soonest.
But as ever with elementary: there is no fixed release date until a release date is ready to be fixed in.
With early access builds out, let’s look a what’s planned for the new version.
What to expect in elementary OS 8?
Although the full range of new features slated for the next update to elementary OS are not yet entirely known (due to the substantial remaining development time), one standout objective is on the horizon: the default use of the Wayland display server.
Moving toward Wayland has been an ongoing process, promising a multitude of advantages for elementary OS users. This includes enhanced performance, increased security, and the capacity for the distro’s DE to manage more varied display setups — potentially even touchscreens?
In consequence of the shift to Wayland now in progress, the Pantheon desktop environment is set to receive a brand new dock.
The current dock, Plank, has a number of ongoing issues with Wayland. Rather than rewrite to retrofit newer APIs on to an older codebase, it sounds like devs have chosen to a create a new Wayland-first dock which better integrates with their window manger, Gala.
So that’s going to be very interesting.
A makeover in the Multitasking View delivers some visual oomph. The screen now uses a blurred version of your wallpaper, adds rounded corners to workspace cards, and enhances support for light and dark mode detail differences.
The Pantheon desktop is a GTK-based one and effort to port components and apps to GTK 4 began in the OS 7 release and that work continues on in the OS 8 cycle. This has involved “pretty major rewrites”, code modernisation, and design updates.
Captive Network Assistant, Initial Setup, and Videos have been successfully ported to GTK 4; the GTK 4 port of AppCenter is said to be ‘near completion’; and work on porting both System Settings and the Files file manager sounds like it’s coming along at a clip.
Elementary has split system updates out of AppCenter and moved to them to the System page in the System Settings tool. The implementation looks slick, and is said to includes an option to download updates automatically and tell you if security updates are included.
More apps are projected to utilize “responsive design patterns” to ensure the quality of user experiences regardless of the window or screen size.
Another tentative plan is to revamp the “indicator area” by adding a Quick Settings menu. A consolidated space for common settings is a prevalent feature in modern desktop operating systems such as macOS, Windows, and GNOME Shell.
I am eager to see how an elementary-style interpretation of the concept turns out – this should also help save some horizontal space in the top panel.
Additional planned modifications include integrated support for multi-touch gestures, an option to display weather info in the date time applet, distribution of Zeitgeist with Tracker, synchronization of display settings with the greeter, and the introduction of colour picker and screenshot portals, among others.
Want to try Elementary OS 8?
Early access builds of elementary OS 8 are not stable or recommended for use on production hardware in day-to-day usage, but do offer a way to test new features ahead of time, find bugs, and, for app developers, ensure anything they build works with the new release.
You can get access to the Early Access programme by setting up a monthly sponsorship to elementary OS which helps fund its continued existence in addition to giving you some testing snapshots to toy with.