The GNOME Project has released GNOME 49.1, marking the first point release for the latest GNOME 49 "Brescia" desktop environment. This update includes a variety of improvements and bug fixes across multiple components, such as Nautilus, Epiphany, and GNOME Software.
Key enhancements in GNOME 49.1 focus on accessibility features. The screenshot overlay UI has seen improvements, as has the Hindi Bolnagri input for the on-screen keyboard. The login screen’s accessibility icons have been updated, and there is now a unified style for warning dialogues. Enhancements also include an updated keyboard indicator for modifier-only layout switches and better multi-touch handling for X11 users.
Additionally, several bugs have been addressed. Notably, image corruption issues affecting NVIDIA GPUs in GNOME Remote Desktop have been fixed, eliminating zombie processes caused by gnome-session, and resolving problems with update notifications in GNOME Software. Resizing and dragging glitches have also been rectified.
The Nautilus file manager benefits from fixes for crashes tied to internal callback handling, issues with pasting larger images, and dragging items within the sidebar. Improvements in Epiphany include enhancements to address bar functionality that correct dropdown behavior when opening links in new tabs, better character display in non-Latin scripts, and a fix for a regression affecting favicon backgrounds.
Other improvements in GNOME 49.1 include updates to GNOME Online Accounts, enhancing Kerberos password management, and updates to GNOME Control Center (Settings), addressing various panel functionalities.
The Orca screen reader received significant usability enhancements, including support for caret navigation across all text objects and improved command settings.
For additional details, you can check the release announcement page, where you’ll find more in-depth information on the changes included in this release. GNOME 49.1 will soon be integrated into the stable software repositories of various popular Linux distributions.