Upcoming GNOME 48 Desktop Environment Set to Launch on March 19th, 2025

As many of us revel in the various new features and enhancements of the GNOME 47 “Denver” desktop environment series, the GNOME project is already turning its attention towards the upcoming major release, GNOME 48, which is scheduled to launch on March 19th, 2025.

GNOME 48 will be named “Bengaluru,” honoring the city that will host the GNOME Asia Summit 2024 conference, set to occur in Bengaluru, Karnataka, from December 6th to December 8th, 2024. A release schedule has been made available by the GNOME developers.

According to this schedule, the alpha version of GNOME 48 is expected to be accessible for public testing on January 4th, 2025. The beta version is slated for release on February 1st, while the Release Candidate (RC) milestone is anticipated on March 1st, 2025. The grand finale for the GNOME 48 desktop environment is set for March 19th, 2025.

Here’s a brief overview of the GNOME 48 release schedule, perfect for marking your calendar:

  • GNOME 48 Alpha – January 4th, 2025
  • GNOME 48 Beta – February 1st, 2025
  • API/ABI/Feature/UI/String Announcement Freeze – February 1st, 2025
  • String Freeze – February 22nd, 2025
  • GNOME 48 Release Candidate – March 1st, 2025
  • GNOME 48 Final Release – March 19th, 2025

While it might be premature to delve into the new features and significant updates expected with the GNOME 48 desktop environment, I am particularly interested in the innovative window management system that is planned for implementation in this version.

Moreover, GNOME 48 will undoubtedly feature an enhanced Loupe image viewer, which is set to introduce some thrilling functionalities such as refined zoom controls enabling users to specify a precise zoom percentage, revert to the original “best fit” zoom level, and showcase shortcuts for frequently used zoom levels.

Additionally, Lopue is set to introduce a novel experimental design for dragging images into the primary window, a new loader for RAW image formats, and foundational image editing capabilities such as cropping, as mentioned by Sophie Herold. I will ensure to keep you informed about all significant updates related to GNOME 48 throughout its six-month development period.

In the meantime, the GNOME development team intends to roll out additional updates for the current GNOME 47 desktop environment series, with the next update, GNOME 47.2, scheduled for release by the end of November or early December 2024. So, make sure to keep your GNOME installations updated consistently.

Last updated 3 hours ago


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