The Fedora Project has announced the release of the new version of the operating system Fedora 40, which represents the flagship distribution based on the open-source Linux operating system. This release has become possible thanks to the contributions of the global developer community, including your contributions! Fedora 40 comes with many new features and performance improvements, promising a smoother and more responsive user experience. Let's take a closer look at the key innovations and improvements.GNOME 46
Fedora Workstation 40 comes with GNOME 46, the latest version of the GNOME desktop environment. The main updates include a significant upgrade of the Files app, introducing new features and enhancements. Additionally, many aspects of accessibility have been improved, ensuring a more inclusive user experience. The Settings app and other core applications have been refined for better usability. More detailed information can be found in the release notes for GNOME 46.
Many other improvements have been made throughout GNOME 46, such as:
- Grouping notifications by apps. Now each notification has a header displaying the app's name and icon, making it possible to identify which app sent the notification. Notifications also feature an expand button.
- You can now open a new window for apps pinned to the taskbar by adding the Ctrl modifier. For example: Super+Ctrl+1 opens a new window for the first app on the taskbar, complementing the existing shortcut of Super+<Number> that launches the app itself.
- By default, Tap to Click is now enabled for touchpads.
Core Applications
GNOME's core applications have also received significant improvements in the new version. Some of these include:
Settings
GNOME 46 comes with exciting updates to the Settings app, making it more user-friendly than ever. The latest version has more keyboard mnemonics, making navigation easier. It also features a modern interface. Appearance settings load faster than before and with sharper previews. This new release provides more precise control of Wacom stylus pressure.
In addition to the mentioned upgrades, the Settings app has received major improvements:
- The Settings app has a new system panel. It groups Region & Language, Date & Time, Remote Desktop, and About into one settings pane, making the app easier to navigate.
- GNOME 46 has updated touchpad settings with two new options. The first, called Secondary Click, lets you choose how to perform a right-click on the touchpad: either with two fingers or by clicking in a corner. The second option allows you to keep the touchpad active while typing, which helps in some apps and games where you need to use the keyboard and touchpad simultaneously.
Files
One of the notable upgrades to Files is the introduction of a new global search feature. This feature allows you to search files across all configured locations. You can search file contents, filter files by type and modification date, and search multiple locations simultaneously. Click the icon next to the file path field to activate this feature.
In GNOME 46, the dynamic progress section at the bottom of the sidebar allows you to monitor file operations more effectively with more details on their progress.
Switching between list and grid views in Files now happens quickly, fixing the lag noticed in previous versions.
Other changes in the Files app include a new search field within the Files preferences, helping to find specific settings. There's also an option to show date and time in a consistent format, and improved network discovery. These refinements make file management more efficient.
KDE Plasma 6
In Fedora KDE 40, the main focus is on KDE Plasma 6, which is the first major release of the Plasma desktop environment in nine years. It is worth noting that Fedora KDE is one of the first major distributions to ship Plasma 6, and the first Fedora Linux desktop variant to use exclusively Wayland (with full support for X11 applications). This step allows the project to advance Wayland improvements for the benefit of the entire Linux community, continuing the work started in previous Fedora Linux releases, where Fedora KDE defaults to running in Wayland from login to shutdown.
Key Points:
- Overview Effect: Keep track of all your open applications on virtual desktops with the new Overview Effect.
- HDR support: Partial HDR support is included in this release on the way to full support.
- Accessibility improvements: Color blindness correction filters have been introduced to improve accessibility.
- Taskbar redesign: Try the new floating view for the taskbar, as well as simplified customization options.
- Breeze UI theme update: The iconic Breeze UI theme receives updates with simplifications and modernizations.
- NeoChat: KDE's Matrix client, NeoChat, is now provided by default for users to try.
- The Cube is back: Although the new Overview Effect is impressive, managing virtual desktops with the Cube is a fun feature to show off.
Additionally, Fedora KDE 40 introduces Fedora Kinoite 40, an atomic implementation of Fedora KDE with Plasma 6. Fedora Kinoite serves as an entry point for those interested in exploring concepts such as immutability, atomicity, cloud-native design, composition, and image-based systems.
For more information about changes and improvements in KDE Plasma 6, visit their megarelease page.
You can find detailed information about the Fedora 40 release here. Download the distribution here.