GNOME 2.14 released!

April 15, 2006

• The creation of an admin suite, including a lock down editor, Pessulus, and a user profile editor, Sabayon
• A new search bar, called Deskbar, which can search through local files, programs and contacts as well as on the web
• Ekiga [ http://www.ekiga.org/ ], the VoIP client formerly known as GNOME Meeting. It can now communicate using the SIP protocol which is already used by Google Talk, Asterisk and others.
• Performance work, making your desktop even snappier
• The ability to switch users quickly, without logging off
• Even easier configuration, allowing GNOME 2.14 to adapt to different users needs

Admin Suite

he new administration suite allows system administrators to control and configure the GNOME desktop to specific needs. Two new applications have been created for this: Pessulus allows administrators to lockdown the GNOME desktop for corporate environments, Internet cafes, and schools; and Sabayon allows administrators to graphically configure generic, role-based user profiles, exactly as they would configure their own desktop and then apply them to user accounts.

Deskbar

A new panel-based program launcher and search bar has been created, called Deskbar. Users will be able to use several internet search engines and content providers directly, without breaking workflow by starting another application. It will also enable them to launch desktop applications related to a word or phrase and its functionality is extensible by plugins.

Ekiga

GNOME 2.14 also includes Ekiga, the new version of GNOME’s softphone client formally known as GNOME Meeting. With Ekiga, users are able to make video or audio calls over the Internet, using the industry standard protocal SIP. SIP is also used by Google Talk, and popular PBX software such as Asterisk.

Performance

This new release also includes several changes to improve system performance. Several important components of the GNOME desktop are now measurably faster, including text rendering, memory allocation, and numerous individual applications. Faster font rendering and memory allocation benefit all GNOME and GTK+ based applications without the need for recompilation. For application developers, a new memory allocator has been created, called GSlice, which will make the desktop more responsive and faster.

As always, GNOME 2.14 is not the end of development and performance work on the GNOME desktop. Users can expect even more with our 2.16 release, scheduled for September 2006.

Switching Users

GNOME 2.14 includes the ability to easily switch between users, and makes it possible to have multiple users logged in at the same time.

Easier Configuration

Based on response from user feedback, GNOME 2.14 includes a number of easy ways to configure how the desktop behaves. This includes making it easier to change default settings for applications as well as controlling sound events.

Further Information

The GNOME 2.14 Release Notes contain more detailed information, including screenshots and other features not mentioned here.

Availability

GNOME 2.14 will soon be available as part of most popular Linux distributions. For those who can’t wait, the new GNOME LiveCD (available from www.gnome.org/start/2.14/) allows users and journalists to test the latest GNOME desktop by burning a CD and rebooting – no installation is necessary.

Developers and advanced users wishing to try and install GNOME 2.14 may download the source code or build scripts atwww.gnome.org/start/2.14/.

About GNOME

GNOME is a free-software project whose goal is to develop a complete, and easy to use desktop for Linux and UNIX-based operating systems. GNOME also includes a complete development environment to create new applications. It is released two times a year on a regular schedule.

The GNOME desktop is used by millions of people around the world. GNOME is a standard part of all leading Linux and Unix distributions worldwide, including popular community distributions like Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora Core, and SUSE. It is is also the default desktop on major enterprise Linux distributions like Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Novell’s SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop, and Sun Java Desktop System.

GNOME is also the desktop of choice for some of the world’s biggest Linux desktop deployments, including large government deployments in Extremadura, Spain, and Sao Paulo, Brazil. GNOME’s technology is used by major Linux ISVs such as Firefox, the Eclipse Project, Real Networks, and VMWare. Additionally, GNOME is increasingly being used by mobile device companies such as Nokia and Palm.

More than 500 software developers from every continent, including more than 100 paid developers, contribute their time and effort to the project. Sponsors include industry leaders like Fluendo, HP, IBM, Novell, Red Hat, and Sun. GNOME is supported on a variety of platforms, including GNU/Linux (more commonly referred to as Linux), Solaris Operating Environment, HP-UX, Unix, BSD and Apple’s Darwin.

More information on GNOME can be found at www.gnome.org/.

About the GNOME Foundation

Comprised of hundreds of volunteer developers and industry-leading companies, the GNOME Foundation is an organization committed to supporting the advancement of GNOME. The Foundation is a member directed, non-profit organization that provides financial, organizational and legal support to the GNOME project and helps determine its vision and roadmap. More information on the GNOME Foundation can be found at foundation.gnome.org.

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