If you’ve not heard of Elementary OS, chances are you don’t know what Linux is. If, on the other hand, you have heard of Elementary OS, and you’ve yet to give it a try, now’s a great time. Why? The latest release, 5.1 (aka “Hera”) is available and it promises to be the best release yet.
Elementary 5.1 brings a number of new and exciting changes to what is often considered the most elegant desktop operating systems on the market. Some of the new changes to the platform include:
- A new first-run experience that makes onboarding seamless and simple. The app is modular and includes introductions to: Location services, Night Light, Housekeeping, and the AppCenter.
- A brand new login window that looks more refined and includes numerous bug fixes.
- Sideload is a new app for installing Flatpak applications not found in the AppCenter.
- Flatpak support in the Elementary AppCenter.
- Major upgrades centered around accessibility and the System Settings tool.
Although it might seem like a minor release (going from 5.0 to 5.1), Hera should be considered a major upgrade. Elementary releases new platform versions every two years. However, this particular release is significant enough to warrant its own name and identity.
