GNOME 40 has been out for some time. For those that have experienced it, you know the new horizontal workflow is a game-changer. With a much-improved ability to interact with and manage workspaces, the open-source desktop makes daily usage considerably easier and more efficient.
Finally, this new workflow arrives in Ubuntu, with the 21.10 iteration.
If you’ve already been working with GNOME 40 on a different distribution, this news is old. But for those who prefer to stick with Canonical’s version of Linux, this upgrade is big. Along with the new horizontal workflow, you’ll also see a new Yaru Light theme, which is now the default. The new theme has light gray header bars to better align with how developers wanted their apps to look all along.
Another interesting/important features include Firefox now installed as a Snap package. This means users should receive updates faster than previous iterations because Mozilla will now have more control over how quickly the updates can be pushed out.
You’ll also find Linux kernel 5.13, which adds more security (such as the addition of the runtime memory error detector, KFENCE), and even more device support.
And, finally, the NVIDIA closed-source driver supports Wayland. This is a big to-do for anyone who uses NVIDIA GPUs and wants to experience the dramatically improved performance Wayland brings over the traditional X server.
Download your copy of Ubuntu 21.10[1] and experience what’s new. And for more information on Impish Indri, check out the official release notes[2].
