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<img src="http://www.desktoplinux.com/files/misc/gnome-thm.jpg" align="right" alt="GNOME 2.16 arrives">GNOME 2.16 arrives
Sep. 07, 2006

Analysis -- The GNOME project released version 2.16 of its popular Linux desktop on Sept. 6. In many ways, this is just a minor release. In others, however, it's a significant step forward for the Linux desktop.

The first change old GNOME hands will notice is that, most, but not all of the default icon theme has been changed. It's now based on Tango. The Tango Desktop Project is an effort to create a consistent graphical user interface across all Linux desktops.

What's important about this, is that it's working with the Portland Project's efforts to make it easier for both users and ISVs (independent software vendors) to work to use the Linux desktop regardless of whether it's KDE or GNOME-based. Thus, the GNOME Tango-based icon theme will now work with applications written for other desktops, such as KDE or XFce.

In the pure eye-candy department, the new GNOME Metacity, its default window manager, is making its first steps into Xgl and Aero Glass' 3D desktop look. Unlike Xgl, however, Metacity is still very much in the experimental stages. The only way you can get at it today is to compile Metacity with the special "enable-compositor" option, and run it on a system with Intel i830 to i945 graphics or a video card with ATI Radeon 7000 to 9250 chips.

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