14 DAY TRIAL // The GNOME Project is currently working hard on the next major release of their beloved desktop environment for Linux-based operating system, GNOME 3.32, due for release in Spring 2019, and they recently unveiled some changes to the default theme.
GNOME's Matthias Clasen talks in his latest blog article about some of the theme changes coming to the GTK+ 3 toolkit, which is the core of the GNOME desktop environment, revealing the fact that the upcoming GNOME 3.32 desktop environment would feature a revamped default Adwaita theme with more modernized elements.
It's been a while since GNOME's default theme Adwaita saw some changes since it was completely revamped and modernized three years ago as part of the GNOME 3.16 series, but Clasen explains that it is a challenge to update Adwaita as most GTK+ apps are still using the stable GTK+ 3.x series and any major change could cause issues.
"We are hoping to strike a balance between GTK’s stability promises on the one hand, and the desire to provide up-to-date applications on the other. It is a delicate balance to get right and we are keen to engage with GTK users as part of this process," said GNOME developer Matthias Clasen.
GNOME's theme to feature slightly tweaked elements
Therefore, it looks like GNOME's Adwaita theme will feature slightly tweaked elements to the colors, making theme more vivid and vibrant, yet subtle to avoid compatibility issues between new and the old versions. Moreover, the header bars and buttons were also slightly changed to look more elegant and be lighter.
If you can't spot the differences in the screenshot gallery below, we'll tell you that the buttons now feature shadows instead of solid borders, flatter backgrounds, more rounded corners, and a different shape. The switches were also changed to be more compact and look modern without labels and with a more rounded shape.
These small changes will make a difference, and we bet that users will notice a more modern and fresh look of their GNOME installations. They will be included in the upcoming GTK+ 3.24.4 release, and you can also try the revamped Adwaita theme that's coming to the GNOME 3.32 desktop environment right here.
Testers are also welcome to take the latest snapshot of the forthcoming GNOME 3.32 desktop environment, versioned 3.31.4, for a test drive. The GNOME 3.32 release will enter beta stages of development in early February, when we expect the first beta to hit the streets on February 6th, followed by the second beta on February 20th.
