Introduction
The GNOME 2.2.0 Desktop and Platform release is the latest version of the popular, multi-platform free desktop environment.
GNOME runs on a variety of platforms, including GNU/Linux (commonly called Linux), Solaris, HP-UX, BSD and Apple's Darwin. GNOME includes powerful features such as high-quality smooth text rendering, a first class internationalization and accessibility infrastructure, including support for bi-directional text.
The GNOME community has spent the six months since the GNOME 2.0 release improving usability, performance, appearance, and accessibility support. We also added new functionality, including new applications, producing a feature-rich GNOME 2.2 desktop.
GNOME provides a user-friendly environment that "just works" for everyday users, without excess complexity, while at the same time providing the rich flexibility experienced developers demand. We have tried to avoid unnecessary complications or obscure features, sticking instead to a clear, unified vision.
The GNOME 2 developer platform has matured and is now widely used by applications outside of the GNOME Desktop release. While GNOME 2.0 was a major upgrade to the entire Desktop and Developer Platform, GNOME 2.2.0 is a simpler time-based release that includes a number of improvements that have been completed since the previous release. In the future you can look forward to further enhancements from regularly scheduled GNOME releases.
Most major GNOME-based applications have been ported to GNOME 2, and the new platform has allowed the development of several new applications. We encourage developers to use the GNOME 2.2 platform and take advantage of its features.
Of course GNOME 2.2 includes all of the improvements made in GNOME 2.0, which you can learn about here.
The Desktop and Platform release does not include large applications such as Gnumeric; those are developed in parallel on their own natural release cycle.
GNOME is part of the GNU Project, and is free software.
|