Uploaded November 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
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🎙️ LINUX AND OPEN SOURCE NEWS PODCAST:
Listen to the latest Linux and open source news, with more in depth coverage, and ad-free! podcast.thelinuxexp.com
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:49 Sponsor: Proton Mail
02:21 Wayland Session
05:38 Desktop changes
10:50 Applications
17:15 Base System
18:33 Conclusion
21:25 Sponsor: Tuxedo Computers
22:13 Support the channel
WAYLAND SESSION
- Classic Session: it's x11, works as it did before, not getting the Wayland improvements, but it's also the most tried and tested
- Secure session: it's the Wayland session, it uses permissions and portals to let you control what apps can or can't do
- Also comes with mixed DPI mode, as in: external displays can have different DPIs, and better multi touch gestures as well, because, well that's one of the perks of Wayland
- New Portals added: color picker, screenshot portal, screencast, and Wallpaper.
- The default is still CLASSIC: no Wayland by default, it's a choice you need to make
DESKTOP CHANGES
- Dock has been completely rewritten to work with Wayland
- It gained features in the process
- Click on an app's icon that has many windows: it opens a window spread of these windows
- If only one windows, it focuses it on the right workspace
- You can middle click on an app's icon to open a new windows as well, and scroll over the icon to switch between windows
- The dock also finally has super + number to open a specific app
- Quick settings are now a thing in eOS as well, giving you access to a slider for font size, dark mode, the screen reader, the onscreen keyboard, a rotation lock
- The super key will now by default open the launcher
- It used to open the shortcuts overlay, but it now opens the apps menu, and super + space will switch between keyboard layouts
- Finally, the cursor theme has been changed a bit
- Other visual changes include blurred wallpapers in the multitasking view, instead of the drab grey background, same goes for the user switcher / login screen
APPLICATIONS
- App permissions are now supported
- AppCenter: defaults to Flatpak, that's the technology of the future for graphical apps, I can only applaud the choice they made here
- So, they replaced the "curated" label that elementary OS apps had, by "made for elementary OS", to still indicate apps that conform to their specific guidelines, although GNOME apps tend to use similar guidelines, the "made for eOS apps" will at least have the right theme
- The app pages have been improved as well, with better links to the developer's various pages
- As per updates, app updates are handled in the app center, and system updates in the system settings.
- These are now offline updates, so installed when you restart
- Default elementary OS apps are the same as you know in elementary OS 7: they're all flatpaks, so you already have their latest version, which means they're still OK but a bit simple
SYSTEM SETTINGS
- Now design for the system settings app, with a dual pane layout, like every other desktop
- Text scaling is much better in there as well, and search now returns actually relevant results
- You can now disable overlay scrollbars in the appearance settings
- The language settings let you pick the temperature unit automatically based on your locale, and you get new keyboard shortcuts to play around with
- Power settings are more complete, you can see the charring status and battery percentages of all connected devices
Jump on Proton Mail's Black Friday Deals for up to 60% off: proton.me/mail/TheLinuxEXP
Grab a brand new laptop or desktop running Linux: tuxedocomputers.com/en#
👏 SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:
Get access to:
- a Daily Linux News show
- a weekly patroncast for more personal thoughts
- polls on the next topics I cover,
- your name in the credits
YouTube: youtube.com/@TheLinuxEXP/join
Patreon: patreon.com/thelinuxexperiment
Or, you can donate whatever you want:
paypal.me/thelinuxexp
Liberapay: liberapay.com/TheLinuxExperiment
👕 GET TLE MERCH
Support the channel AND get cool new gear: the-linux-experiment.creator-spring.com
🏆 FOLLOW ME ON THE FEDIVERSE:
Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/web/@thelinuxEXP
Pixelfed: https://pixelfed.social/TLENick
PeerTube: tilvids.com/c/thelinuxexperiment_channel/videos
🎙️ LINUX AND OPEN SOURCE NEWS PODCAST:
Listen to the latest Linux and open source news, with more in depth coverage, and ad-free! podcast.thelinuxexp.com
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:49 Sponsor: Proton Mail
02:21 Wayland Session
05:38 Desktop changes
10:50 Applications
17:15 Base System
18:33 Conclusion
21:25 Sponsor: Tuxedo Computers
22:13 Support the channel
WAYLAND SESSION
- Classic Session: it's x11, works as it did before, not getting the Wayland improvements, but it's also the most tried and tested
- Secure session: it's the Wayland session, it uses permissions and portals to let you control what apps can or can't do
- Also comes with mixed DPI mode, as in: external displays can have different DPIs, and better multi touch gestures as well, because, well that's one of the perks of Wayland
- New Portals added: color picker, screenshot portal, screencast, and Wallpaper.
- The default is still CLASSIC: no Wayland by default, it's a choice you need to make
DESKTOP CHANGES
- Dock has been completely rewritten to work with Wayland
- It gained features in the process
- Click on an app's icon that has many windows: it opens a window spread of these windows
- If only one windows, it focuses it on the right workspace
- You can middle click on an app's icon to open a new windows as well, and scroll over the icon to switch between windows
- The dock also finally has super + number to open a specific app
- Quick settings are now a thing in eOS as well, giving you access to a slider for font size, dark mode, the screen reader, the onscreen keyboard, a rotation lock
- The super key will now by default open the launcher
- It used to open the shortcuts overlay, but it now opens the apps menu, and super + space will switch between keyboard layouts
- Finally, the cursor theme has been changed a bit
- Other visual changes include blurred wallpapers in the multitasking view, instead of the drab grey background, same goes for the user switcher / login screen
APPLICATIONS
- App permissions are now supported
- AppCenter: defaults to Flatpak, that's the technology of the future for graphical apps, I can only applaud the choice they made here
- So, they replaced the "curated" label that elementary OS apps had, by "made for elementary OS", to still indicate apps that conform to their specific guidelines, although GNOME apps tend to use similar guidelines, the "made for eOS apps" will at least have the right theme
- The app pages have been improved as well, with better links to the developer's various pages
- As per updates, app updates are handled in the app center, and system updates in the system settings.
- These are now offline updates, so installed when you restart
- Default elementary OS apps are the same as you know in elementary OS 7: they're all flatpaks, so you already have their latest version, which means they're still OK but a bit simple
SYSTEM SETTINGS
- Now design for the system settings app, with a dual pane layout, like every other desktop
- Text scaling is much better in there as well, and search now returns actually relevant results
- You can now disable overlay scrollbars in the appearance settings
- The language settings let you pick the temperature unit automatically based on your locale, and you get new keyboard shortcuts to play around with
- Power settings are more complete, you can see the charring status and battery percentages of all connected devices
