GNOME (GNU Network Object Model Environment) is one of the two largest Linux desktop environments, alongside KDE. Begun in 1997 by Miguel de Icaza and Federico Mena as a free alternative to the then-proprietary KDE's Qt toolkit, GNOME is built around the GTK toolkit and the GLib / GObject libraries. It is the default desktop on Ubuntu, Fedora Workstation, Debian, RHEL, and many others.
GNOME's aesthetic has evolved significantly. GNOME 2 (2002-2011) was a traditional desktop with taskbar and menu. GNOME 3 (2011+) introduced the GNOME Shell, a radically different interface built around an "activities overview" and full-screen workspaces. This was controversial—some users moved to XFCE, MATE (a GNOME 2 fork), or Cinnamon in protest—but GNOME Shell has matured into a polished, minimalist desktop loved by its users.
The GNOME stack includes:
- Mutter — the compositor (now Wayland-native)
- GNOME Shell — the shell/UI
- Nautilus — file manager
- GNOME Settings — configuration UI
- GNOME Software — app store front-end (Flatpak, Snap, RPM/DEB)
- A large collection of core applications
GNOME's opinionated design philosophy—emphasising simplicity and workflow over customisation—makes it well-suited to new users and developers who want a clean environment. For heavy customisers, KDE Plasma or a tiling window manager is usually a better fit.
Related terms: KDE Plasma, gtk, desktop-environment
Discussed in:
- Chapter 20: The Linux Ecosystem — Desktop Environments
Also defined in: Textbook of Linux