GNOME is a free desktop environment for UNIX-compatible systems. Gnome is one of the most widespread graphical media for Linux being present on most of the distributions. It has lower resource consumption compared to KDE but also fewer visual effects. The distinctive features of Gnome are the two bars (called panels) and the three main menus instead of one.
GNOME originated in 1997, the original author being Miguel de Icaza. The project was started as a result of KDE’s use of the Qt toolkit, which at the time was not an open source. Qt is a free software today, but both Gnome and KDE continue to grow separately.
KDE and GNOME collaborate within the Free Desktop project to ensure standardization of Unix/Linux systems. Gnome is based on programming language C and the GTK+ toolkit, a GIMP toolkit that has been extended to GNOME.
Gnome is based on a very strict design guide that ensures that apps look and work the same way. The Gnome target is to create a simple system that allows for maximum configuration and functionality with minimal effort. That’s why many less-used options have been removed or compressed to provide a clean, low-load-but reliable system. This mentality has resulted in a “save as you configure” system, any changes being applied immediately without the user pressing any Ok or Apply button and if the user does not want to keep the changes there is the option back. This easily configurable system quality has resulted in the inclusion of very few programs in the system kernel. This simplicity has led to the existence of many independent projects that are based on GNOME.
Thus, in GNOME there are:
– Nautilus – a file and system browser;
– Metacity – a windows manager;
– Ekiga – VOIP phone system;
– Epiphany – a web browser.
Gnome is an extremely configurable system, from content positioning and layout of menus and dialogs to the desktop shape that can be configured. The entire interface is configurable by using themes, which are installed by drag-and-drop in the GNOME theme manager. One of the features of the project is the tendency towards accessibility and internationalization, providing full support for multiple languages and for different keyboards.
The most beautiful Gnome themes are:
1. Zukitwo – is a beautiful, transparent and minimal theme. It can make the Gnome Shell desktop look absolutely amazing without changing the style. Sometimes simple things look the best.
2. Lexis – is a refreshing theme we all expected. It removes the excess parts from the top Gnome Shell, so Gnome looks completely new and shiny.
3. Zukitre Shell – is a Gnome Shell theme inspired by a GTK theme that has the same name. Surely there are no Gnome themes that favor a palette of black colors, but it still looks great.
4. NovaShell – is a theme dedicated to making Gnome Shell simplistic in appearance, you’ll probably love NovaShell.
5. EleganZe – is elegant, or to say more correctly, has a stylish look. It changes Gnome a bit and makes it more transparent. Generally, EleganZe is a modest theme for modest people.
6. Ambiance Gnome. Have you ever wanted your Gnome Shell to look more like Unity or Ubuntu? If you will install Ambiance Gnome on your system, it will look like that! This theme is inspired by the theme of Ambiance delivered with Ubuntu for years.
7. Oxigenum. I like KDE. I also like Gnome. When I discovered that someone created a theme that made Gnome Shell look like KDE, I could not hide my enthusiasm. Oxygenium is the Gnome Shell version of the KDE Plasma theme known as Oxygen.
8. Xenlism – is a theme inspired by SO Elementary’s window manager theme. The Gnome bar is completely transparent. This theme is clearly designed to help transform the Gnome Shell into something similar to the Pantheon environment of Elementary.