Introduction to GNOME 50 Release Candidate
Meanwhile, the GNOME Project has released the RC version of GNOME 50, scheduled for release on March 18th, 2026. However, this release candidate introduces several notable changes. For example, it includes HDR screen sharing support and enhanced performance with the NVIDIA graphics driver.
Additionally, the GNOME 50 Release Candidate features an “sdr-native” color mode, support for wp-color-management v2, and improved support for logind inhibitors in system actions. Therefore, users can expect a more seamless experience.
Key Features and Updates
Furthermore, this release changes the remote desktop plumbing to accept a hostname, allowing it to correctly communicate this information to PAM and wtmp/utpm/btmp. Moreover, the GNOME Calendar now includes arrow key navigation in the Month view, making it easier to navigate. Meanwhile, the Settings > WWAN section now includes a Primary Sim Slot setting.
Moreover, GNOME Maps has been updated to display place types, such as bus stops and railway stations, when selecting a place from a public transit itinerary. Additionally, it supports displaying localized results for public transit itineraries from Transitous/MOTIS when available in the upstream timetable feeds.
Other Noteworthy Changes
However, other notable updates include explicit DMA buffer synchronization and zero-copy Vulkan and VA-API rendering by default in GNOME Remote Desktop. Meanwhile, GNOME Software now remembers its window size between app restarts and lets you remove Flatpak remotes from the system installation.
Finally, the Orca screen reader has been updated with a new “Say All” option to only speak displayed text, making reading a long web page smoother. Additionally, it includes a new option to read chat room messages from the active room when in any application, and support for using GSettings.
