After several months of development the launch of the new version of the Linux distribution, Elementary OS 5.1 "Hera" was presented. This is a distribution that positions itself as a fast, open and privacy-conscious alternative for Windows and macOS.
The main objective of the project is the high quality design, intended to create an easy-to-use system that consumes minimal resources and provide high startup speed. The original Elementary OS components are developed using GTK3, Vala, and its own Granite framework.
Main new features of Elementary OS 5.1 «Hera»
With the release of this new version of Elementary OS 5.1 a redesigned login screen and screensavers are proposed, in which problems are solved when working on HiDPI screens and localization is improved. The login screen now shows the cards of existing users To simplify selection, the name, avatar and wallpaper selected by the user are immediately displayed.
In addition to avoiding errors when entering a password, the indicators of the active keys Caps Lock and Num Lock are displayed.
Another new feature in Elementary OS 5.1 is a new login interface, which allows you to change the settings when determining the rules to process confidential data and install popular third-party applications. For example, the user can choose to enable or not the location service, night lights, automatic deletion of temporary files and the contents of the recycle bin.
AppCenter received support built-in for universal packages in Flatpak format. Sideload interface has been added, which provides the ability to install applications that are not in the normal repository and are not available in AppCenter.
A great performance optimization was also carried out and the execution of tasks in a parallel sequence was ensured, allowing up to 10 times faster execution of certain operations. The formation of the recommended list of applications and the loading of the main screen are significantly accelerated.
Also It is noted that the list of third-party applications offered for installation has been updated. Added the ability to connect package repositories in Flatpak format. AppCenter also added new app categories and resolved issues with email confirmation, button styles, and visibility of available apps.
On the desktop, we can find that screenshot creation interface has been simplified, a button has been added to the context menu of the application to open the program information in the application installation manager.
The design of the toast notification indicator has been unified, added scrolling support to the audio control indicator to change the volume level and microphone sensitivity. The design of the indicator is changed with the date and time, scheduled events are displayed on the drop-down calendar (marked with dots). Added a tooltip for the keyboard shortcuts available for the session control prompt.
In a dark design style, a neutral gray color is used instead of a cool shade of gray. The contrast of elements in a dark style is increased. Some switches and indicators of the progress of the operation have become more subtle. Updated system icons.
Has been added a new tab «Appearance» to the desktop settings, which combines font size settings, panel transparency, and window opening animations.
The improved Bluetooth configuration interface. The reliability of the agent has been increased to pair with Bluetooth devices and establish the trust level in a situation where the device requires a PIN code or password.
Download Elementary OS 5.1 "Hera"
Finally, if you want to download and install this Linu distributionx on your computer or you want to test it under a virtual machine. You just have to go to the official website of the distribution and in its download section you can get the system image.
You can make use of Etcher to save the image to a USB.