In recent years, elementary OS has consistently ranked as one of the best desktop-oriented Linux distributions. It has a sleek, modern, intuitive user interface called Pantheon that is easy to use and visually appealing. At the same time, the distro offers a high degree of customization, allowing users to tailor the UI to their specific needs and preferences.
The recently released elementary OS 7 is a confirmation of all this. At the same time, developers are continuously working on improvements of various aesthetics to give users the most simplified and pleasant user experience.
Entirely in line with this, the latest advancements that came with the recent updates to the operating system prove it. So let’s see what it is all about.
Enhanced File Manager App
The main focus in the first round of updates for elementary OS 7 is aimed at the Files app. It has received a new button in its header to improve the discoverability of functions such as zoom and undo/redo and clean up folder context menus.
Moreover, before you click the Undo and Redo buttons, tooltips show you what action will be performed. In addition, if you are used to Windows opening folders with a double click rather than a single click in Elementary OS, you can quickly and easily change this behavior directly from the new menu. Just open the settings menu in the top right and toggle on the “Double-click to navigate” option.
Finally, the way the File Chooser handles typing focus when saving has also been reworked.
Better Network Indicator
The other component that has received attention in recent elementary OS 7 updates is the network indicator which now offers a much better experience for using VPNs. What has changed? Instead of a list of switches, most options now show circular toggle buttons with icons.
The new design has two benefits: it saves space on devices with complicated network setups and, at the same time, displays the status of your connections in a more easier-to-perceive manner, including intermediate and error states. Additionally, for VPNs, you can now activate several connections simultaneously.
On top of that, the developers have introduced some new features to improve the user experience. For example, a convenient way to turn on and off Airplane Mode is now using the middle-click action on the indicator icon.
Additionally, they have implemented the functionality of Network Manager that automatically generates more user-friendly device names, reducing the occurrence of long and confusing names.
Apart from those mentioned above, among the updates, you’ll also find ones related to the window manager and AppCenter, which received a new Flatpak Repair feature. You can see all the improvements in detail in the announcement.
To get these improved functionalities, start AppCenter on your elementary OS 7 system and click “Update All” to receive all of these updates and your usual security, bug fix, and translation updates.
