GNOME adheres to a rigorous six-month release schedule, typically launching new versions in March or April and then in September or October.
Following the recent release of GNOME 46 on March 20, the upcoming GNOME 47 is slated for release in September. But just yesterday, the GNOME project published its official release schedule, confirming that GNOME 47 will be released on September 18.
A Peek into GNOME’s Release Schedule
The path towards the final release of GNOME 47 is carefully structured, with several key milestones laid out over the next few months. Here they are.
47 Alpha
The development team will introduce the initial unstable version on June 29, 2024, beginning with the alpha release, which will include experimental features for early testers.
47 Beta
After the alpha release, the beta version is set for August 3, 2024. This stage will offer a more polished collection of features and improvements, still in the unstable category. It will provide a crucial phase for debugging and refining the user experience based on feedback.
47 RC
The release candidate (RC) represents the penultimate phase in the development cycle, scheduled for August 31, 2024. This version is expected to mirror the final product, providing one last chance to catch any elusive bugs or performance issues.
GNOME 47 Stable Release
The journey culminates with the official stable release of GNOME 47, set for September 18, 2024. This version promises to enhance existing features and introduce new functionalities designed to improve the overall user interface and efficiency.
There’s an interesting detail to note. The official GNOME Release Calendar marks September 14 as the ‘Tarballs due date,’ which might lead those unfamiliar with the process to mistake it for the release date. Emmanuele Bassi from the GNOME team shed light on this:
“The release date is only ever specified for the point-zero release, and it’s on the Wednesday following the due date.”
In simpler terms, the GNOME 47 desktop will be officially announced and made publicly available on September 18, the Wednesday following the due date of September 14.
GNOME 45/46
Parallel to the development of GNOME 47, the dev team continues to support older versions. The schedule includes GNOME 46 and 45 updates, labeled as ‘stable’ and ‘old-stable,’ respectively, with multiple releases throughout the year.
These updates ensure security patches and minor enhancements are available to users who have not yet transitioned to the latest version. The upcoming releases are as follows:
- GNOME 46.2 and 45.7 on May 25, 2024
- GNOME 46.3 and 45.8 on June 29, 2024
- GNOME 46.4 and 45.9 on August 3, 2024
For more detailed information, visit the GNOME Release Calendar.
