1 GNOME 3.

32, out today, brings a crop of new features and enhancements to the Linux
desktop.
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3 The update includes a new icon set and theme refresh, rolls in a bunch of (much
needed) performance patches, and includes new versions of core apps, like the
Nautilus file manager.
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5 In all, it’s a major upgrade. And, as this is the world’s most popular free,
open-source desktop environment, a major upgrade of the GNOME desktop is major news
to its millions of users.
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7 There’s plenty more to learn about, so join us as we take a look at the best new
features of GNOME 3.32.
8 11 Best GNOME 3.32 Features
9 1. Fractional Scaling in GNOME Shell
10 GNOME 3.22 is the first version to support fractional scaling, an oft-requested
feature that allows everything on screen to look ‘normal’ on HiDPI monitors.
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12 The downside is that it is, for now, an experimental option that works on Wayland
sessions only.
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14 Yup, fractional scaling is not enabled by default, despite being a biggie.
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16 To enable fractional scaling in GNOME 3.32 you need to a) use Wayland and b)
manually add scale-monitor-framebuffer to the gsettings key
org.gnome.mutter.experimental-features.
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18 When turned on you can head to the Settings > Display panel to choose a scaling
value, which include values at 125%, 150%, 175% and 200%.
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20 A big shout-out to Canonical for helping plumbing in support for fractional scaling
values. You can swot up on the technical details in this blog post.
21 2. Control Over App Permissions
22 GNOME 3.32 gives you more control over how installed apps behave and what they can
access whilst running.
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24 The new Settings > Applications pane lists all installed applications (repo and
Flatpak). Click on an app for an overview of its key settings and permissions.
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26 There are toggles for things like app notifications, sound and search, as well as
configurable permissions for Flatpak applications. Some built-in permissions can’t
be changed, e.g., Nautilus having access to your file system.
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28 On a related note, Flatpak permissions now appear in Software. The app hub has been
updated to show which permissions a Flatpak app will have access to should a user
choose to install it. A handy heads-up!