After things looked a bit difficult for the future of the distribution, version 8 is now available, and it does a lot better than its predecessor.

At first glance, not much is happening, but important changes are waiting: Wayland and finally Flatpak as standard. Is that enough?

More security and data protection, a new dock and better multitasking and window management functions, optional Wayland, Flatpak, Kernel 6.8 and Pipewire are among the new features.

Installation

When it comes to installation, I have to say it was very quick and relatively easy. If you are a layperson, please ask for help.

Start

When you log in for the first time, you’ll notice the old design that leads from the login screen to the desktop. Of course, there’s a new background image, but you’ll notice (positively) that the dock is now different too.

Otherwise, you’ll find everything where it was before. Elementary OS lives on in its own right. Nothing special here, except for a lot of apps in the dock. So let’s get started!

First foray into the apps

Design

When it comes to design, Elementary OS was at the forefront for a long time. Now it has to be said that it has somehow lost touch. Not on the desktop, on the dock or generally if you just take a look at it, but more when you open the settings, for example.

The quick settings in the top right are also clearly laid out in the separate sections, which has to do with the design, but adjusting the settings is often fiddly, which again has more to do with handling.

Also worth noting – the close window button is still on the left, like on MacOS, but not every design fits in there. Some apps also come with their own buttons, and they are suddenly on the right. So unfortunately it’s only half a good idea to go your own way here.

Apps

As usual, Elementary OS comes with a range of its own applications and apps, which are adequate in terms of basic functionality and provide many of the essentials. I also think the SoftwareCenter is pretty good, but it could do with a bit of modernization.

What’s new is FINALLY: Flatpak is supported and displayed in its own store. This finally opens up the entire system in many, many more directions and the only disadvantage so far is that some apps just can’t be installed. For example, Chrome will not install, nor is Spotify.

Chrome and Spotify simply didn't want to be installed via the store. Repairing them wasn't possible either.

So the terminal had to help. At least Chrome could be installed, but that is definitely not for the normal user. Unfortunately. Even clicking on “Repair” doesn’t really do anything. I have no idea what exactly was going on, and I have to admit I didn’t care. If something doesn’t work, it just doesn’t work.

At least the system provides a fairly well-rounded experience with the apps that are included, but without the “big” others, LibreOffice and Thunderbird could at least be installed directly, the whole system is difficult for a “real” use.

Nextcloud works so far, also well with the file browser, but because it runs in the background it is not displayed in the top right and so you hardly have any idea whether it is running or not. You also have to set whether the apps start automatically in the settings. Because once again it doesn’t do it on its own, even if you activate it in the settings of Nextcloud.

Work

So. Unfortunately, we have to start with something negative. Because: In contrast to other distributions, you can see that not so much polishing has been done here.

Let’s start with the login. The system always sets the monitor to full brightness, whether after standby or booting up. After pressing the corresponding key on the keyboard, however, there seems to be at least a memory of where it was. Or the keyboard lighting, which is always dark by default, regardless of how it was set beforehand.

The overview of all apps and programs, for example, sometimes does not show the contents of Chrome – it is just transparent. Applications in the application menu cannot be organized, put into folders, or dragged into the dock. At least the latter can be done with a right click.

The overview sometimes lacks a preview for individual windows

The quick settings can also be a bit annoying. If you click on an icon in the top right and don’t move straight down, the next menu opens.

Deleting all notifications there is still only possible with a click on a plain text; a button would have been nicer here. And above all: more visible. The notifications, although nice, don’t always seem to disappear. Even if they are important: why don’t they go away at some point? 20% battery is not much, but not that little.

Wayland also only has 100 and 200% scaling. So on 4K monitors it’s either small or pointless. At least you can change the font size directly in the quick settings. But: be careful when setting the slider – it’s almost live and correspondingly annoying when you click and drag. So it’s better to use the buttons next to it.

And something else in the quick settings: the icon in the top right doesn’t really make sense. It shows something like a slider, but there is only one slider for font size – everything else is a button or the buttons for restart, shutdown and settings. So not entirely clear in my opinion.

The system settings are also just about OK in terms of design and layout, at least there are energy modes. You can’t zoom or go back in the browser using the touchpad with two fingers. The page scrolls much too quickly with it.

And of course: You can still manage your everyday life with it and I get through the day that far. But it doesn’t feel as good, especially in comparison, one might say.

Multimedia

If you install additional content during installation, at least viewing photos and playing videos seems to work. It does take a while for the thumbnail to load, but it is functional and good.

At least you can do basic editing on photos, but unfortunately there is one small thing that is annoying. If you open a photo and have it displayed in full screen, and then close it again from full screen, you suddenly find yourself on a new desktop. So you have to close the photo and switch back to the desktop on the “left”. Not good. I think they are trying to copy MacOS here, but it doesn’t seem to work that well. The same thing happens with videos in full screen, but the system switches back to the actual desktop.

Windows-Apps

By default, no Windows program or EXE file can be opened.

So go to the AppCenter and search for WINE. Somehow you find everything and nothing. But unfortunately nothing with just “WINE”, but a lot with “GUI for WINE”. Again, this is not for laymen, at least it also finds Bottles.

Bottles is also not really for newbees, but with a bit of practice you can manage it, or at least you can prepare it for newbees. At least some EXE files could be opened, even if there is no implementation in the file browser. So always start via the Bottles app, there is no other way to do it so far.

Games

There were no problems with Steam. You can install it as a Flatpak, log in and run a few simple test games without any problems. The only annoying thing is that if you close the game, you are basically on a second desktop that is empty. Like with the pictures earlier. So you have to switch back to the main desktop to see the Steam app again. Why? I don’t know. But it is a bit annoying.

Conclusio

Well, my test was only short-lived because I found too much to complain about.

So here you can see what happens when you implement an actually good idea less and less well over several versions and then just update it. Elementary OS was a showcase Linux, but now it’s too weak to really recommend it.

The problem is not the big picture, but the many little things. And the feeling that little progress has been made.

At least you can draw something

On the other hand, you have to be happy about the effort that is being put in here, but then the question arises: For whom? The system is too buggy for beginners, and perhaps too simple for advanced users. Stylish, but still “out of date”. At least the dock has been modernized a bit, but the icons are still a bit “more difficult” when it comes to a complete and well-rounded design.

So can you recommend it? Unfortunately not. Why? Because you don’t know how it will continue. In recent years there have been problems with management and what if there are soon too few developers?

So a nice distribution with a still good basic idea, even if it is partly stolen, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to recommend.

This also shows something, in my opinion: creating and maintaining a distribution, or even a complete desktop, is a lot of work. So the question often arises as to why you should even bother with it. Yes, it is a differentiation, but at the same time it is probably worse than the big alternatives, such as GNOME, KDE and Cinnaomon or even Xfce. So it is not so much the intention to build a good desktop, but the sheer number of working hours that cannot keep up with others.

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