GNOME 42 has arrived! This is a big release, introducing the libadwaita library to provide apps with not only a new look but adaptive design and animations. There's also official dark theme support and excellent screen capturing functionality built into the Print Screen button.

So how do you get your hands on these new features? You can't just download the latest version from the official website. And while some Linux distributions do provide the updates in a matter of days, most will leave you waiting for months. But there are ways to go about getting the latest GNOME even on Ubuntu. Here's how.

Upgrading to Ubuntu 22.04

Ubuntu 20.04, the current long-term support release, uses GNOME 3.36. The latest interim release, Ubuntu 21.10, uses GNOME 40. To get GNOME 42, you need to upgrade to Ubuntu 22.04.

Technically, Ubuntu 22.04 isn't yet available. It's scheduled for release in April. But you can upgrade your system to use pre-release software and get GNOME 42 ahead of time. Just know that, as a system not yet intended for public consumption, you may encounter a greater number of bugs.

With that disclaimer out of the way, the first step is to make sure your system is completely up-to-date. You can do this from the app store, but since you will need to open a terminal to complete the process, let's just do that from the beginning. So open GNOME Terminal and enter this command:

        sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
    

This is a two-part command that first updates your software sources to make sure you're about to download the latest software. Then it actually begins the download.

Next, enter:

        sudo do-release-upgrade -d
    

This begins the process of upgrading to a newer version of Ubuntu. Since 22.04 isn't yet available, you need to tell the tool to look for versions of Ubuntu that are still in development. That's what the -d flag is for. Follow the prompts that appear in your terminal, and enter Y when necessary. When the process is done, reboot your machine.

Getting GNOME 42 on Other Linux Distros

Ubuntu is a GNOME-based distro, but it's not the best way to stay up-to-date with the latest version of GNOME. Ubuntu applies its own theme, extensions, and patches. Even if you do swap these out for the vanilla GNOME desktop, Ubuntu still provides different versions of various apps. Ubuntu 21.10, for example, came with GNOME 40 even though GNOME 41 was already available. But users didn't get only GNOME 40. Some GNOME 41 apps were sprinkled in.

To experience the latest version of GNOME as soon as possible, you can use a rolling release distribution. Two good options are openSUSE Tumbleweed and Arch Linux. On either distro, you don't have to do anything special to get GNOME 42. The latest version will become available either a few short days or a few weeks after GNOME releases the software into the wild.

Rolling release distros can come with a bit of extra maintenance and risk. If you like the stability that comes with a six-month release cycle, try Fedora. It provides the latest GNOME in its stock format. The current version, Fedora 35, comes with GNOME 41. But you can either download or if you're already running Fedora, upgrade to the Fedora 36 beta.

Make sure you've installed the latest updates, and then enter this command:

        sudo dnf system-upgrade download –releasever=36
    

If you use the immutable and Flatpak-based Fedora Silverblue, getting GNOME 42 ahead of time is even easier since Silverblue allows you to switch back and forth between Fedora 35 and Fedora 36 with a single command, without needing to reinstall your system.

        rpm-ostree rebase fedora:fedora/36/x86_64/silverblue
    

If things don't work out for you, you can switch back to Fedora 35 by selecting the previous entry in the GRUB menu at boot. If you can't see it, press Esc while your computer is booting up. You can then make the reversion permanent with this command:

        rpm-ostree rollback
    

Enjoy GNOME 42 on Your Linux Desktop

Trying out the latest version of GNOME is fun. Just know that some functionality is still rolling out. Various GNOME apps are gradually upgrading to GTK4 as time goes on. Some rough edges may appear.

While waiting can be hard, those who wait will find a more polished version of GNOME 42 waiting for them after a few months of updates and bug fixes. Whether you decide to wait or dive in right away, keep reading to see what's new!