Elementary OS 8 continues the tradition of a beautiful, user-friendly desktop

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

I've always had a soft spot in my heart for Elementary OS. It was one of the few distributions capable of pulling me away from Ubuntu. When I first discovered Elementary OS, I thought, "This is what a Linux desktop should look like!" It was equal parts elegant and user-friendly. 

Fortunately, the ethos that drives Elementary OS hasn't changed much over the years. It's still a very MacOS-like desktop with a unified look and feel. At the same time, Elementary OS doesn't foist specific apps upon you, so you wind up with a desktop that will need the help of some third-party applications, such as those found in the AppCenter.

Also: My Linux predictions for 2025: It's going to be a good year

With the latest release of the distribution, the development team has focused on the following improvements:

A new Secure Session that forces applications to respect privacy and require your consent.A completely rewritten dock.Better multitasking and window management.An even more inclusive design.

When I installed Elementary OS 8, I wasn't certain what I should expect because I've experienced all of the iterations of Elementary OS released over the past decade. If I had to boil this distribution down to a single word, that word would be "consistency." The Elementary OS I see today is very similar to the releases I've used before. But had the developers not struck such a perfect balance between look and behavior, I might be more inclined to say, "Where's the change?" but Elementary OS doesn't need to change because Pantheon (the Elementary OS UI) is one of the finest desktops on the market.

Let's talk about what has changed.

1. Privacy and security

Privacy and security take center stage because vulnerability is always lurking around the corner. To that end, the developers added a system of permissions that put everything in the user's hands. This is very similar to permissions used in mobile OSes. If an app needed access to a feature, it would have to get explicit permission from the user. 

Also: The best password manager for Mac in 2024

Another important feature is the new Secure Session. To access, go to the login screen, and directly to the right of the password field, you'll see a gear icon. Click that icon, and you will be able to select between Secure and Classic sessions. If you choose Secure, Elementary OS will use the more secure Wayland server and restrict apps using the permission method listed above. The Classic session is used by default and applications will behave exactly as they always have.

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

The developers have also added four new Portals (the standardized system interfaces that apps use to access features while respecting privacy and consent): Color Picker, Screenshot, Screencast, and Wallpaper. These were created so that apps are able to behave as expected in the Secure Session.

2. App installation

One thing about elementary OS is that it heavily uses Flatpak applications. In previous iterations, that could mean you might not be able to find the app you're looking for because the AppCenter didn't have access to all of the apps found on Flathub. With version 8, that changes, and the AppCenter will now list far more apps than in previous releases. When you go to install an application, you can choose between AppCenter and Flathub installations.

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

There's also a new Sponsor link for app developers who fund their efforts using third-party platforms such as GitHub or Patreon. Click on the link, and it will take you to the developer's site, where you can view the source, donate, and more.

Also: The best Linux laptops of 2024 

Another interesting addition is the AppCenter informs of any issues that might be found with the app. For instance, when installing the Opera web browser, the AppCenter informed me that Bubbles may not be configurable or could appear in the notification center as "Other." Next to that notification, it informed me the installation would be able to read and modify system settings. 

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

Another change that makes me think Elementary OS is taking a rather Fedora approach to updates. While AppCenter updates will never require a restart, all updates within System Settings will always require one. You also get the option to opt-in for automatic update downloads to help speed up the process.

These additions are important for those who take their privacy seriously.

3. The overall effect

As I said earlier, when you first log into Elementary OS, you pretty much know what you're getting. There'll be a dock, a desktop menu, and a top bar; the theme will be united throughout, and limited default apps will all work well. 

This time, however, upon logging in for the first time, the thing that struck me first was the dock transparency. Back in the early days, getting any sort of transparency in the dock wasn't exactly an easy feat. Now, it's there by default, making the desktop look even more elegant.

Also: 10 lessons I've learned from the open-source community that aren't about tech

However, of all the iterations of Elementary OS I've used over the years, version 8 is, by far, the most polished. Beyond beautiful aesthetics, Elementary OS 8 also performs really well. Even on a virtual machine (with limited resources), Elementary OS ran like a champ with smooth animations. 

All in all, I have nothing but praise for a Linux distribution that has earned plenty of kudos in the past. Elementary OS continues to be one of the most user-friendly and sweet-looking desktops on the market. Moreover, given that the Elementary OS is based on Ubuntu LTS, you can expect a high level of reliability and outstanding hardware detection.

If you're curious about Linux and are looking for a user-friendly distribution with a brilliantly designed user interface, do yourself a favor and give Elementary OS a try. You can download version 8 from the official Elementary OS site.

I recommend reading the official announcement for the new release and diving even deeper into the major changes.