GNOME 3.0, September 2010 release looking likely

It is looking increasingly likely that GNOME 3.0 will be delayed until September 2010, with GNOME 2.30 not being promoted to carry the version 3.0 label as previously suggested. A number of reports from GNOME developers working on elements of the updated version of the GNOME desktop now say those elements won't be ready for the optimistic March deadline for the next release of GNOME, as originally planned.

A report on Phoronix notes that the documentation developers expected to have the Yelp 3.0 help viewer software itself ready for March, but the actual documentation isn't likely to be completed until September. The GNOME accessibility team, keyring team and Evolution team have also made similar reports; they would have something suitable to be described as a preview release for March, but would prefer to be working towards a full GNOME 3.0 release at a later date. Even the GNOME marketing team prefer to aim for September.

The comments came after Vincent Untz of the GNOME release team, recently interviewed by The H, sent out a request for comments from the various GNOME development teams. Owen Taylor, from the GNOME Shell team, responded saying "There's not, in my estimation, (time) to finish the current work, user test, change it, polish performance and quality, and then ship that by March" adding that if they did release in March, the software would be of beta quality and that "It makes more sense to take our time and do a really good job". Taylor also pointed out that they have not yet started formal user testing of the GNOME Shell, which would be the visible centre-piece of any GNOME 3.0 release; "We have not (in general) set down users in front of GNOME Shell and watch how they succeed and fail with it and how they like it". He expects to start that process soon and have initial results by the end of the year.

See also:

• The path to GMOME 3.0 , an interview with Vincent Untz.
  

(djwm)