Major Release | Endless OS 3 is out!

Endless OS 3 has made its debut!

As some of you have noticed, we rolled out Endless OS 3 a few weeks ago in a very soft launch. Today, we released Endless OS version 3.0.5 and we want to make sure that everyone knows about it.

Unfortunately, users who are on Endless OS 2.6.x cannot upgrade automatically to Endless OS 3. We are working on a way to solve this, but until then, users who can’t wait to try Endless OS 3 can download it directly from endlessm.com/download.

The release notes are below. We hope you enjoy the shiny new Endless!


Endless OS 3 | Release Notes

Endless OS 3.0 is the latest release of our operating system. It is a major release, which brings significant changes to the underlying software stack, including a complete switch from 32-bit to 64-bit on Intel platforms, a brand new app bundle technology called Flatpak, and a brand new app center based on GNOME Software. It is also the first release to include subscriptions apps (formerly known as knowledge apps) built through the Soma content management pipeline.

Given the extent of the changes to the applications, we are unable to provide a fully automatic upgrade from Endless OS 2.6 to 3.0. As of the initial 3.0 release, the only officially supported upgrade path is a complete reinstall. Later, we will make available an update to Endless OS 2.6 that will help guide users who choose through an OS upgrade to 3.0, which will remove installed applications and require the user to manually re-install any desired applications.

A New App Center

Endless OS comes with an brand new app center called GNOME Software. With it, you can manage your applications, safely update your system and your devices, and much more. Together with GNOME Software, Endless OS 3.0 debuts another big technology shift: Flatpak, the future of application distribution.

Security

Flatpak is a technology designed to distribute and run applications securely, and is supported by GNOME Software. Applications are sandboxed and have limited access to users’ data. With it, we can guarantee security and improve the overall user experience.

Efficiency

By using Flatpak, we optimize the internet consumption. Only what is absolutely essential is downloaded, saving precious bandwidth.


Other Improvements

  • Endless OS works entirely on 64-bit mode now, improving performance on newer machines.
  • The majority of applications were updated to newer versions, bringing improvements on performance and security.
  • The GNOME applications were updated to the 3.20 version.

Updates

Endless OS 3.0.3 (September 19, 2016)

  • This is the first Endless 3.0 version that we released to our website for public download
  • New Windows installer supports dual boot without the need for a USB drive
  • Users of the “free” version can now purchase and download video codecs
  • New rounded desktop icons, wallpapers, and sample images
  • New apps: Bengali Curriculum, Publimetro News (Mexico), Globo Extra News (Brazil)

Endless OS 3.0.4 (October 2, 2016)

  • Fix app center to not automatically download all updates when refreshing the list of available updates
  • Add weblinks and localized English knowledge apps for Bangladesh
  • Add Soy502 news app for Guatemala
  • Make Virtual School (KA Lite) available in App Center

Endless OS 3.0.5 (October 23, 2016)

  • Fix Flash and Widevine (e.g., for Netflix) downloads, which had been broken when Google removed Flash from Chrome distributions
  • Lots of fixes to updating and installing apps through the App Center, plus additional categories.
  • Add new combined Endless USB which can be booted as a live trial, as well as containing the Windows installer you can run on a Windows system
  • Fix many stability issues and errors with the Windows installer
  • Fix installation of Spotify and Skype
  • Upgrade Chromium browser to version 52
3 Likes

A post was split to a new topic: Endless OS Version 3.0.7