GNOME Shell 2.29.0 with new notification system

 Version 2.29.0 of the GNOME Shell is now available for testing. The developers have integrated a new notification system into this version. An information bar at the bottom edge of the screen informs users, for instance, about newly connected devices or about which track the audio player has just changed to. Previous notifications are saved and can be accessed via an info icon in the bottom right corner of the screen.

Another new feature gives users the option to set their online status globally. This setting is then adopted by IM clients, etc. Furthermore, the overview now allows actions such as deleting a favourite to be undone. The animation used when switching into or out of a hidden window has been visually improved. A complete list of changes can be found in the release announcement.

The developers emphasise that it is still early days for the new GNOME Shell, and that it is not yet suitable for production use. The source code of the GNOME Shell is available to download from the project's FTP server. Ubuntu users can also install it via a PPA repository.