What is GNOME?

The GNOME Project is an effort to create a complete, free and easy-to-use desktop environment for users, as well as a powerful application development framework for software developers.

GNOME is Free Software and part of the GNU project. It is usable, accessible and documented and translated in dozens of languages already.

GNOME strives to be an organized community, with a foundation of several hundred members, usability, accessibility, and QA teams, and an elected board.

Beyond the worldwide GNOME Community, GNOME is supported by the leading companies in Linux and Unix, including HP, Mandrake, Novell, Red Hat, and Sun.

Friend of Gnome

Want to give back to the community of mostly volunteer developers who have worked so hard to make GNOME the powerful, flexible, friendly, fun desktop that it is? Become a Friend of GNOME. Your donation goes to the GNOME Foundation, helping provide development, education and promotion for GNOME worldwide. Events such as the GNOME Summit are supported through the generosity of our Friends of GNOME.
All contributions are tax-deductible in the U.S. Thanks to our generous Friends.

Announcements

10 Sep. The GNOME 2.4 Desktop & Developer Platform has been released! Read the official release notes and Ars Technica's detailed review to find out more!

XX Abc. Say NO to software patents in Europe! The GNOME website is participating in an online demonstration against the acceptance of software patents in Europe. This change in law threatens many GNOME contributors living and working in Europe, and is a detriment to the progress of our industry as a whole.

Getting Involved

The GNOME project always welcomes new contributors. Whether you are a seasoned developer or you have never written a line of code in your life, you can probably find some way to contribute to and improve GNOME. For help finding the best way for you to contribute to the GNOME project and for help getting started, read Joining the GNOME Project.