Elementary OS 5

As a major update of the trendy distribution parades down the Linux ramp, Mayank Sharma wonders if he can use it as his everyday desktop.

Elementary OS is a nicely crafted distribution that we’ve often recommended. The latest iteration has received a slew of updates to virtually all its components, which feel more cohesive and usable.

Elementary uses its own custom built Pantheon desktop, which is a pleasing aesthetic take on the classical desktop metaphor. This release has improved HiDPI support to make it look good on high resolution screens as well. One key feature is the new picture-in-picture mode that enables you to select an area of a window or the desktop, and then pops it out. This popout is movable, resizable, always-on-top, and can move across workspaces. In the same vein, window tiling has also improved and you can now drag the shared edge of two windows lined side-by-side to adjust their size.