I found a simpler base list that we can use. Debian provides a tracker for each GNOME release based on what GNOME itself decides to release. It is simpler than trying to verify multiple files in a GNOME git repo and the GNOME git repo doesn’t handle build-depends well. The Debian tracker just provides a prettier view of the GNOME release metadata.
This allows the sets to be updated over time as GNOME makes changes to what they release.
For Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, it’s https://people.debian.org/~fpeters/gnome/debian-gnome-42-status.html
For Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, it’s https://people.debian.org/~fpeters/gnome/debian-gnome-3.36-status.html
Ignore the unrelated Telepathy section.
From that base list, I propose these exceptions:
Additions
- evolution
- evolution-ews
- file-roller
- gedit
- gnome-terminal
- gnome-tweaks
- seahorse
- everything that the gnome-games apt package directly depends on
Removals
- vala
GNOME Shell
Starting with Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, we removed most GNOME Shell extensions but left ones that require some system integration. We are now doing a basic smoke test of those extensions as part of our SRUs. Here’s a recent example.
Mutter
As a shared critical component with Ubuntu Budgie, we also ensure that new Mutter SRUs are tested on Ubuntu Budgie (so far, the testing has been done directly by Ubuntu Budgie testers).
Apps Note
By the way, years ago, GNOME used to include a lot more optional apps in their release set but they reduced the set to a more basic set that they recommend to be installed by default. That’s how evolution and the GNOME games fell out of the set.
Diff from previous work
Here’s a diff of just the base set for 22.04 LTS compared to the earlier proposed list. It’s a little noisy because the earlier proposed list included the exceptions.
--- old
-accerciser
adwaita-icon-theme
at-spi2-atk
at-spi2-core
atk1.0
+atkmm1.6
baobab
+gnome-calls
+fonts-cantarell
cheese
-clutter-gst
+clutter-1.0
+clutter-gst-3.0
clutter-gtk
-clutter
+cogl
+dconf
dconf-editor
devhelp
eog
-epiphany
+epiphany-browser
evince
evolution-data-server
-evolution
-evolution-ews
-file-roller
folks
+gcab
gcr
gdk-pixbuf
gdm3
-gedit
+geocode-glib
+gexiv2
+gfbgraph
gjs
+glib2.0
glib-networking
-glib
-gnome-2048
+glibmm2.4
+gmime
gnome-autoar
gnome-backgrounds
gnome-bluetooth
+gnome-bluetooth3
gnome-boxes
gnome-builder
gnome-calculator
gnome-calendar
gnome-characters
-gnome-chess
gnome-clocks
gnome-color-manager
+gnome-connections
+gnome-console
gnome-contacts
gnome-control-center
gnome-desktop
gnome-disk-utility
gnome-font-viewer
-gnome-games-app
-gnome-getting-started-docs
gnome-initial-setup
gnome-keyring
-gnome-klotski
gnome-logs
-gnome-mahjongg
gnome-maps
gnome-menus
gnome-music
-gnome-nibbles
gnome-online-accounts
-gnome-online-miners
gnome-photos
gnome-remote-desktop
-gnome-robots
-gnome-screenshot
gnome-session
gnome-settings-daemon
gnome-shell
gnome-shell-extensions
gnome-software
-gnome-sudoku
gnome-system-monitor
-gnome-taquin
-gnome-terminal
-gnome-tetravex
+gnome-text-editor
gnome-tour
gnome-user-docs
gnome-user-share
gnome-video-effects
gnome-weather
gobject-introspection
+libgom
grilo
grilo-plugins
gsettings-desktop-schemas
gsound
-gst-plugins-base
-gtk+-3
+gspell
+gssdp
+gtk4
+gtk+3.0
gtk-doc
-gtkmm-3
-gtksourceview
gtk-vnc
-gvfs-daemon
-iagno
+gtkmm3.0
+gtksourceview4
+gtksourceview5
+gupnp
+gupnp-av
+gupnp-dlna
+gvfs
json-glib
+jsonrpc-glib
+libadwaita-1
+libchamplain
libdazzle
-libgweather
-libhandy-0
-libhandy
+libgdata
+libgee-0.8
+libgnomekbd
+libgsf
+libgtop2
+libgweather4
+libgxps
+libhandy-1
+libmediaart
+libnma
libnotify
+libpeas
librsvg
libsecret
-libsoup
+libsigc++-2.0
+libsoup2.4
+libsoup3
+mm-common
mutter
nautilus
+orca
+pango1.0
+pangomm
+phodav
+pyatspi
pygobject
-quadrapassel
+librest
rygel
-seahorse
simple-scan
-startup-notification
-sushi
-swell-foop
-tali
+gnome-sushi
+sysprof
totem
totem-pl-parser
-tracker-2
-tracker-miners-2
+tracker
tracker-miners
-tracker
+vala
+vte2.91
+xdg-desktop-portal-gnome
yelp
yelp-tools
yelp-xsl
+zenity
+
+Special additions:
+evolution
+evolution-ews
+file-roller
+gedit
+gnome-terminal
+gnome-tweaks
+seahorse
+everything that the gnome-games apt package directly depends on
+
+Special removals:
+vala