GNOME's new AI assistant Newelle can now run mini apps, websites, and even Linux commands

Newelle, the AI-powered virtual assistant for Linux and GNOME, recently released version 1.0 with a focus on extensibility and productivity. The new mini app framework now lets developers create custom mini apps that appear directly in the sidebar. Alongside this, Newelle introduces an integrated browser mini app, giving users the ability to browse the web and attach web pages without leaving the assistant.

Expanding user workflows within a single interface, version 1.0 improves its file management with support for multiple file operations and adds a dedicated file editor for making direct changes to files and code blocks. Following these feature upgrades, an integrated Terminal mini app is now available, streamlining developer access to the command line within Newelle.

Building on customization, programmable prompts now allow dynamic content using conditionals and random strings. The update also adds support for running HTML, CSS, and JavaScript websites directly in the app, and introduces multilingual capabilities for Kokoro text-to-speech and Whisper.CPP components. For enhanced usability, users can edit chat names, and new extensions like Calendar and Image Generator are included. Minor bug fixes and a new animation on chat change complete the release.