Enlightenment announced version 0.28.0 on October 31, adding a NetworkManager module and native PipeWire mixer support. Those changes give users of the open-source desktop shell more direct control over networking and audio. The release notes establish both additions, though the page's download table still names a 0.27.0 archive. This is a documentation-based report; we haven't installed or tested the release.
Enlightenment handles application launching, windows and files, with a compositor and a built-in file manager. Its project overview describes modules that extend the shell itself. For an unfamiliar reader, that explains why a network module matters: these controls belong to the desktop environment you use to manage the machine.
Connections and audio move into the shell
The new NetworkManager module covers Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Bluetooth networking and VPNs. The notes also list automatic detection of NetworkManager and ConnMan. Native PipeWire mixing sits alongside PulseAudio support, with actions to choose outputs, according to the release announcement.
That makes the update worth evaluating if networking or audio control has kept you from using Enlightenment as your everyday desktop. The useful test is whether the shell can manage your actual connections and output devices. A list of supported services cannot establish how well a particular setup works.
Check the package and session before upgrading
Enlightenment 0.28.0 requires EFL 1.29.0 or newer. At the time of this check, the announcement's download table displayed enlightenment-0.27.0.tar.xz. Verify the version offered by your package source before treating that link as the announced release. We did not inspect the archive contents.
The overview lists both X11 and Wayland support, but labels Wayland experimental. It also describes software compositing as a fallback when a GPU isn't available. Those are documented capabilities, not findings from a 0.28.0 compatibility or performance test.
For anyone considering a switch, the next evidence to look for is a clearly identified 0.28.0 package and reports from the same display session and hardware they intend to use. The project still labels Wayland experimental; the network and audio additions alone don't settle whether that session is ready for their workload.