Modules in the GNOME desktop are not required to make the same API and ABI stability guarantees as modules in the platform, although attempts are made to keep them relatively stable. Often, modules are introduced in the desktop release to mature, and are moved into the platform once they've stabilized.
The eel library provides a number of additional widgets primarily for use inside Nautilus, the GNOME file manager. Many of the widgets in eel have since been provided in GTK+.
Evolution Data Server provides a unified location for address book and calendar information, allowing multiple applications to share the same data. Evolution Data Server is discussed in Section 5.9 ― Address Book and Calendar.
In addition to the actual panel, the gnome-panel package provides the libraries used to construct panel applets to run on the user's panel. Panel applets are discussed in Section 5.2 ― Panel Applets.
The GNOME keyring manager provides a modern and secure means of storing users' passwords and other sensitive data. Keys are encrypted and can only be accessed by explicit user permission. The keyring manager is discussed in Section 5.7 ― Storing Passwords.
GStreamer is the powerful multimedia used throughout GNOME to play, create, and manipulate sound and video. GStreamer is discussed in Section 3.6 ― Multimedia.
The gtkhtml library provides a lightweight HTML renderer with full support for rich text editing. It is used inside the Evolution mailer to allow users to compose and read HTML email.
The gtksourceview library provides an extension of the GtkTextView widget with support for automatic syntax highlighting and other functions that are useful for source code editors. It is used in the gedit text editor.
GAIL provides an implementation of the ATK interfaces for GTK+ and GNOME libraries, allowing accessibility tools to interact with applications written using these libraries. Accessibility is discussed in Section 3.5 ― Accessibility.
The libgnomeprint library provides an implementation of the PostScript imaging model and can be used to create high-quality print renderings. The GNOME print framework is discussed in Section 3.7.1 ― GNOME Print.
The libgnomeprintui library provides a standart print dialog, a print preview dialog, and various other controls required for printing. The GNOME print framework is discussed in Section 3.7.1 ― GNOME Print.
The libgtop library provides a portable API for obtaining information about running processes. It is used in the System Monitor applicatio.
The librsvg library provides an implementation of Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG). It is used throughout the desktop to render resolution-independent vector graphics.
The libsoup library provides an implementation of the Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), as well as an HTTP implementation. SOAP can be used to build web services into applications. The libsoup library is discussed in Section 4.5.1 ― SOAP.
The libwnck library provides a means of controlling any EWMH-compliant window manager, including Metacity, the GNOME default window manager. The libwnck library is discussed in Section 5.5 ― Window Manager.
The libxklavier library provides a high-level API for accessing and setting keyboard layouts. It is used in the Keyboard Preferences to allow users to set their keyboard layout and options.
VTE is a terminal emulator widget for use in GTK+ applications. It provides a consistent API and uses Pango for text drawing, allowing it to display all internationalized text. VTE is used in GNOME's Terminal application.