Since version 2 came out in 2005, Google Desktop for Windows has included a sidebar that users can fill with screen gadgets, but the Linux version (version 1, from June 2007) provided only indexing and search functions, with no eye candy whatsoever. This has finally changed. Google recently released Google Gadgets for Linux (GGL), which closes the gap between the operating systems. With GGL, you can run as many gadgets as you wish on your screen — or at least that’s the idea. Some flaws still need to be fixed, and not everything works 100% correctly.

GGL resembles SuperKaramba, Screenlets, gDesklets, and KDE 4’s Plasma. All produce similar results and offer similar gadgets, and the only reason to choose one over another is if it offers unique gadgets you’re particularly interested in. Some programs are compatible with each other, allowing you to run gadgets from other programs; there’s even talk that Plasma will be able to run GGL gadgets directly.

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