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[Kevin Godby <godbyk@xxxxxxxxx>]

While there may be a readability issue, using a comma is grammatically
incorrect.  GNOME is a restrictive appositive in this sentence.  There
are multiple 'more popular graphical desktop environments', so
specifying GNOME by name further restricts the scope.  If the phrase had
been 'the most popular graphical desktop environment', then you could
use a comma because specifying the name doesn't further restrict the
scope.

As to the readability: The sentence could be rephrased:

"Ubuntu is just one of many different Linux distributions and uses
GNOME, one of the more popular graphical desktop environments."

(In this case, the comma is necessary because the phrase 'one of the
more popular graphical desktop environments' is nonrestrictive—that is,
it doesn't further limit the scope (as GNOME is as specific as we can
get); it just provides ancillary information.)

If you prefer the rewritten sentence or have a different suggestion for
rewriting the sentence, reopen this bug and let me know.

Thanks!

-- 
P.9: Comma needed before "called GNOME"
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/584964
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Status in Ubuntu Manual: Invalid

Bug description:
Rev. 788
Prologue: What is Linux? section (p.9, PDF p.11)
Type: grammar

Final sentence needs a comma:
"and uses one of the more popular graphical desktop environments[,] called GNOME."
Without it the sentence suggests that there are several desktop environments called GNOME; ignoring versions, there's only one, isn't there?