My Gnome Setup

[@TheLinuxCast]

Thanks so much for 50k! 0:00 Intro 1:07 My Gnome 2:28 The Extenions That I Use 3:45 Arc Menu 4:54 Blur My Shell 5:38 Caffeinne 6:17 Clipboard indcator/History 6:39 Dash to Panel 7:37 ddterm 8:31 Do Not Disturb 9:04 Hide Top Bar 9:20 Just Perfection 10:02 Media Controls 10:21 Tiling Shell 11:21 User Themes 11:25 Weather O Clock 11:58 A Few I Don't Use 12:35 My Gnome Tweaks 14:19 Wrapping Up

[@laylasmart]

The excellent Zorin OS 17.1 did the same, aiming to Windows users, and it is also have features that will help to run Windows third party Software. Unfortunately, no videos about that.

[@johanb.7869]

Congrats Matt😎

[@unconsciusdude]

We got matt switching to gnome before gta 6

[@kolz4ever1980]

You know it's only temporary 😆

[@tocadogorila9847]

Matt using gnome, with a windows like appearence, was a plot that nobody expected

[@nuldorvamoysenor2091]

Matt's weekly to do list: 1- do laundry 2- buy groceries 3- switch desktop enviroment 4- pick a stable distro (optional)

[@no_name4796]

Isn't opensuse pretty stable? Or you want him to go full debian lol

[@nuldorvamoysenor2091]

@@no_name4796 it's Matt we are talking about, he would unstabilized the shit out of Debian!

[@esra_erimez]

🤣

[@MeraMadness]

@@nuldorvamoysenor2091 I'm not even going to lie, my Arch or Tumbleweed never broke, I used Debian for a week and I destroy it somehow...

[@immortalmayfly98]

​@@nuldorvamoysenor2091 That's an avengers-level threat 😳

[@stevewillard8212]

Thank you for explaining the use cases for extensions

[@TheLinuxCast]

Thanks for the thanks!

[@sn0n]

Bonus: change your arc menu icon to your channel icon ^>^

[@Angel-lu8ls]

yeah, you are in love with Windows without even knowing Gnome is good, but Gnome Extensions make it amazing! I love the default of Pop OS and Zorin, good defaults with not much tinkering when you want a good default Gnome experience.

[@TheLinuxCast]

Take that first bit back!

[@folksurvival]

Also Ubuntu's implementation of GNOME is good.

[@donaldmickunas8552]

I'm going to keep this video around. It is probably the most extensive explanation of the various extensions in Gnome. There have been moments when I get a wild hair and decide to go "try" Gnome. It never lasts long but this video will make those excursions less painful. Thanks Matt!!! 😊

[@wolfisraging]

how did you install photoshop?

[@christian80gabi]

Let's just say how beautiful this wallpaper is on that screen. 🤩

[@catto-from-heaven]

It's incredible how even customized gnome looks more consistent and polished than regular plasma

[@sergioaguirre4967]

I just got back to Linux after 4 or 5 years of only using windows. I'm still amazed how you have to get 2 separate apps to have a say in how your desktop looks. I was an early adopter of gnome when it changed to the shell, but shortly after I knew a lot of things were missing then tweaks and extension manager came along (I remember I handled gnome extensions through a web site, does that still exist?), back then a lot of people complained about how x or Y extension is not part of default gnome, and here we are, I come back to Linux in 2024 and not even the tweaking components are still part of gnome.

[@locker47]

As someone who uses it as vanilla as possible, I'm glad Matt found a Gnome setup and workflow that suits him. I'm sure the Linux gatekeepers will go crazy over it - but, like Matt, no one cares.

[@jiffylube9476]

Thank you so much for the tiling add on. I never saw it until today. I love it.

[@GambuSaur]

I would never have thought that you would convince me that gnome is not utter trash, but you did. Thanks.

[@MrAlanCristhian]

I use GNOME without any customization, but I think that your version looks beautiful and is the best one that I have seen recently. I don't know where that idea of not customizing GNOME comes from. If GNOME doesn't want extensions, why do they keep improving their official app for that purpose? They also host them, and they provide documentation and guidelines to make them.

[@bvd_vlvd]

Ad populum fallacy, also most desktops aim to be monolithic so the idea of a unix compliant desktop is weird to many people

[@davidrichardson2513]

Just an observation - To me Gnome seems very indifferent towards the Gnome Extensions as whenever a new version of Gnome comes out there are always a number of extensions that no longer work. I really do appreciate the extension developers situation but for the end user it becomes very frustrating. Especially when it takes a long while to redevelop the desired extension before the end user gets to use it once more.

[@sthecommenter76]

Oh man , So many nice extensions i didn't know before. Thank you so much , just perfection and media controls and tiling shell are awesome.

[@thingsiplay]

The Tiling Shell plugin exist basically in KDE too and is called KZones. It works the same. Just saying for anyone who wants that too on KDE.

[@axMf3qTI]

I love this plenty of those things you don't need. I did the same when Gnome was new to me. to make it look familiar to you install something like a dock and have that bar at the bottom. I really like to use pop shell makes it easy to switch to a tilling wm and I have an extension to suppress ".... window is ready" notification and change a few shortcuts like super 1-8 make me jump to different work spaces is all you need really. I really wish, the topbar of wezterm looked better in Gnome though.

[@SilkyNoah]

GNOME is great, I just wish they incorporated a few extensions into the default settings. Bring back options for desktop icons, give us some sort of app indicator tray, give me a less "mobile" feeling app launcher, etc. Wish a few extensions GNOME is the best desktop out there. Shame they chase minimalism over providing basic functions.

[@thaywiz_gwar]

Watching Matt use GNOME makes me happy.

[@folksurvival]

Why?

[@thaywiz_gwar]

Being happy isn't enough for some people. (sorry)

[@folksurvival]

@@thaywiz_gwar Huh?

[@thaywiz_gwar]

This is why we can't have nice things.

[@folksurvival]

@@thaywiz_gwar ?

[@keylowmike85]

Thanks for sharing your Gnome setup. I typically just use Gnome as it was shipped, so I applaud you for customizing it however you see fit. As far as Michigan weather is concerned, I lived in Bay City before moving to KY and remembered that it does get warm in Michigan especially during the summer months and it does get equally cold in winter. However, in KY the weather is extremely bipolar, like during winter it will be 70 degrees one day and 32 degrees the next lol.

[@ThePressurizer]

Isn't using Gnome extensions quite a headache on a rolling release platform? I assume that they will break quite often when the desktop is updated.

[@dewritochan]

long term gnome purist, your last vid on the subject of your turn of opinion on it actually changed some of my own, and i've since added a few extensions myself. there's also the point to be made that if gnome wasn't meant to be extended they wouldn't provide the tools to do so, god knows you can't make the gnome folks do things they don't want to.

[@ordinaryhuman5645]

The only extension Gnome needs is a background image randomizer so you can enjoy a variety of anime girl imagery instead of being stuck with the same image all of the time.

[@Lewdiculous]

Wallpaper Engine integration, so we get a variety of animated waifus

[@austincarz5342]

Matt is finally admitting that he has loved gnome for years

[@TheLinuxCast]

Fake news

[@samsowden]

like fifteen years... that's 2009 Gnome...

[@ddman7867]

I'm sure you know this already but you can get rid of tweaks and use a gsettings command to bring back the minimise button

[@lorduggae]

Gnome user here. I used to use BUNCHES of extensions, but have slowly whittle away and got it down to basically stock with only 4 "behind the scenes" extensions running.

[@fotnite_]

One thing you might like is that Just Perfection can decrease the margins in the icons on the right side of the topbar/panel. The spacing isn't that bad with the default GNOME setup, but when everything is in the same panel it can help to make stuff less cramped.

[@phonewithoutquestion80]

I've been giving vanilla GNOME another shot, using dconf settings and locks (restrictions) to make it as rigid as possible while preserving the functionality I want left open. I've borrowed concepts from an extension to enhance my keyboard workflow, without relying on said extension. I understand that resisting extensions 150% there's the lingering issue of missing functionality, however the developers are debating whether or not they want to recreate tray functionality from within the quick settings menu. Would be amusing if they did.

[@Saturn-OS]

You should check out the reversal icons I think its a good icon pack and the square icons are nice to have to be honest.

[@krid78]

Thank you for this awesome video. I am still on my way to adapt Gnome to my conditions. You are absolutely right! My desktop needs to adapt to the way I work, not the other way around.

[@michaelbailey1420]

I'm pretty sure the whole point of having a personal PC is to use it the way you like it and the point of linux is to enable you to use your PC the way you like so I never understand why people think there is a right way and wrong way to use anything as long as it works for u it us used the right way

[@fakecubed]

You're not using GNOME the way it's meant to be used, but I don't care either. It's your system, do what you want. I know the Linux community can get really tribal sometimes, but I don't really see that from GNOME users very often. I've certainly never been that way. People using GNOME are mostly using GNOME for the same reason you are, they just want something that works. They aren't necessarily looking to customize their desktop as much as you are, but they also are mostly focused on just getting work done and don't have time for internet fights to defend the purity of GNOME or whatever. Your set-up looks very similar to how I customize my XFCE systems (usually VMs). I run GNOME for my main workstation (at least until COSMIC is in a good, stable state, I am watching that project with a lot of interest), and I'm very close to vanilla for them. It works for me. Glad to hear things are working well for you, and I'm glad you've brought these extensions to my attention, I may try out one or two of them. I'm also looking forward to any more home lab content when you've more to say about that.

[@niru216]

check out the extension 'status area horizontal spacing' is a scratch pad not a drop down terminal? thanks for telling us about tiling shell; I knew such a thing existed on Plasma (but wasn't implemented that well) and I never came across this one...

[@TheLinuxCast]

Brillaint. Thank you

[@jt_simon]

That wallpaper is 🔥

[@VektrumSimulacrum]

Clipboard and removable drive indicator needing to be added as extensions is a perfect exampleof Gnome being incomplete and shipped bare bones as a "feature".

[@TheLinuxCast]

I used to agree. But now I look at it like DWM and patches. Gnome is just suckless, and you need to build it up to suit your needs

[@vitasomething]

@@TheLinuxCast ye but the differencr is gnome devs literally expect you to use their incomplete product as it is and will discourage and hinder you from doing otherwise, and they sell it as a complete professional experience despite lacking basic features like a systray

[@kevinesg]

@@vitasomething i don't really mind as long as i can install the extensions that i need. i only need to install it once then go on with my day. i don't need to think about what the devs think of my setup

[@vitasomething]

@@kevinesg yea thats fair tbh

[@fakecubed]

@@vitasomething Most people aren't installing any extensions. Most people don't care or find it incomplete. They're running their apps, not their desktop.

[@callmesteve7874]

You have pretty good collection of extensions. I used to be Plasma fanboy, then I switched to GNOME for about 6 months (I used like 80% of extensions you use) and it was pretty convenient, it is actually good DE. Now I'm using Hyprland and I like it the most so far.

[@jamesb2877]

I stopped using a gnome because every time I got used to the extensions or feature they would kill it off to the point where I just said I'm done.

[@sebastianriquelme3513]

oh man, once tumbleweed pushes gnome 47 your gnome extensions will all break. It takes a while for most of the extension devs to patch them for the newer gnome release :c

[@sergioaguirre4967]

Yeah that's another reason why I switched to Mate when I used Linux back then. I'm back on Linux this year and gnome is the same, whaaat?

[@burningpho3nix]

Tilling Shell looks like Windows' Tiling options

[@BrokenKanuck]

Dude, you working out!? Looking good! Keep up the vids! Always informative, always fun!

[@Mzansi74]

Thanks for another great video!

[@froedge]

Bro as an Arizonan I wasn't going to comment on the weather until you specifically mentioned it. So therefore: 90 degrees lul

[@TheLinuxCast]

You poor people, I know you have it worse. But it's Michigan. We're not built for this.

[@skelebro9999]

Both weaklings. Here in India, West Bengal it's 38° C or 100° F right now.

[@donkey7921]

I bet you couldn't handle Michigan's winters though.

[@froedge]

@@skelebro9999 Meanwhile in Phoenix, 46 degrees celcius and not even July/August yet ._.

[@froedge]

@@donkey7921 I handled -20 in Montana in the military ._. so how much we betting?

[@accumulator4825]

I think super+up arrow and down arrow can be used for mimimizing and maximizing. Left and right arrows to pu the window on one half of the screen

[@RobertWilliamsserving]

This is great! Thank you for the time making this!! Stupid newb question, will this work with cinnamon DE (using mint)

[@PPKNexus]

Didn't older versions of Gnome used to have the minimize button by default? Or am I misremembering?

[@BassHelal]

With that many extensions, good luck with the breakages that GNOME updates will bring, I used to have like half the number of your extensions on PopOS GNOME and every few months or so something would break after an update, usually smaller less well maintained extensions, still super frustrating because each update brings that anxiety. I do miss the "It Just Works" aspect of a DE (especially GNOME, I think after a few tweaks and extensions like you have GNOME is much better than bloated ugly KDE), I've been using Qtile for a few months and it made me realize how many things I take for granted on a DE. Might go back to GNOME with tiling with the Pop-shell but the update anxiety is a major disadvantage that's stopping me from going back. How has your experience been with this many extensions over the past month?

[@Maitreya3001]

Thanks for the video. I intended to install EndeavourOS on a separate drive to test Gnome tonight & I’ll definitely steal some of these if not all

[@esra_erimez]

I love the way Matt's mind works

[@pidusredlah]

10:10 Alter Bridge FTW 🤘🏼

[@cybernit3]

I like Gnome for the most part and have some of those extensions you have; thanks Matt I didn't know about ddterm. One thing I hate about Gnome there is no window restoration so if I suspend and then wake up all my windows go on the primary screen and then I have to reorganize. I find no window restoration is annoying.

[@cybernit3]

I installed that "ddterm" and I like it. F12 dropdown term... alt 1 or 2 to switch tabs. Nice cause I like to put BTOP on one tab instead of leaving it in a term on a workspace. Thanks again I would have overlooked this ddterm extension....

[@esra_erimez]

One might even venture to say that it looks like KDE

[@aa898246]

this is so convenient lol, i just switched to arch using gnome and you make this video

[@JessicaFEREM]

Tiling shell is a clone of a windows 11 feature epic

[@daneberryman]

one of us! one of us! one of us!

[@fakecubed]

We accept him! We accept him!

[@daneberryman]

@@fakecubed 🤣

[@fouadzouraibi5407]

That shell theme OMG, it's amazing!!!

[@jakobw135]

I'm trying out Garuda Gnome Linux. It seems to come with two panels which are visible when you scroll between them using your mouse wheel. You can see them on top of the icon list underneath these windows. HOW can you change the background images of each of these panels to be DIFFERENT from each other? Can you add a different WORKSPACE or DESKTOP, like KDE? Can you also modify the SOLID BACKGROUND COLOR, hide the icon list and the top taskbar - as well as make it TRANSPARENT? Are such changes possible using only the GUI?

[@Bruces-Eclectic-World]

"An That's What KDE Is For!" Matt - 2024 🤣 Congrats on the 5K 👏👍 I remember that shy guy with only 35 Subs... 🤔😁 LLAP 🖖

[@CausticAscarite]

what a coincidence, I switched to gnome last week. for some reason it works best for me, despite the fact I love KDE more

[@deputorswann]

Hey Matt. Gonna ask. Have you the nix configuration?

[@TheLinuxCast]

I have a nix config. It's garbage,. but I have one. I do not share it.

[@soberlinux]

Thanks Matt. I'm going to stick with kde myself, but I don't have any bug's with my setup, but your setup has some interesting tweaks! Your choice in music, Alter Bridge, is awesome! Seen them 2 times in concert! 😊

[@TheLinuxCast]

Nice. I like the stuff Myles did with Slash. That was great

[@keyboard_g]

It looks like Cinnamon honestly. I add in transparent task bar and replace the start menu.

[@solmateusbraga]

Don't throw rocks at me as I too use and love Gnome, but I think they have an *apple* worm, if you know what I mean. They want everything (looks-wise) to be unified and assimilated like a cartoon villain. I can see both sides. I really like my apps to have a unified look, but sometimes I just want to make my windows pretty. What's the harm of them having some *options* by default, like a dock? I just feel like I'm being told how I should use my computer. That's not a good feeling. My only complaint about Gnome.

[@wiedapp]

For the M.2 HAT I would advise you to look at the Geekworm X1003. It is compatible with the original Raspberry pi case and the original active cooler, but provides way better ventilation for the fan. It still can carry a 2230 and 2242, like the original M.2 HAT.

[@JamesMowery]

My other comment was deleted (I'm guessing automod), ugh! Anyways, Matt, I just wanted to ask which setting specifically did you need to edit in Just Perfection to get notifications to appear on the bottom right? Thanks!

[@TheLinuxCast]

IT's under the customize tab and then it's called "Notification Banner Position"

[@JamesMowery]

@@TheLinuxCast Appreciate it!

[@averagetechnologyenojyer]

I use gnome a lot and wayland too and I was struggling with keybindings a bit but luckily I found a cool program called keyd so now I'm like a gnome magician lol 😂

[@jeffrodrequez]

Nice! What version? I have been using my Gnome 46 system here recently as well (usually use Hyprland) - Arch with Gnome. I found a nice theme a while back that themes the panel across the top in a way that I like (breaks it up into sections with borders around each section, catppuccin color theme). Used to use a dock but ended up just mapping keyboard shortcuts to launch the apps I use most often (like one would do in a window manager). Anything else - win key and type what I want. Sometimes turn on tiling extension, but usually not. One thing about gnome is it's solid - runs well.

[@moetocafe]

I haven't thought GNOME could looks like something between KDE and possibly Windows, but here it is :)) Actually, pretty good job! I use GNOME the gnome-way, with some visual tweaks to make it more pleasant to the eye, but your approach is admirable. I mean it demonstrates how GNOME could look and act like with some customizations, and the result looks very good.

[@GarryFisherProRider]

So Gnome made you switch to Binbows in some way?

[@zakariakov1707]

I don't like GNOME because every update it crashes with some of the extentions I'm used to

[@gamerboy4566]

wow... so many extensions. I am ashamed... I use only one, the Tiling Shell, and that too, started using today. BTW, Congratulations for 50k subs.

[@GambuSaur]

Matt, how do you manage to work with multiple monitors on gnome? It seems impossible to me.

[@TheLinuxCast]

It works okay. The workspaces aren't very good though

[@nicolascarrion5055]

I ditched all Microsoft products 5 years ago, fully moved to Linux a 100%, I do not regret it a single bit. I tried several distros, mostly using Gnome DE, but I landed on Cinnamon and Linux Mint, knowing that they are gonna adopt newer kernels by default in the new releases made me happy and solidified the Linux Mint home that I am at now. Give Cinnamon a try, out of the box it does most of what gnome does not, Wayland will land into Cinnamon eventually, probably sooner than expected. PS, I tried SuSe for a while, but man, zypper is so slow!

[@AlejandroZunino]

nice setup. I abandoned gnome because extensions break too often. I need a system I can rely on. Extensions makes gnome unreliable. I find tiling window managers such as qtile/bspwm very stable compared to gnome/kde.

[@SoggyMountainBoy]

I think I want to go back to gnome those are good extensions

[@jcsmith9518]

So tell me can this be installed on Linux Mint - Cinnamon? Like it!

[@kolz4ever1980]

You can install gnome through the terminal. Log out, pick the cog wheel and choose gnome, and then just log in and follow the rest of the video

[@OveRaDaMaNt]

Just pick one thing and stick to it, and do something more interesting with your time than another desktop setup. Holy heck

[@Phanteist]

So you just turned gnome into a default plasma experience with a ton of extensions

[@TheLinuxCast]

@@Phanteist a stable one

[@Phanteist]

@@TheLinuxCast Never had plasma crash on me either in the last 6 months, but again my comment was more of a joke than anything else, enjoy whatever setup suits you best, my kde looks almost same, with both win11 like tiling and the audio control on the panel.

[@notimportant7682]

The world is truly full of people with differing aesthetic ideals

[@slimysomething]

You think your apps are gonna run away if you can't see them?

[@TheLinuxCast]

@@slimysomething you never know.

[@DJgregBrown]

Because it always been that user extension get installed with the Browser extension and that app doesn't list them all and also often the search doesn't find what your looking for. This is why I like Fedora on load a new user get the info on how to install then and like to gnome. App menus is always uninstalled I don't know why people have to have start menu's and desktop icon like it Windows 95 days again.

[@stopspyingonme9210]

No gsconnect?

[@TheLinuxCast]

Nah, I use iOS, so it's not as useful

[@Boomboxxy]

How do you get the bar transparent/blurred?

[@TheLinuxCast]

Blur My Shell. I covered it in the video

[@GustavoHenrique-xg4ey]

did you debloat anything?

[@montechristoJr]

I have same setup like you except I don't have apps pinned to the panel and start button. If you want rofi like launcher Arc menu have an option called runner which will activate rofi like launcher.

[@OmarSuarez81]

Nice video !

[@shabadabadoo4326]

Best of luck with the extensions, when Gnome updates… ;)

[@shabadabadoo4326]

@TrolleyTrampInc Sigh….. Fanboys gonna fanboy. Go touch grass, and learn about humor.

[@ritamsaha3512]

I have no clue what 90° F feels like.

[@fakecubed]

Depends entirely on the humidity that goes with it.

[@ritamsaha3512]

@fakecubed oh no, I meant to say, I am more familiar with Celsius so don't have much of a sense in Fahrenheit scale without converting

[@raughboy188]

I you want to customize gnome even more i recommend you try evolve. To be clear evolve is like gnome tweaks but on steroid. If you want something similar to gnome but more customizable you can also try ags(aylur's gnome shell). Ags is essentialy same as gnome except without gnome desktop restriction.

[@sn0n]

I landed on a android like layout with dash to dock and dash to panel, finally moving the clock to the left.

[@TheBernd1966]

Congratulations for 50k. I'm missing i3 and rising vids so much.

[@TheLinuxCast]

I may return to it eventually.

[@srr5v]

Gnarly video, brother.

[@slizgi86]

Looks like windows, or not, does not matter, this is probably the most user-friendly way of OS UI/UX variation. In vanilla gnome, it is just pointless to have that top bar to have just desktops on left, center date, and right with tray - so much space is wasted there. macOS style dock maybe is fancy, but take too much space. Global menu is some type of craziness for people who think different, so this is out of equation too. I think after years of trying things out, the best one is windows like bar but at the top of the screen not at the bottom, best UI/UX solution, this is the most ergonomic place to look at your screen in the resting position anyway, because top line of the screen should be roughly on a level of your eyes.

[@shielawrainston3525]

Do most linux users generally use KDE? just curious as someone new to linux...

[@hlashflahflhsjfh]

Its probably more like 45% Gnome 45% KDE and 10% another DE/WM

[@fakecubed]

GNOME is by far the most popular. It's the default for the biggest distros, or at least an option. KDE is very popular with the sorts of Linux users that evangelize Linux on the internet with KZbin channels and the like, though. GNOME users typically are more in the category of people just wanting to get work done, and they find it's good enough and don't ever think about it ever again. KDE users are generally more in the category of wanting to customize everything and show off their custom desktops, so there's a lot more KDE content online. Similar to how Hyprland and NixOS seem to be absolutely everywhere in the Linux space. They're trendy and cool. But people who don't care about being trendy or cool are probably running Ubuntu or RHEL with GNOME, never customizing them really, and just running their apps. You don't much hear from those sorts of people in the community.

[@sergioaguirre4967]

Good thing about Linux is you can install any desktop and just choose which one to use on the login screen, so if your distro doesn't have gnome or want to try KDE just install and choose which desktop to use on the log in menu. I'm just getting back to Linux, but when I used it everyday I had Ubuntu Mate, but mate breaks a lot of Blender functionality, so I just installed Gnome and everything worked like a charm. So if you don't have gnome and want to try, go ahead, Google how to install it on your distro, log in and have a fun day!

[@alpacamale2909]

why would people want to see apps they're not running on their screen all the time? I don't understand this mindset. When windows 7 introduced this feature I used to have tons of misclicks and ended up opening programs I wasn't intending to open. it just makes no sense.

[@huljaxful]

It never occurred to me until recently, why don't you use key bindings for maximize and minimize? I think i had linux mint at the time and i was going to the key bindings and it made sense. I use pop!_os by the way 😊 windows tilling. Hey don't judge 😂 and waiting on the cosmic DE.

[@st_nikolay_pavlov]

hey matt .hope u r doing well? u have steam installed . i wonder how is gonna work world of warships ? any thoughts

[@samsowden]

are you sure you don't prefer xfce or mate? cause it looks like you prefer xfce or mate...

[@fakecubed]

He wants to use Wayland. And yeah, if he could he would use XFCE.

[@necuz]

@@fakecubed I use Cinnamon Wayland on my laptop and haven't had any issues, so that might be the way.