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If you are looking for a "normal" desktop, there's KDE, Cinnamon and Xfce.
Don't try to turn Gnome into something it wasn't designed to be.
Gnome is great for a keyboard-and-touchpad-driven workflow on notebooks. You can install one or two extensions to tweak it a bit, preferably through your distros package manager (which solves the issue of extensions breaking after a Gnome update).
But if you find yourself collecting a list of them, or want a more traditional UI, choose a different DE.
You can easily get away with more than one or two. I typically run between eight and ten and have rarely had any issues surrounding updates.
It's really just as simple as waiting a week or two after a new Gnome version drops before you update. By then, the vast majority of the more popular extensions will have already fixed any compatibility issues or, if not, there's a very good chance that an outdated extension can be replaced by a newer alternative.
Don't try to turn Gnome into something it wasn't designed to be.
Don't tell me what to do. We all have our own preferences, that's the beauty of Linux.
Personally, I have tried many different desktop environments with various customizations. I still think that GNOME + Extensions is the most beautiful and productive desktop experience for me.
Even despite the obvious flaws of GNOME, I still find it easier to customize and configure to my personal preferences than other desktop environments.
I think the point they were making was that Gnome is made for a touchpad / keyboard driven approach, so complaining that it's not something else or that it requires multiple extensions is pointless.
If you use 15 extensions to get your perfect desktop and don't say a word, no-ones going to care, just don't complain when it breaks.
I just don't get the vendetta GNOME has against background processes. GNOME devs just don't use email clients, cloud sync applications, chat clients...? GNOME treats my Nextcloud sync app (which I NEED to be running at all times) as if it was malware or something.
Context for not-Gnome users? How does a desktop care about anything not desktop?
If you minimize a window, it goes into a list of "Background Apps" in the charms menu where the only option you have is to close it. There's no native systems tray.
Yeah, if you need to install extensions to make GNOME usable, GNOME is not for you. Seriously, there are other options. I can't stand using GNOME, but they have a vision they are sticking to and I can respect that.
Cinnamon is probably the best DE to give that old GNOME feel. At least in my opinion.
Gnome also has their own GNOME Classic for people yearning for the old GNOME experience. Cinnamon is probably better though.
I have used XFCE, KDE, and GNOME and in my opinion, Gnome provides by far the best the best workflow for me. The UI is very keyboard-driven, which makes navigation very fast and intuitive. Also it doesn’t look like an outdated Windows version (like Plasma or XFCE) and I had way fewer bugs with it than with any other desktop.
I find it interesting how everyone always talks about the „Unix philosophy“ („software should do one thing and do it well“) but at the same time everyone likes Plasma for having hundreds of useless, buggy features.
Gnome has a core featureset and a robust extension-system if you need more. There is no bloatware in Gnome. And please don’t tell me something like „Gnome isn’t usable without a taskbar/dock“. It is, lots of people use it that way, not every desktop needs to be like macOS or Windows.
Of course it’s okay to like another desktop environment more, but I just don’t get why Gnome gets so much hate.
I've used GNOME for a year now.
I don't understand people calling GNOME keyboard-driven, it doesn't even support keyboard shortcuts for more than 4 workspaces, and it doesn't support tiling other than left and right.
I also feel like the plugin system is not great. The plugins break on every.single.update and you have to beg the maintainers to update them.
I agree about a dock/taskbar miss me with that :P
What frustrates me about GNOME is that it's otherwise so well-polished and smooth but just refuses to be easily customizable.
Gnome is definitely keyboard driven, this is my workflow: Use Super + type name to launch apps, then tile them left and right with Super + Left and Super + Right. Two apps are enough for a workspace, if you need more, move to a new workspace using Super + Alt + Right. Gnome automatically creates new workspaces as you go, so you always have enough space. Swap between apps using Super + Tab. Almost like a tiling window manager, right?
The plugin system is indeed very good, extensions can do pretty much everything. They break on an update because it makes sense: The author designed the extension for a specific version of Gnome, and it can't be guaranteed that it still works as intended on a newer version. You surely don't want an outdated extension to really mess up your desktop when it hasn't been properly updated. This is the safe way.
And regarding customization? Funny story: when I started with Linux and I wasn't really into the meta yet, I started with KDE, but I switched to Gnome (GNOME 3.xx and GTK3) because I found it EASIER to customize. Gnome themes always looked way better than they looked on KDE and they were never bugged (e.g. missing contrast, wrong iconography). Also "extensions" were way less bugged than KDEs equivalent features. I only later found out that people preferred KDE because of its customization. However, I do agree that with Libadwaite, they really put an end to Gnome theming, but all in all, I think it's better because of app uniformity and an easier app development process (you can really see the Gnome app ecosystem flourish). Also, Adwaita looks pretty amazing nowadays, I don't really feel the urge to theme my desktop.
Gnome has a core featureset and a robust extension-system if you need more. There is no bloatware in Gnome.
Why is there noticeable delay tho when you open apps like Nautilus or Settings? Not even the terminal opens instantly
Exactly! Just integrate the bloody notification tray /running apps extension.
I get why that thing isn't implemented because it's really ugly and most of the icons there serve literally no purpose but they need a proper replacment because some apps simply need it!
I love vanilla gnome. I totally understand how some users prefer the flexibility of KDE, but a clean, minimal interface with easy access to workspaces is just the thing for me.
I'm tired of GNOME messing with it's API but hopefully this is the last time since they're switching to a standard system. Besides that, it's my favorite DE on Linux. I have to give plasma 6 a shot when it comes out but right now GNOME feels just right compared to other desktops.
Haha, gnome becoming stable. What a bunch of malarkey
Much more stable and polished than KDE and I am running KDE myself. I think it only makes sense to run GNOME if you like the vanilla experience.
That's the reason why I have high hopes for the Cosmic DE. I really hope the System76 devs can deliver a great and stable alternative to Gnome Shell.
Same, Cosmic looks very promising. I'm looking for Budgie 11 too, that could be something good.
The reason I don't use Gnome is because it's only usable after you've installed a bunch of extensions yet after every update, half the extensions are always broken.
GNOME bad
Plasma good
XFCE better
I couldn't get used to plasma. I dunno why. I really like the gnome style applications window over a start menu.
Liking the fullscreen app search thingamafuck is your prerogative even if I feel this kind of UX is only at home on a mobile phone (also I'm fairly sure Plasma can also do that with some fennagling--)
The thing people (me included) detest about GNOME has very little to do with that anyway, peeps don't like how locked down it is and how it refuses to support certain features thought to be 'basic', so you have to use extensions.... Which can be janky on occasion -- And definitely will get abandoned by their creators and disabled when you upgrade GNOME version.
Plasma isn't stable, gnome isn't flexible and xfce is both stable and flexible, but no Wayland. Yet.
Plasma isn’t stable
How so?
I've had several freedesktop issues with dbus, certain black screen crashes on desktops that require deleting .kde and other such annoyances.
Nothing major, just recurring issues.
This is from a 100-150 client environment.
Previous workplace was smaller but used gnome. Had more pebcak than actual issues.
GNOME is basically the Apple of desktop environments. "You're wrong to want this super common thing, we know what's better for you and don't you defy us!"
Me, casually running Mate and enjoying on stable and customizable it is. I'll let you guys fight while I enjoy my polished experience!
I would love Wayland support tho...
Setting up and adding things to linux until you break it is nature's way of teaching you linux. there's a bunch of other DEs you can try!
I like Gnome because it looks sexy and sleek, and comes default on my Ubuntu. I have a little experience with XFCE and LXDE on Proxmox and Raspberry Pis, and they're perfectly functional and great, so I don't want to besmirch them. But they give me a kinda uneasy sensation like I'm using a tamagotchi or something. I don't know if this is only because I'm using them on low-power potato computers or without proper display drivers, but they just look a little crude by comparison.
I just can't get used to GNOME. I've been using "classic" DEs for too long, so every time I try GNOME I start customizing it and end up withh a worse version of KDE
Gnome has been rudderless since 3.x. I said it.
Xfce has been my daily driver for a reason.
chuckles in i3
I'm not gonna lie, I really hated the direction that Gnome went after Gnome 2. Shell just felt way too constricting for my taste. Thankfully, Cinnamon and Mate released to fill in the void.
Gnome devs: you will take what we make and you'll like it!
Also gnome devs: Apple did nothing wrong
