Last Updated on May 22, 2022
6. Enable GNOME Extensions
Over the years GNOME developers decided to remove functionality from their desktop environment with the aim of making things easier for newcomers. We largely agree with the approach taken. But for many Linux enthusiasts tinkering with the desktop is an addictive passion. Step forward GNOME Extensions.
GNOME Extensions allow you to customize of the default GNOME Shell interface and its parts, such as window management and application launching.
We need to install a Firefox browser add-on and a native host messaging application.
Navigate your Firefox browser to https://extensions.gnome.org/. Click the link near the top of the page. You’ll see the following. Click the Continue to Installation button.
This will add GNOME Shell integration. You’ll get a confirmation message saying that GNOME Shell integration was added.
Next, open a terminal and install the native host messaging application with the command:
$ sudo apt install chrome-gnome-shell
We are now set to install our favorite GNOME extensions from the GNOME Extensions site.
There’s tons of GNOME Extensions. To save you time, we’ve compiled our favorite extensions. Most of the extensions are not officially supported by GNOME. But they all take the desktop to the next level, either by adding useful functionality, improving your workflow, or simply offering a touch of panache to the desktop.
Next Page: Page 7 – Install BleachBit
Pages in this article:
Page 1 – Initial Update
Page 2 – Install Drivers
Page 3 – Enable Backups
Page 4 – Video/Audio Codecs and TrueType Fonts
Page 5 – GNOME Tweaks
Page 6 – GNOME Extensions
Page 7 – Install BleachBit
Page 8 – Night Light and Summary
All articles in this series:
Why only cover Ubuntu?
From independent surveys Ubuntu is the most popular Linux distro. Ignore the charts you see on some web sites that often have fairly obscure distros top. Their fanboys just vote them up using bots, partly because they are very passionate about them.
Interestingly, Linus Torvalds (the creator of the Linux kernel) has never even tried Ubuntu.
What about the command line? Newcomers shouldn’t only use GUIs in my opinion.
How about what to do when app doesnt have a package?
How about as a Linux user you whine, cry and criticize ever tutorial and article ever printed? It really gets old. I use Linux, I use Ubuntu, I use other OS’s. I appreciate people with the skill and knowledge to write tutorials and articles that can help others. No article can cover ‘everything Linux”. Thank you Steve.
We welcome suggestions what information you think is helpful for newcomers to Linux. When you’ve been using Linux for as long as we have, it’s easy to overlook things which would help beginners.
We will be covering the command-line in a later part of this series. But there’s a few important areas we need to cover first.