Are you someone who loves using the GNOME desktop and wants to make it even better? Well, you're in luck! In this article, we'll show you some fantastic extensions and tools that can really jazz up your GNOME experience. These handy add-ons let you personalize your desktop just the way you like it, supercharge its features, and give it a more polished and stylish look.
Before you venture into the world of GNOME extensions, there's an essential tool you should have – the 'Extension Manager.' This tool simplifies the process of adding and managing extensions, making your life easier.
To get the Extension Manager, you have a couple of options. You can head to your Software Center, where you'll find it available for installation. Alternatively, you can visit its GitHub page, where you'll find step-by-step instructions on how to install it. Either way, once you have the Extension Manager in your toolkit, you'll be all set to customize and control your GNOME desktop to your satisfaction.
Extension Installations
- Open your Extensions Manager and navigate to the 'Browse' tab.
- In the search bar, type the name of the extension you're looking for.
- Once you find the extension, click on it, and then select the 'Install' button.
- After successfully installing it, you can enable the extension in the 'Installed' tab.
- You can install all these extensions in a same say
1. Dash to Dock
The first extension in our list is 'Dash to Dock.' The default hidden dock in GNOME might not be user-friendly for everyone. This extension makes it simpler by bringing the dock to the front, so you can easily reach it without needing tricky gestures. Plus, you have the freedom to personalize its location, looks, how it pops up, and much more to match it with what you like.
2. Dash to Panel
Our next featured extension is "Dash to Panel." It's a versatile tool that lets you tweak your top bar, offering an array of customization options. With this extension, you can design your desktop layout to your liking, which may include adding some elements that make it feel somewhat akin to a familiar Windows interface, all while enjoying the extra flexibility it brings to your GNOME desktop. to know more about it you can watch the video below
3. Clipboard Indicator
Introducing the "Clipboard Indicator" extension, your go-to tool for never losing track of copied text. This extension works like a magic notepad, just like the way Windows' Win+V feature functions. It stores all the stuff you've copied in a little window, so it's super easy to find and use whenever you need it. It's like having a digital memory bank for all your copied content, making sure you never have to worry about losing anything important.
4. Blur My Shell
"Blur My Shell" is a widely recognized GNOME extension that you might already be familiar with. This popular extension brings a stylish blur effect to your GNOME desktop, enhancing its visual charm. The best part is that you have the power to customize the level of blur to achieve a contemporary and elegant appearance that's pleasing to look at. It's an easy way to give your desktop a fresh and sophisticated makeover.
5. Color Picker (Must have extensions for Designers)
The "Color Picker" extension is an indispensable tool for designers and anyone engaged in color-related tasks. With this handy extension, you can effortlessly extract colors from any location on your screen. Not only does it make the process of color selection easy, but it also presents you with color codes in a variety of formats such as HEX, HSL, RGB, and more. This versatile tool is a real time-saver, streamlining your work with a range of color options to suit your creative needs. Whether you're a professional designer or someone who simply appreciates the beauty of colors, this extension is your ticket to a more colorful and efficient workflow.
6. Coverflow Alt-Tab
"Coverflow Alt-Tab" gives a fresh makeover to your Alt-Tab window, creating a stylish preview for those who want to enhance their alt-tab experience. This extension provides beautiful previews of your opened windows, and when you scroll left or right, it treats you to stunning animations. It's a delightful way to navigate between your open applications. You can take a closer look at its features in action right here…
7. Caffeine
If you're engaged in a task that takes some time and you want to keep your display from turning off, the Caffeine extension is your solution. Once you've enabled this extension, you'll notice a new tile in your quick settings menu. With a simple click, you can easily prevent your display from going to sleep. It's a handy way to ensure your screen stays active when you need it to.
8. Arc Menu:
If you don't particularly like GNOME's default application menu and instead prefer a more streamlined layout similar to what you might find in KDE Plasma, Cinnamon or Windows, you can explore the "Arc Menu" extension. This extension provides a range of options for customization, allowing you to tailor your desktop experience to your liking. With the Arc Menu extension, you have the flexibility to create a more compact and efficient menu system that suits your preferences, making it a valuable tool for enhancing your GNOME desktop environment.
9. Vitals
"With the "Vitals" extension, you have the convenient ability to keep a close eye on your computer's essential statistics. This includes monitoring parameters like temperature, voltage, fan speed, memory usage, processor load, and more. This user-friendly extension empowers you to stay informed about your system's performance and health, ensuring that you can optimize your computing experience and address any issues promptly. Whether you're a casual user or a tech enthusiast, "Vitals" is a valuable addition to help you better understand and manage your computer's well-being."
10. Material You NewTab
Material You NewTab is an extension created to enhance your web browsing experience. It provides a clean and user-friendly new tab page influenced by Google's Material You design. You can conveniently search for keywords using your preferred search engine, and it also offers theming functionality to customize the appearance of your browser.
In summary, these GNOME extensions and tools offer numerous ways to customize, add useful features, and add a bit of flair to your desktop. Whether you're a designer, a productivity lover, or just someone wanting to freshen up your desktop, there's something for everyone here. So, don't hesitate - install these extensions and enhance your GNOME desktop today! If you'd like a visual guide or want to see how to enable these extensions, you can watch the video below.