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How’s the GNOME experience on Ubuntu?

sjburt 9y ago
I've been using the Ubuntu GNOME version for years and it has been pretty rock solid and I've had no complaints.
iagooar 9y ago
The biggest problem I have with GNOME is how boring it is... It's not a bad thing, don't get me wrong, but I wish it would be a bit more interesting, especially if I have to use it 10+ hours a day.
- stevedonovan 9y ago
  Heh, you get to see your desktop? I've usually got so much up that I can't see it. I like boring XFCE for that reason.
- teekert 9y ago
  That is a strange remark, what do mean specifically? Perhaps there is still something like X snow? Or can you have the desktops on a cube with reflections at the bottom and fish inside like in de beryl days?? Otherwise, roaming the KDE settings can be a fun excercise.
jacek 9y ago
IMO it is great. The Ubuntu dock is an improvement, also Ubuntu Gnome will support old style tray icons out of the box. Canonical is making Gnome more usable and attractive to an average user. They are fixing mistakes that Gnome developers are making. Of course that is subjective and controversial opinion, but it seems like Gnome developers are removing useful features and adding useless apps like gnome-recipes instead. Unfortunately, real fractional scaling did not make it to this release (you can test it though). I can't wait for 18.04 which will probably have fractional scaling and will be an LTS release.
- Vinnl 9y ago
  As a Unity fan, the way GNOME's setup now allows me to keep pretty much my entire workflow as I was used to it.
  - pkaye 9y ago
    Have you found a replacement clock like the old Unity? Only thing I miss.
    - Vinnl 9y ago
      Clock? As in, the display of the time and date in the top bar? It's moved to the center of the bar with GNOME, but otherwise it's equivalent as far as I know? (And there's an extension to move it to the right.)
- type0 9y ago
  > usable and attractive to an average user. I think you nailed it there, Ubuntu is a least common denominator of the Linux distros. Canonical found their niche, good for them.
rodolphoarruda 9y ago
You still need to visit Gnome Extensions website and get some extra elements to improve your experience. But in general, out of the box GNOME is clean, easy to use and intuitive.
- Mikeb85 9y ago
  Yup, but it's so easy to install extensions. On Fedora, all I've added is a weather applet, caffeine (disables auto suspend/screensaver when enabled), and a permanent dock on the left side. A few switches on an easy to navigate website and I feel my desktop is perfect.
  - amirouche 9y ago
    I use the following extensions: - https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/921/multi-monitors-add-on/ https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/921/multi-monitors-ad... - https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/15/alternatetab/ https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/15/alternatetab/
  - rodolphoarruda 9y ago
    I like the one that makes the top bar transparent. The weather applet is a must, as well as the battery time left indicator.
pkaye 9y ago
I have disliked the default Gnome experience for a long time but really like the new Ubuntu Gnome experience.

I've been using the Ubuntu GNOME version for years and it has been pretty rock solid and I've had no complaints.

The biggest problem I have with GNOME is how boring it is... It's not a bad thing, don't get me wrong, but I wish it would be a bit more interesting, especially if I have to use it 10+ hours a day.

stevedonovan 9y ago
Heh, you get to see your desktop? I've usually got so much up that I can't see it. I like boring XFCE for that reason.
teekert 9y ago
That is a strange remark, what do mean specifically? Perhaps there is still something like X snow? Or can you have the desktops on a cube with reflections at the bottom and fish inside like in de beryl days?? Otherwise, roaming the KDE settings can be a fun excercise.

jacek 9y ago

IMO it is great. The Ubuntu dock is an improvement, also Ubuntu Gnome will support old style tray icons out of the box. Canonical is making Gnome more usable and attractive to an average user. They are fixing mistakes that Gnome developers are making. Of course that is subjective and controversial opinion, but it seems like Gnome developers are removing useful features and adding useless apps like gnome-recipes instead. Unfortunately, real fractional scaling did not make it to this release (you can test it though). I can't wait for 18.04 which will probably have fractional scaling and will be an LTS release.

Vinnl 9y ago
As a Unity fan, the way GNOME's setup now allows me to keep pretty much my entire workflow as I was used to it.
- pkaye 9y ago
  Have you found a replacement clock like the old Unity? Only thing I miss.
  - Vinnl 9y ago
    Clock? As in, the display of the time and date in the top bar? It's moved to the center of the bar with GNOME, but otherwise it's equivalent as far as I know? (And there's an extension to move it to the right.)
type0 9y ago
> usable and attractive to an average user. I think you nailed it there, Ubuntu is a least common denominator of the Linux distros. Canonical found their niche, good for them.

rodolphoarruda 9y ago

You still need to visit Gnome Extensions website and get some extra elements to improve your experience. But in general, out of the box GNOME is clean, easy to use and intuitive.

Mikeb85 9y ago
Yup, but it's so easy to install extensions. On Fedora, all I've added is a weather applet, caffeine (disables auto suspend/screensaver when enabled), and a permanent dock on the left side. A few switches on an easy to navigate website and I feel my desktop is perfect.
- amirouche 9y ago
  I use the following extensions: - https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/921/multi-monitors-add-on/ https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/921/multi-monitors-ad... - https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/15/alternatetab/ https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/15/alternatetab/
- rodolphoarruda 9y ago
  I like the one that makes the top bar transparent. The weather applet is a must, as well as the battery time left indicator.

pkaye 9y ago

I have disliked the default Gnome experience for a long time but really like the new Ubuntu Gnome experience.