The GNOME 3 Desktop is a user-friendly modern desktop environment that is ideal for novice Linux users as well as experienced Linux users. However, the vanilla GNOME 3 Shell lacks some useful features for the daily use.
This is where the GNOME Shell extensions come into play. They allow end users to customize their GNOME 3 Shell by installing a few extensions from the GNOME website extensions.gnome.org.
Since I always forget the names of my favourite extensions, I decided to keep a list of these handy extensions. This is why this GitHub repository was created. The latter lists a few useful GNOME shell extensions that customize the vanilla GNOME 3 Shell into a more usable desktop environment. The screenshots above illustrate my customized GNOME 3 desktop once I installed and configured some extensions.
So here is a list of my installed GNOME extensions:
| Extension | Github | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Caffeine | Link | Disables the screensaver and auto suspend. |
| ShellTile | Link | Extends the GNOME Shell with window tiling functionality. |
| AlternateTab | - | Substitutes Alt-Tab with a window based switcher that does not group by application. |
| Applications Menu | - | Adds a category-based menu for applications. |
| Arc Menu | Link | Adds a category-based menu for applications with search functionality as well as quick access to files on your system. |
| Dash to Dock | Link | Transforms the dash from the GNOME application overview into a dock. |
| Dynamic Panel Transparency | Link | Makes the black top panel transparent when there are no maximized windows present. |
| Suspend Button | Link | Adds a suspend button to the GNOME status menu. |
| Workspaces to Dock | Link | Transforms GNOME Shell's overview workspaces into an intelligent dock. |
| Hide Top Bar | Link | Hides the GNOME top panel bar. |
| Screenshot | Description |
|---|---|
 |
This little extension disables the screensaver and auto suspend. Once installed, a coffee icon appears on the left of the top panel. |
Purpose:
- Disables the screensaver and auto suspend.
Links:
| Screenshot | Description |
|---|---|
 |
ShellTile is a tiling window extension. As the name suggests, it extends the GNOME Shell by introducing window tiling functionality. Users can resize a Window by dragging it to the edge or corner of the screen. |
Purpose:
- Extends the GNOME Shell with window tiling functionality.
Links:
| Screenshot | Description |
|---|---|
 |
AlternateTab is a one of the the older extensions. It substitutes Alt-Tab with a window based switcher that does not group by application. Moreover, AlternateTab is part of the GNOME Classic Mode and is officially supported by GNOME. |
Purpose:
- Substitutes Alt-Tab with a window based switcher that does not group by application.
Links:
| Screenshot | Description |
|---|---|
 |
This extension adds a category-based menu for applications to the GNOME Shell. Like the AlternateTab extension, the Applications Menu is part of the GNOME Classic Mode and is officially supported by the GNOME team. |
Purpose:
- Adds a category-based menu for applications.
Links:
| Screenshot | Description |
|---|---|
 |
Without any doubt, Arc Menu is really nice extension! Arc Menu is designed to replace the standard menu found in Gnome 3. It is based on the zorin os menu. The extension adds a category-based menu for applications. Moreover, it adds search functionality as well as quick access to your files. Not to mention, it provides quick access to the software center and the system settings. |
Purpose:
- Adds a category-based menu for applications with search functionality as well as quick access to files on your system.
Links:
| Screenshot | Description |
|---|---|
 |
Dash to Dock is a great extension. As its name indicates, it transforms the dash from the GNOME application overview into a dock. As a result, users can launch applications more easily and switch between windows more rapidly. |
Purpose:
- Transforms the dash from the GNOME application overview into a dock.
Links:
| Screenshot | Description |
|---|---|
 |
This little extension makes the black top panel transparent when there are no maximized windows present. |
Purpose:
- Makes the top panel transparent when there are no maximized windows present.
Links:
| Screenshot | Description |
|---|---|
 |
Unfortunately, the default GNOME status menu has no suspend button. Thanks to the Suspend Button extension this feature can be easily added to the menu. |
Purpose:
- Adds a suspend button to the GNOME status menu.
Links:
| Screenshot | Description |
|---|---|
 |
Another nice extension is Workspaces to Dock. This extension transforms the GNOME Shell's overview workspaces into an intelligent dock of workspaces. |
Purpose:
- Transforms GNOME Shell's overview workspaces into an intelligent dock.
Links:
| Screenshot | Description |
|---|---|
 |
If you sometimes get distracted from the GNOME top bar or if you prefer a clean desktop then this extension might be useful for you. The extension allows you to hide the top bar if a window is maximized, avoiding any waste of your desktop space. |
Purpose:
- Hides the GNOME top panel bar.
Links:
A good place to discover new themes for GNOME is the website gnome-look.org or the subreddit r/unixporn.
Some nice Flat/Material themes are listed below:
| Theme | GitHub | Project website | Design paradigm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arc Theme | Link | - | Flat design |
| Vertex Theme | Link | - | Material design |
| Flat Pat Theme | Link | - | Material design |
| Paper Theme | Link | Link | Mostly flat design |
| Adapta Theme | Link | Link | Material design |