Look no further than Gnome Shell Extensions! In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to download, install, and manage these extensions on Ubuntu (and other distributions) using the official GNOME extension website.
Before anything else: make sure that your computer meets the prerequisites for running Gnome Shell Extensions. You should have Gnome installed already (if you’re using Ubuntu, this is likely the case), as well as gnome-tweak-tool and gnome-shell-extensions. If not, open a terminal window by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T or searching for “Terminal” in your application menu, then run these commands:
bash
#!/bin/bash # This line specifies the interpreter to be used for executing the script
# This script installs Gnome Shell Extensions and related packages
# Update the package lists and upgrade any outdated packages
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
# Install Gnome Shell, extra packages, Gnome Tweak Tool, and Gnome Shell Extensions
sudo apt install gnome gnome-extra gnome-tweak-tool gnome-shell-extensions
# The -y flag automatically confirms any prompts during installation
# Note: Gnome Shell is the core desktop environment, gnome-extra includes additional packages, gnome-tweak-tool allows for customization, and gnome-shell-extensions adds extra features and functionality to Gnome Shell.
# Note: The && operator allows for multiple commands to be executed in sequence, only if the previous command was successful.
# Note: The sudo command allows for the script to be run with root privileges, necessary for installing packages.
# Note: The apt command is used for package management in Ubuntu.
# Note: The update command refreshes the list of available packages, while the upgrade command installs the latest versions of all packages.
# Note: The install command is used to install new packages.
# Note: The gnome, gnome-extra, gnome-tweak-tool, and gnome-shell-extensions packages are all necessary for Gnome Shell Extensions to function properly.
# Note: The -y flag is used to automatically confirm any prompts during installation, avoiding the need for user input.
# Note: The && operator allows for multiple commands to be executed in sequence, only if the previous command was successful.
# Note: The sudo command allows for the script to be run with root privileges, necessary for installing packages.
# Note: The apt command is used for package management in Ubuntu.
# Note: The update command refreshes the list of available packages, while the upgrade command installs the latest versions of all packages.
# Note: The install command is used to install new packages.
# Note: The gnome, gnome-extra, gnome-tweak-tool, and gnome-shell-extensions packages are all necessary for Gnome Shell Extensions to function properly.
This will download and install the necessary packages for GNOME Shell Extensions, as well as some additional apps that may be useful. If you prefer to only install these extensions for your user account (rather than system-wide), replace “sudo” with “sudo -EH” in each command above.
Next, let’s head over to the official GNOME extension website at https://extensions.gnome.org/. Here you can browse and search for extensions that interest you, as well as read reviews and ratings from other users. To install an extension, click on its name or icon to view its details page, then click “Install” in the top-right corner of the screen.
Once the installation is complete, you’ll need to restart GNOME Shell for the changes to take effect. You can do this by pressing Ctrl+Alt+R (or searching for “Restart Shell” in your application menu). Alternatively, you can use gnome-tweak-tool to enable or disable extensions without having to restart GNOME Shell each time.
To open gnome-tweak-tool, search for it in your application menu or run this command:
# This script opens the gnome-tweaks application.
# It can be used to enable or disable extensions without having to restart GNOME Shell each time.
# To open gnome-tweak-tool, search for it in your application menu or run this command:
gnome-tweaks
In the Tweaks window that appears, click on “Extensions” to view a list of installed extensions. To enable an extension, simply toggle its switch to the right (it will turn green). You can also disable or remove extensions from this screen as needed.
That’s it! With GNOME Shell Extensions, you have access to hundreds of customization options and additional functionality that can help make your desktop experience more enjoyable and productive.