Using Linux isn't easy if you're coming straight from Windows or macOS. There are many reasons for that. One big one is the lack of a unified design or package management. There are literally hundreds of different versions (distributions), and that alone often scares people off. It feels unfathomable and cryptic.

Why Gnome sucks

A few days ago, I decided to install Debian; not with my usual desktop environment, Xfce, but with something different: Gnome 48. Gnome is probably the most popular desktop environment in the Linux world, but I’ve never really liked it. Mostly because of its weird design decisions, oversized icons, and graphical elements that remind me of tablet interfaces. On top of that, I feel like Gnome’s developers are oddly obsessed with copying Apple’s design philosophy: everything must be minimal, with as few options as possible. Personally, I see that as an insult to the user’s intelligence, as if we’re children incapable of making our own decisions.

And while I'm on this rant, there's one Gnome quirk I find especially annoying: you can't create files or folders on the desktop by default. Gnome developers call this "a feature"; I call it a failure in common sense. You don't strip away functionality just because you want the desktop to look a certain way. That’s not design, it’s dictatorship.

Xfce also has quirks and defaults I don’t agree with, but at least its creators respect me enough to let me change things. That’s a feature. Taking away freedom or choice is not a feature, it’s a restriction.

Anyway, rant over. For now.

Still Debian

Since I had gone through the trouble of installing Debian on my shiny new machine (and Debian isn’t exactly friendly to brand-new hardware), I didn’t have the energy to install Xfce again. Yahweh, Buddha, and Shiva are my witnesses, I tried other versions of Debian, plus Fedora, EndeavourOS, Ubuntu, Void Linux, and Mint. But I just wanted Debian back on my machine. No matter the cost.

It was a painful saga of frustration, sweat, and nearly tears. But in the end, I finally got it working, thanks to a TP-Link ethernet adapter and the Liquorix kernel.

So now I have Debian installed, but since I couldn't get Debian Testing with Xfce to work after many failed attempts, I went with Debian Testing + Gnome. And... it worked.

So now, I’m trying to make the best of it. Gnome it is. Hopefully, we’ll get along. But for that to happen, I need to tweak a few things. Because out-of-the-box Gnome? Not a fan.

Thankfully, there’s still some common sense left among the Gnome developers, and it is tweakable. Here’s what I did.

File Manager

I’ve never really liked Gnome’s file manager, Nautilus. It’s overly simple, borderline simplistic. Maybe even simpleton-like.

I mean, look at it.

Nautilus, its default look in Gnome 48.

Sure, some might like it, but it just doesn’t let you do what you want with your files, folders, and drives. Again, Gnome feels like it’s copying Apple’s philosophy of locking users out of their own system. That’s why macOS (and even Windows) often feel like they’re systems for the user, but not by the user. Linux on the other hand is truly an operating system used and controled by its users.

I didn’t do too much tweaking because, frankly, Gnome doesn’t let me. But I did remove some of the default items in the side panel and added bookmarks for my frequently used folders and drives: my NAS, appimages, Raspberry Pi stuff, and so on.

Nautilus does look sleek. It is much more polished than Xfce’s Thunar. It offers a clean overview of the file system, and there's not much you can mess up. I added a dark theme, which helped a bit.

By default, Nautilus doesn’t let you modify files outside your home folder. To get around this, you either run it with nautilus admin:// or you sudo apt nautilus-admin. I chose the latter.

Now I can access, say, /usr/share/fonts/ and add fonts easily. It’s ridiculous that this isn’t available by default. Linux Mint gets this right, because they include root access in their file manager, Nemo. Sure, that also lets you mess up your system if you're careless, but the choice should be yours.

Extensions

Gnome without extensions is like a glove missing a finger. Or a prosthetic leg that needs a knee joint. You get the idea.

Normally, I’m not big on extensions and add-ons, but if they make my life easier—then welcome, little friends! So, which ones made me hate Gnome a little less?

The first one is Dash to Dock. This extension moves the dash from the overview into a dock, making it easier to launch apps and switch windows. You can position it at the bottom or side of the screen. I put mine at the bottom.

My Dash to Dock on the bottom of the desktop.

It’s not strictly necessary, but it makes the interface more functional and visually appealing, which is kind of the point of Gnome.

Next up: Desktop Icons NG (DING). This one restores your ability to place files and folders on the desktop. Crazy, right? This is one of my major gripes with this project. Gnome devs think that’s unnecessary, like you’re an idiot for wanting it. Ubuntu includes this extension by default, which is one reason why their Gnome setup is actually decent and probably the best.

Then there's Tray Icons: Reloaded. For reasons I can’t understand, Gnome doesn’t show tray icons by default. Luckily, this extension fixes that. I'm telling you, some of these people must be insane. I mean, who doesn’t want to see what apps are running?

Fourth is Just Perfection. Tons of settings here, but I use it for one thing only: to skip the overview screen and go straight to the desktop when Gnome starts. Small, but important.

I also have two more extensions installed but disabled: GSConnect, which links your phone and computer (very cool), and Dash to Panel, which puts open app icons in a classic taskbar-style panel. However, since I use Dash to Dock at the moment, I have disabled Dash to Panel, so it’s either-or.

Appearance

Another thing that I tweak in Gnome is its appearance. I always switch to a dark theme and pick blue as the accent color. I also swap out the default wallpapers (abstract stuff) for my own photos, usually nature landscapes.

My current Gnome desktop in Debian 13 (Testing)

Shortcuts

Last but not least: keyboard shortcuts. Just like in Xfce, I had to reconfigure them in Gnome. I added Danish and Bosnian keyboard layouts and removed the default American one. Then I set up these shortcuts in Settings-Keyboard:

• Home folder launcher (Super+E)
• Hide all windows (Super+D)
• Log out (Ctrl+Alt+Backspace)
• Power off (Ctrl+Alt+Del)
• Restart (Ctrl+Alt+R)
• Terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T)

Final words

And that’s how I make Gnome sane again, so it sucks a little less. Kidding aside, Gnome is actually a powerful desktop environment. It’s modern, efficient, and not as much of a resource hog as I remember it being in the past. That’s a nice bonus.

While I still miss Xfce’s simplicity and flexibility, I think I can live with Gnome on my Debian setup for a while, thanks to the tweaks I mentioned. And that's what matters.

Over and out.

This is for those kids who don't like to read.