Chapter 3: GNOME Desktop

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

• Navigate the GNOME desktop environment confidently
• Use the Activities overview and application launcher
• Customize your desktop with themes and extensions
• Manage windows, workspaces, and virtual desktops
• Install applications via GNOME Software

Prerequisites

• Completed Chapter 2
• Linux installed and running
• Working internet connection

GNOME Overview

What is GNOME?

GNOME (GNU Network Object Model Environment) is a complete desktop environment for Linux. It provides:

• Graphical User Interface (GUI) — Point-and-click interaction
• Core Applications — File manager, web browser, terminal, settings
• System Integration — Manages displays, audio, notifications

GNOME Philosophy

GNOME follows a modern, minimal design philosophy:

graph LR
    A[GNOME Design Principles] --> B[Simplicity]
    A --> C[Consistency]
    A --> D[Accessibility]
    A --> E[Internationalization]

    B --> B1[Clean, uncluttered interface]
    C --> C1[Same patterns everywhere]
    D --> D1[Usable by everyone]
    E --> E1[Available in 40+ languages]

Key Design Elements:

• Top Bar: System status, clock, notifications
• Activities Overview: Application launcher and window manager
• Dash: Favorite applications dock
• Dynamic Workspaces: Automatic virtual desktop management

GNOME vs Other Desktop Environments

Desktop Navigation

The GNOME Layout

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  [Activities] [App Name]       □      🌙 📶 🔋 2:45 PM  │ ← Top Bar
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                         │
│                                                         │
│                    Desktop Area                          │
│                    (or Windows)                          │
│                                                         │
│                                                         │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│              [🔍]  [📁]  [🖥️]  [⚙️]  [📧]                │ ← Dash
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

The Top Bar

The top bar is your command center:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [Activities] [Application Menu]      [Status] [Calendar] [Sys] │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
      ↓              ↓                      ↓          ↓
   Click to see   Current app's         Volume,     Notifications,
   Activities     menu (if open)        network,    calendar, power
                  (or "Activities")     battery

Components:

• Activities Button (top-left): Opens overview
• Application Menu (center): Current app's menu
• Status Indicators (right): System tray icons
• Clock (right): Click for calendar and notifications
• System Menu (far-right): Settings, power, logout

Try this: Click the clock to see the calendar and notifications!

Keyboard Shortcuts (Essential!)

Master these to become efficient:

💡 Pro Tip: The Super key is the Windows key on most keyboards. macOS users can use Command in most cases.

Activities Overview

What is Activities Overview?

The Activities Overview is GNOME's central hub. Press the Super key to activate it.

flowchart TD
    A[Activities Overview] --> B[Application Grid]
    A --> C[Window Selector]
    A --> D[Workspace Switcher]
    A --> E[Search Bar]

    B --> B1[Click to launch apps]
    C --> C1[Click to focus windows]
    D --> D1[Switch between desktops]
    E --> E1[Type to search anything]

Navigating the Overview

Opening Applications

1. Press Super to open Activities
2. Click the grid icon (bottom-left) to show All Applications
3. Scroll or search to find your app
4. Click to launch

Switching Between Windows

1. Press Super for Activities
2. Click on any window thumbnail to focus it
3. Or press Alt+Tab for quick switching

Managing Workspaces

1. Press Super for Activities
2. Look at the right side — you'll see workspaces
3. Drag windows between workspaces
4. Click a workspace to switch to it

Search from Activities

The search bar in Activities is powerful:

# Type in the search bar to find:
> firefox          # Launch applications
> "document"       # Find files by name
> "wifi"           # Search settings
> calc             # Calculator
>                 # Web search (if enabled)

Search Categories:

• Applications
• Settings
• Files (indexed in your home directory)
• Calculator (type equations)
• Web search (optional)

Pinned Favorites (Dash)

The Dash is the dock at the bottom of the screen with your favorite apps.

To add a favorite:

1. Open Activities → All Applications
2. Right-click an app
3. Select "Add to Favorites"

To remove a favorite:

1. Right-click the app in the Dash
2. Select "Remove from Favorites"

Window Management

Window Actions

Tiling Windows (Snap to Edge)

Drag a window to the edge of the screen to tile it:

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│         Drag to left edge:                   │
│ ┌──────────┬─────────────────────────────────┐│
│ │          │                                 ││
│ │ Window 1 │        Empty / Window 2         ││
│ │  (50%)   │            (50%)                ││
│ └──────────┴─────────────────────────────────┘│
└──────────────────────────────────────────────┘

         Drag to corner: Quarter screen

Keyboard Tiling:

• Super+← → Left half
• Super+→ → Right half
• Super+↑ → Maximize
• Super+↓ → Restore/Minimize

Virtual Workspaces

GNOME uses dynamic workspaces — they're created and destroyed as needed.

Understanding Workspaces:

Workspace 1: Browser, Terminal
Workspace 2: Code Editor, File Manager
Workspace 3: Music, Chat

Workspace Shortcuts:

Customization (Themes, Extensions)

GNOME Settings Overview

Open Settings via:

• System Menu → Settings (gear icon)
• Activities → Search "Settings"
• Terminal: gnome-control-center

Appearance Settings

Settings → Appearance:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Appearance                             │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  Style:                                 │
│  ○ Light   ● Dark   ○ Dark with Accent  │
│                                         │
│  Accent Color:                          │
│  ● Blue   ○ Green   ○ Orange, etc.      │
│                                         │
│  Background: [Change...]                │
│  Lock Screen: [Change...]               │
│  Application Icons: [Adwaita]           │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Dark Mode:

# Terminal command to toggle dark mode
$ gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface gtk-theme 'Adwaita-dark'

Desktop Background

To change wallpaper:

1. Open Settings → Appearance
2. Click Background or Lock Screen
3. Choose from defaults or click Add Picture...

Supported formats: JPG, PNG, WebP, SVG

GNOME Extensions

Extensions add functionality to GNOME. Think of them like browser extensions for your desktop.

Popular Extensions

Installing Extensions

Method 1: GNOME Software (Easiest)

1. Open GNOME Software
2. Search for "Extensions" app
3. Install "Extensions" (the manager app)
4. Browse and install extensions directly

Method 2: Web Browser

1. Visit extensions.gnome.org
2. Browse extensions
3. Toggle switch to install (requires browser extension)
4. Open Extensions app to manage

Method 3: Terminal (Advanced)

# Install GNOME Shell integration
$ sudo dnf install gnome-shell-extensions

# Install specific extensions
$ sudo dnf install gnome-shell-extension-dash-to-dock
$ sudo dnf install gnome-shell-extension-appindicator

Managing Extensions

Open the Extensions app to:

• Enable/disable extensions
• Configure extension settings
• Remove unwanted extensions

⚠️ Warning: Some extensions can cause system instability. Install only what you need.

Font Customization

Settings → Fonts:

Terminal:

# Change interface font size
$ gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface document-font-name 'Sans 12'

# Change monospace font
$ gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface monospace-font-name 'Monospace 12'

System Settings

Essential Settings to Configure

1. Network (WiFi & Ethernet)

Settings → Network

# Quick status check in terminal
$ nmcli connection show
$ nmcli device wifi list

Connect to WiFi:

1. Click the network icon in top bar
2. Select your network
3. Enter password

Forgetting a network:

1. Settings → Network
2. Click the gear icon next to the network
3. Click Forget

2. Display & Monitors

Settings → Display

• Resolution: Usually auto-detected
• Scale: For high-DPI (4K/Retina) displays
• Refresh Rate: Higher = smoother motion

Multiple Monitors:

┌────────────────┐  ┌────────────────┐
│   Display 1    │  │   Display 2    │
│   (Primary)    │  │   (Secondary)  │
└────────────────┘  └────────────────┘
       [Set as Primary] [Arrange]

Arrangement: Drag displays to match physical layout.

3. Sound & Volume

Settings → Sound

Quick Mute: Click volume icon → select Mute

4. Power & Battery

Settings → Power

Battery Saver:

# Check battery status
$ upower -i /org/freedesktop/UPower/devices/battery_BAT0

5. Privacy

Settings → Privacy

Important settings:

• Location Services: Disable for privacy
• Camera & Microphone: Control app access
• Usage & History: Clear usage data
• Screen Lock: Set timeout and password requirement

6. Users

Settings → Users

• Add User: Create additional accounts
• Automatic Login: Skip login screen (convenient but less secure)
• Parental Controls: Limit app usage (for families)

⚠️ Security Tip: Disable automatic login for laptops and shared computers.

Installing GUI Applications

GNOME Software

GNOME Software is your GUI app store:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  GNOME Software                         │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  [Explore] [Installed] [Updates]        │
│                                         │
│  Featured Applications:                 │
│  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐ │
│  │ Firefox │  │  VLC    │  │  GIMP   │ │
│  │  Browser│  │ Player  │  │  Image  │ │
│  │ [Install]│ [Install]│ [Install]│ │
│  └─────────┘  └─────────┘  └─────────┘ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

To install:

1. Open GNOME Software
2. Browse or search for an app
3. Click Install

To remove:

1. Click Installed tab
2. Find the app
3. Click Remove

Flatpak (Flathub)

Many apps are available as Flatpaks — containerized packages that work on any distro.

# Install Flatpak support (Fedora has it by default)
$ sudo dnf install flatpak

# Add Flathub repository
$ sudo flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

# Install an app
$ flatpak install flathub com.spotify.Client

# Run the app
$ flatpak run com.spotify.Client

Popular Flathub Apps:

• Spotify
• Discord
• VS Code
• LibreOffice
• OBS Studio
• Steam

Finding Applications

Summary

Key Takeaways:

• GNOME is the default desktop on Fedora and Debian
• Activities Overview (Super key) is the central hub
• Workspaces provide virtual desktops for organization
• Extensions add functionality (use sparingly)
• GNOME Software is the GUI app store
• Keyboard shortcuts dramatically improve efficiency

Essential Shortcuts to Memorize:

Chapter Quiz

Test your understanding of the GNOME desktop environment:

Exercises

Exercise 1: GNOME Navigation Scavenger Hunt

Complete these tasks as fast as possible:

1. Open the Activities Overview
2. Find and launch GNOME Terminal
3. Open a second workspace
4. Move Terminal to workspace 2
5. Switch back to workspace 1
6. Open GNOME Files (Nautilus)
7. Maximize the Files window
8. Close the Files window
9. Lock the screen
10. Unlock and return

Deliverable: Record your time and list which shortcuts you used.

Exercise 2: Desktop Customization

Personalize your desktop:

1. Change your desktop background
2. Enable dark mode
3. Add 5 applications to your favorites/dock
4. Install 1 GNOME extension (from Extensions app)
5. Change your interface font size
6. Configure your power settings

Deliverable: Screenshots of your customized desktop.

Exercise 3: Application Installation

Install these applications:

1. Via GNOME Software: Install VLC media player
2. Via Flatpak: Install Flatpak, add Flathub, install 1 app
3. Via Terminal (preview): Use dnf to install tree

$ sudo dnf install tree

Deliverable: List the commands/steps you used for each method.

Exercise 4: Workspace Workflow

Create a productive workspace setup:

1. Workspace 1: Browser + Terminal
2. Workspace 2: Files + Text Editor
3. Workspace 3: Settings + Software (optional)

Practice switching between workspaces and moving windows.

Deliverable: Describe your workspace workflow and how it helps you stay organized.

Expected Output

After completing these exercises, you should have:

1. Navigation Skills: Can use GNOME efficiently without mouse
2. Customized Desktop: Personalized appearance and setup
3. Installed Apps: VLC, Flatpak app, and tree command
4. Workspace Workflow: Organized multi-desktop setup

Further Reading

• GNOME Documentation
• GNOME Shell Extensions
• Fedora Desktop Documentation
• Flathub Website

Discussion Questions

1. Why does GNOME hide options compared to Windows/macOS? Is this good or bad?
2. How does GNOME's dynamic workspace model compare to fixed virtual desktops?
3. What are the security implications of installing extensions from the web?
4. Why might someone prefer KDE Plasma or XFCE over GNOME?