Gnome3 for the experienced (FUN Stuff!!!)

[autocrosser]

WELCOME to everyone interested in Gnome3 (Gnome-Shell)

I've been wanting to start this thread for quite while now and here it is......

A bit of background first....I've been testing Gnome-Shell for almost 2 years now and like using it (maybe I'm a bit STRANGE )---So I really wanted to have a Debian install that I could continue testing/using the Shell and Gnome3. I have tried to build the Shell in both the "normal" testing install and a Sid-source install, but both can't be done because of depends problems (xulrunner 1.9.2-dev is a requirement). SO.....I have repartitioned my system to have a "normal" install, a Sid install and a Experimental-source install so I have fallbacks if experimental b0rks up

In Experimental you can install the gnome3-session and gnome-shell--it's running quite stable right now (and I would "guess" that it will stay that way because of the release date for Gnome3)

***After you set up you will need to create a NEW user...else the fonts and several parts of the desktop will default to 58px--not a very pretty sight (thank you Ikey!!!!!) ***
As far as I know this is no longer needed...can someone check please?

More Information on the Shell project: http://live.gnome.org/GnomeShell
Gnome3: http://www.gnome3.org/
The "Myth-buster" link: http://live.gnome.org/GNOME3Myths

Desktop view with custom icon, top panel & using Avant-Window-Navigator

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This is the "normal" desktop view---I am using AWN because I still need a dock/panel to access stuff quickly. I'm very sure when Gnome3 is released there will be quite a bit of hacking on it--all the code is pretty easy to change, so the functionality will be a "plug-in" most likely in the near future. The bottom of the screen has a hiding notice area--hotspot the right lower corner to unhide.

Windows overlay view with one application shown

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This is the "Windows" overlay...you hit the hotspot in the upper left corner to bring up Overlay...it currently has 2 modes. you can sticky a favorite app in the side dock or choose one of the running apps here. There is a hotspot on the right side to add/subtract desktops in this mode also. Notice the rather basic System-Preference control panel (lower-right app)

Applications overlay view

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This is the "Applications" overlay. As you can see the full Apps list comes up by default and you can sort the menu by types on the right side. Both Overlay modes have a Search box at the upper right corner. You can see the Notices at the bottom (unhidden) in both the Overlay modes.

You can run Gnome3 without running the Shell...just choose the normal Gnome session on login--that will run a UN-accelerated desktop with low "needs" --as Ikey posted, it runs VERY snappy....Gnome3-session is the Shell.

I will be adding/modifying this thread on a more/less constant basis as things change....be sure and return to the first page to see the updates as they are posted!!!!!

Update 5/14/11

I've been a bit lax on updating the front page---Theming is now very possible in Gnome-Shell.

1> Gnome-Tweak Tool can change your Icon-set, GTK3 theme & several other "Look & Feel" parts of the Interface.
2> Gnome-Shell Theme Selector is being actively works on--See pg 3 for comments & info. Main Information pg: http://blog.fpmurphy.com/2011/04/gnome- ... eview.html

I have posted install info for both on pg 3.........

Update 8/28/2011

Updated the pictures to reflect how Gnome-Shell can look at present.

[autocrosser]

No problem....I just shot a "Windows" overlay with the Mint background...Up in a Minute or so.

Last Window shot---the "New" overlay --Themes overlay. See later on in the thread to see how to do it!!!!

Theme overlay.

Screenshot-3.jpg (205.77 KiB) Viewed 24144 times

[autocrosser]

I'll logout /in and get some "normal" Gnome3 stuff next....as far as the "Shell"--don't know...Ubuntu is doing their own shell as a Compiz plugin....

Here is the "normal" Gnome3 screenshot...pretty basic--un-accelerated (low hardware needs) & works very similar to Gnome2

Gnome3 Desktop view

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Themes "seem" to be the one sticking point right now---The normal Gnome3 desktop will use GTK2 & 3 themes....but changing them is a bit hard (gconf to change)---Gnome-Shell only uses gtk3--not much choice there yet.....

The system preferences stuff is not as feature-full as Gnome2--but that will also be hacked on quite a bit after release...I think that everyone is just waiting for the code to settle down a bit.....

Gnome3 "Gnome-Control-Panel"

Screenshot-System Settings.png (48.97 KiB) Viewed 31766 times

Not much yet......It's the same for Gnome3 (basic) & Gnome-Shell.

[zerozero]

autocrosser,
may i ask, in an end-user point of view what are the main differences between GNOME2 and GNOME3 (the non-shell session)?
for your last shoot they look very similar, it's just the look and things are different under the wood?

[autocrosser]

I don't see many differences---just not as many options (kind'a the way Gnome wants it ). The main thing is that it will be easier to write apps for Gnome3 (we hope ) & Gnome is trying to clean up the code stack/modernize things. As far as the end-user---you won't see much difference--things "seem" to run faster (may be the newer/shinier placebo effect ). Only time will tell--come March

[autocrosser]

Nice tip.....I didn't have dconf-editor installed......I just wish that there was a good GUI. I'm very sure that will be very high on the hack-list very soon.

[zerozero]

Good to know that autocrosser
I tried the shell a few months ago (Fedora? Mandriva? i think i need the tablets again - honestly at the time i was trying so many distros i can't recall)
and wasn't very impressed, so is good to know the "old" GNOME desktop is still there, cleaned up and faster

[hxu]

Gnome Shell and Unity is the exact reason why I switched to LMDE on the weekend (so quite new to Linux Mint...Hello guys!). I tried Gnome 3 on Saturday and found while the Gnome Shell is not bad for light home users, for professional/heavy users it's a disaster. I haven't tried Unity but from what I've read about it, it's nothing different.

After playing with LMDE over the weekend, I have decided to settle on Linux Mint as my main desktop. Thanks you guys!

[xircon]

Builds fine on my machine, Dell Inspiron N5010 / Core i5 / ATI HD 5000 series, but I get distorted menus and windows and it runs like an asthmatic with a limp. I also got similar problems on other distros. It however runs really well on my poxy little netbook

I would really like to be able to run it, anyone got any ideas? I assume its an ATI/AMD graphics card problem?

[autocrosser]

Builds fine on my machine, Dell Inspiron N5010 / Core i5 / ATI HD 5000 series, but I get distorted menus and windows and it runs like an asthmatic with a limp. I also got similar problems on other distros. It however runs really well on my poxy little netbook

I would really like to be able to run it, anyone got any ideas? I assume its an ATI/AMD graphics card problem?

Yes--it's the ATI hardware---I was having problems with Nvidia (and I'm running SLI 9800GTS 1G cards)--You can join the mailing list for more info or there is a IRC channel (I don't go there--but I hear that its rather busy--lots of good info)...For some reason Intel graphics work best right now (go figure )

[autocrosser]

Gnome Shell and Unity is the exact reason why I switched to LMDE on the weekend (so quite new to Linux Mint...Hello guys!). I tried Gnome 3 on Saturday and found while the Gnome Shell is not bad for light home users, for professional/heavy users it's a disaster. I haven't tried Unity but from what I've read about it, it's nothing different.

After playing with LMDE over the weekend, I have decided to settle on Linux Mint as my main desktop. Thanks you guys!

Unity is (in my opinion) going to be a real fiasco---I can't see how it will be "really" ready for users by mid-April & ready for Enterprise use by 12-04. We'll see how it goes--Ubuntu is not going to make it easy to "not" use Unity (you will need to un-config several things)--whilst Gnome3 will work just fine without the Shell--just login with the default "gnome" session....only one box tic to change between Shell & "normal" Gnome.

[Rifester]

I don't think Unity will be ready and I DO think it will be release anyway... Maverick netbook edition is a perfect example of releasing an unfinished product and was the final straw in my use of Ubuntu. Love Debian and I am not looking back. Hope to get some time to install Gnome 3 soon... Getting bored with all of this stability and what not.

[autocrosser]

I don't think Unity will be ready and I DO think it will be release anyway... Maverick netbook edition is a perfect example of releasing an unfinished product and was the final straw in my use of Ubuntu. Love Debian and I am not looking back. Hope to get some time to install Gnome 3 soon... Getting bored with all of this stability and what not.

Come join the fun....Gnome3 & G-S are working very well right now--as for the stability---I did test for Ubuntu for about 5 years......?stability? I was use to 25~150 updates per day...I get the itch to be on the unstable side

[xircon]

Builds fine on my machine, Dell Inspiron N5010 / Core i5 / ATI HD 5000 series, but I get distorted menus and windows and it runs like an asthmatic with a limp. I also got similar problems on other distros. It however runs really well on my poxy little netbook

I would really like to be able to run it, anyone got any ideas? I assume its an ATI/AMD graphics card problem?

Yes--it's the ATI hardware---I was having problems with Nvidia (and I'm running SLI 9800GTS 1G cards)--You can join the mailing list for more info or there is a IRC channel (I don't go there--but I hear that its rather busy--lots of good info)...For some reason Intel graphics work best right now (go figure )

The mailing list is a bit pants, lots of whinging, I un-subscribed a couple of days back

[autocrosser]

The mailing list is a bit pants, lots of whinging, I un-subscribed a couple of days back

Yes--I just skim the list for things I'm interested in...you might try IRC....

[DrHu]

No...
How do I vote, No Way!

I don't like a cluttered desktop, nor any OS or application that helps by thoughtfully adding shortcuts, icons and extraneous clutter

[autocrosser]

No...
How do I vote, No Way!

I don't like a cluttered desktop, nor any OS or application that helps by thoughtfully adding shortcuts, icons and extraneous clutter

Well--If you look at the links I included at the top---you will be able to choose the normal Gnome session--uses the new Gnome stack, but works the same way you are use to...

The only thing I am doing is giving people a advance look at what is coming...that way it is not sprung upon one without much warning...Gnome is releasing 3 in a couple of months & I don't see a mass adoption for up to a year after that time......

Also---G-S is all about less clutter on the main desktop---not more.....One hotspot takes you to a "cluttered" place where you can find most of your bits---and the same hotspot returns you to a non-cluttered space again. No "added" shortcuts on the main space---just things that are hidden by default. Please look at: http://live.gnome.org/GNOME3Myths for more information.


Of course---Linux is all about choice---From what I hear Gnome2 won't be phased out for several years.....plenty of time to explore to see if you really don't like what you see....I remember the change from Gnome"1" to Gnome2 & I have seen much of the same talk come 'round again.....And look how Gnome2 turned out.

[autocrosser]

Nice neutral Blog-post about Gnome3/G-S--- http://dasublogbyprashanth.blogspot.com ... ome-3.html

[hxu]

Nice neutral Blog-post about Gnome3/G-S--- http://dasublogbyprashanth.blogspot.com ... ome-3.html

Basically I did the same thing as the author - downloaded the Fedora live CD, burnt it to a bootable USB, booted, WOWed and ... just found everything needs more clicks and with each click the whole scene before my eyes changes completely and makes my eyes lost for some ms; there is no straightforward way to give a quick glance and switch to a window as I would do even with a Windows XP desktop. For a typical home user, it's OK - most home users would be satisfied with just a broswer window and a media player window openning on the desktop and don't need to switch oftfen or quickly. But for me, I usually open 25+ windows on the desktop and 8 of them are ssh windows. How can I quickly switch to, say, the 3rd ssh window where I am running a make process and if that finished then quickly switch to the 1st ssh window to start a regression test and then switch to a message definition window to check if the latest issue is still active, then switch to the mail client and send out "Hello world is crashing, sorry..." and when I am writing the mail a chat window pops up "Hi there you just crashed the world?" ... All in all, G-S won't do for heavy users like me, at least won't do for me. The irony is, that live Fedora CD which is supposed to show something more attractive and sexier actually sent me here

[autocrosser]

Did you try the <Alt-Tab> bit to cycle thru your open windows? I must admit to only having 4~5 windows open at a time & <Alt-Tab> works very well for me................