Best 10 Gnome Shell Extensions for improving your productivity on Linux

Best Shell Extensions for improve productivity

GNOME is one of the best desktop environment in Linux systems designed with unique concepts to provide a focused working atmosphere. GNOME is simple, elegant, and easy to use. But when comparing GNOME with KDE, the major drawback is the user customizations. The Gnome Shell Extensions developed in order to overcome this drawback to some extend.

The gnome-shell-repository contains many extensions to customize the traditional GNOME Shell. These extensions make the Linux system more useful for your needs and improve productivity. Choosing the best extensions is sometimes time-consuming. So I am introducing some cool GNOME shell extensions to add more functionality to your Linux system and enhance your productivity. 

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Best 10 GNOME Shell Extensions.

Before getting into the list, you should know how the extensions work and how to enable it. You can head into this link to learn from the official documentation.

Material Shell

The Material Shell Extension has designed to override the traditional desktop workflows and improve the GNOME desktop user experience to the next level. With Material shell, you can convert your traditional Gnome Desktop into an intelligent tiling windows management with a single click.  

Materiel Shell Intro

In general, It’s a tiling engine similar to what we have seen in the Pop Os Shell. Unlike Pop Os, the Material shell adds two major components into the GNOME desktop, a system panel on the left and a workspace panel placed on the top. The Work space’s selection, Layout’s switching, Apps switching, and System tray and Notifications are manageable from these two panels. Besides, built-in theme support and hotkeys make it perfectly fit for your workflows. Read more about Materiel Shell here 

Install 

2. To Do.txt

To Do.txt for Gnome Shell
To Do.txt

This extension manages your important task effectively right from your Gnome Shell. Adding new tasks to the To Do.txt made extremely easy. You can track all of your tasks on the list from the system tray drop-down menu. Also, the deletion and completion button placed right to each task to list out each one when needed. More than just adding and deleting, To Do.txt also provides some advanced features like Auto-archive, priority sort, Task Grouping, etc. 

Install 

3. Notes 

Notes-Shell-Extention
Notes color options

A simple sticky notes extension to place the notes into the desktop for easy access. Notes provide multi-language support and available in English, Chinese (traditional), Dutch, French, Turkish, and Croatian languages. 

Install 

4. Color Picker

Color Picker for Gnome
Color picker with hash code

The Color Picker is a must-have extension for designers, content managers, programmers, and others who work with shades in their daily tasks. Because it converts the colors from the desktop into hex code and keeps on the list, all this you can do with a single mouse click. 

Install

5. Clipboard Indicator

Cliboard indiactor gnome shell extention
Clipboard cached contents

The clipboard indicator is a utility extension to the Gnome Shell. Instead of copying each text manually into a text document, with the clipboard indicator, you can cache all copied texts into a board automatically. The history and Max cache sizes are customizable. Whereas the default maximum cache size is up to 1024KB, but you can change it from the settings. 

Install  

6. Drop Down Terminal Gnome Extension

Drop Down Terminal for Gnome Shell
Drop Down Terminal

It is an essential Gnome Shell Extension for all GNOME users who use the terminal every time for managing the Linux system. While using GNOME desktop with the Drop Down Terminal extension enabled, you can use and run commands on the terminal by a simple custom keyboard shortcut without minimizing other windows. 

Install 

7. Caffeine

Caffeine-Gnome-Shell-Extentions
Caffeine with Auto suspend on

It allows users to prevent the Linux system Auto Suspend due to the inactivity. Once installed, you can turn on the caffeine mode by simply clicking the mug icon from the system tray area. You can easily bring back Auto Suspend and turnoff caffeine mode by another click to the mug icon the same way you did.

Install 

8. Auto Move Windows

In GNOME, you can create multiple virtual desktops called Workspace. By creating a workspace, you can group multiple windows to a single workspace. As a result, it reduces clutter and gives better window management. 

Auto Move Windows for Gnome Shell
Adding application to workspace

Auto Move Windows Gnome Extension makes this grouping much easier by opening applications into the user-specified workspace. It made very simple you can add an application by clicking the add button, then select a workspace you would like to open it. 

Install 

9. Gs Connect

A perfect KDE connect implementation on Gnome Shell with nautilus. KDE Connect is an in-built service in the KDE software suite that allows securely share the contents from mobile devices to the Linux desktop.

Gs-Connect-device-Options
GS Connect settings

Once GS Connect configured, you will be able to view the latest notifications, read messages, share files, access storage without touching your phone each time. The KDE Connect available for Linux, BSD, Android, Sailfish, and Windows. However, you must have installed KDE connect on both devices to enable synchronization.

Install 

10. Top Panel Workspace Scroll

We already know GNOME has options to create multiple workspaces. Top Panel Workspace Scroll extension makes this workspace switching much easier by scrolling over the top panel. Thus you can reduce the mess with activity overlay and improve productivity. 

Install

Conclusion 

Apart from this list, the Gnome Extensions store has thousands of brilliant extensions available to customize your Gnome Shell. You can install Extensions to enable/disable the installed Gnome-shell-extensions, or install Screenshot tool to make better screenshots, or Dash to Dock or Dash to Panel to open applications without the search. 

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