Being able to to convert the dash into a permanent, standalone dock, for instance, seems like such an obvious feature to have that there SHOULD just be an option in the Settings app to achieve that.
I think developers need investment to improve Dock. There is Dock from Dash extension that uses native GNOME Shell Dash as Dock. And when using this extension it is clear that GNOME’s Dash needs a refactoring that it would have some basic functionality, maximize and minimize by clicking on the application icon for example.
But, who would be willing to finance this?
Ubuntu devs has own vertical panel, they not Interested on it.
Fedora devs Interested on servers or something like this, some technical stuff.
Maybe Endless OS devs can be interested in it? In the Endless OS 5 release they replaced the bottom panel to the dock (perhaps it Dash to Dock extension).
In order for at least someone to be interested in funding GNOME’s Dock, it should give some exclusive experience that not gives any Dock extension.
Well, not sure how the GNOME devs are financed, but you’re right, for better or worse, this is what the situation is – there ARE workable solutions, even if they don’t necessarily come right out of the box (unless you use Ubuntu), so I suppose there isn’t much incentive to change the status quo.
From my perspective, however, this just exemplifies the tragic situation of Linux on the desktop: unless you use specific distributions, you’ll never get a usable GUI that’s beginner friendly without requiring any configuration, but still scales to the need of expert users.
As much hate as Ubuntu tends to get, I do think they have the right approach by shipping GNOME in a state that’s more readily accessible to brand new users, while still allowing pros to customize things in the way they want. After all, it’s all done using standard extensions, which you can manage using the extension tool. My only gripe here is that it’s too difficult for newbies to figure this out. The Extensions app SHOULD at least be included in the standard package selection to help discovery.
Also, I wish Ubuntu would just drop Snap on the desktop and use Flatpak out-of-the-box like everyone else, but that’s another story.
Another gripe I have with the dash is that it’s difficult to access using only a mouse. If you have a touchpad, you can use a swipe gesture to reveal it, but with a mouse, all you get is the hot corner in the top left, which is awkward, since the dash appears at the bottom center, almost all the way on the other side of the screen, and cannot be changed without using extensions. Also, the Tour doesn’t even tell you about it, you have to figure this out by yourself. Even if I respect the desire to make GNOME its own thing and not just a complete ripoff of macOS, this feels wrong. It would make more sense to me if the bottom edge of the screen would reveal the Dash (and Overview).
The only other operating systems with modern desktop paradigm are Android and iOS which does not have the concept of minimize either. They both give user a new empty workspace when needed.
The only other operating systems with modern desktop paradigm are Android and iOS which does not have the concept of minimize either. They both give user a new empty workspace when needed.
Android and iOS don’t even have a close button, this is a strange comparison.
I wouldn’t say that the GNOME workflow is «only for geeks who use keyboard shortcuts». It supports keyboard shortcuts, touch gestures and usage of pointer devices. Unlike Windows and macOS, it provides a clear logical separation of where you manage your apps and where you use them, so it can actually be more intuitive to many people, even if they are used to a traditional workflow. GNOME Tour includes clear instructions on how to access the Activities overview in multiple ways.
The reason Windows and macOS have their paradigms is because they’ve always had them, and people would get angry if they changed. GNOME is a different environment, so people will have to learn new ways of doing things anyways if they switch.
It’s been a long time since this topic was published, during this time when I used GNOME, I used it without a single extension.
Also, I talked with people who like the GNOME workflow, and they told me a lot of details about GNOME philosophy
Now, I’m having a hard to decide if GNOME should have a Dock or Panel or something like this
As a default — No
Optionally — Yes.
But GNOME devs are unlikely to add this to the Settings. Because it would require a lot of effort, technical and design changes.
Plus, we already have the GNOME Extensions
Therefore, I believe that “Optionally” is the Extensions way.
The problem is that the GNOME extensions ecosystem needs significant improvements to be more accessible
I have hope for the GNOME Extensions Rebooted Initiative!
For example, look at the GNOME extensions website mockups, it looks cool.
