Gnome

Introduction

This page stores useful information related to the Gnome desktop environment for Linux.

Configuration

Check the nice utility GNOME Configuration Editor (eg. gconf-editor /apps/gnome-terminal )
Editing a file Open With list in Nautilus: right click on file → properties → go to Open With panel. Add new applications and/or select default application. Some relevant files ([1]):
- /usr/share/applications/mimeinfo.cache (global list)
- ~/.local/share/applications/mimeinfo.cache (custom list)
- ~/.local/share/applications/defaults.list (default action)

Edit home menu (apps, icons...)

Use Gnome application alacarte. Alacarte is an easy-to-use menu editor for GNOME that can add and edit new entries and menus.

Show Home Icons (and others) on Desktop

This tip can be used to show miscellaneous icons on the desktop:

Open gconf-editor → apps → nautilus → check the appropriate boxes.

Configuring the Window List Panel

To configure the Window List Panel, one must right-click on the bottom left corner, right in the space that separates the Show Desktop button and the first window button. Interesting options are:

Window List Content → Show windows from all workspaces
Restoring Minimized Windows → Restore to native workspace

An alternate solution is to use the GNOME Configuration Editor (gconf-editor) in folder /apps/panel/applets/window_list_screen0/prefs/display_all_workspaces

Configuring Alt-Tab

Currently Gnome only allow Alt-Tab to scroll through Windows on the current workspace. This limitation is a known bug (see [2] and [3]). However this limitation can be circumvented using Compiz (see below).

Editing preferences of root

To edit Appearance Preferences: gksudo gnome-appearance-properties

Move Min,Max,Close button to the right / left

Check this guide on HowToGeek or idea #23899:

Open Gnome Config Editor
Go to /apps/metacity/general, edit field button_layout
Lucid default is maximize,minimize,close:menu
Macbuntu default is close,minimize,maximize:menu

Restore defaults

E.g. for Compiz::

gconftool-2 --recursive-unset /apps/compiz

Using `dconf`

Edit gnome setings via command line using dconf:

# List content - DIR must END WITH a bloody / !
dconf list /org/gnome/
# Set some values
dconf write '/org/gnome/terminal/legacy/profiles:/:b1dcc9dd-5262-4d8d-a863-c897e6d979b9/custom-command' "'env TERM=gnome-256color /bin/bash'"
dconf write '/org/gnome/terminal/legacy/profiles:/:b1dcc9dd-5262-4d8d-a863-c897e6d979b9/use-custom-command' "true"
# Dump a key
dconf dump /org/gnome/terminal/legacy/profiles:/
# Erase a key or folder
dconf reset '/org/gnome/terminal/legacy/profiles:/[:b1dcc9dd-5262-4d8d-a863-c897e6d979b9]/custom-command'

Or there is also the GUI dconf-editor.

Install / manage extensions

Extensions are installed via a web browser (ideally chrome).

First install the package

sudo apt install chrome-gnome-shell

Then visit an extension page (https://extensions.gnome.org/), and install the browser extension. From that point on, extensions can be installed with a single click.

Desktop Theme

Macbuntu

A all-in-one package to customize Gnome desktop like a Mac. Amazing results!!!

Complementary themes:

GTK themes for Chrome

Mac4Lin

A all-in-one package to customize Gnome desktop like a Mac. Very similar to Macbuntu, but a bit too dark to my taste (+ has some issue with Opera input boxes...)

Tutorial on MakeTechEasier for installing Mac4Lin on Ubuntu Lucid
Official SVN repo with latest version
long forum thread on Mac4Lin

Troubleshooting

Opera — html input boxes have no border meaning they are not visible in most cases. To fix this, create a user stylesheet (Preferences → Content → Style Options...):

input {
	border-style: solid;
	border-width: 1px;
	border-bottom-color: #cccccc;
	border-left-color: #cccccc;
	border-right-color: #cccccc;
	border-top-color: #999999; 
}

textarea {
	border-style: solid;
	border-width: 1px;
	border-bottom-color: #cccccc;
	border-left-color: #cccccc;
	border-right-color: #cccccc;
	border-top-color: #999999; 
}

Error message — when launching gvim in console:

Other Mac OS-like themes

GTK_Leopard_for_Linux_by_eamon63
Apple OS X Tiger HOWTO on Flickr (very old though)

GDM

Reference documentation [4]

To hide face browser of known users in the login window (see also [5]):

sudo -u gdm gconftool-2 --type bool --set /apps/gdm/simple-greeter/disable_user_list 'true'

Note that gdm settings are configured with user gdm.

Startup programs

To edit startup programs in Gnome, go to menu System → System → Sessions → Startup programs.
One can also create a script to wait a certain amount of time before launching the program (script command sleep).
Startup programs are also listed in user home, in folder ~/.config/autostart. A typical entry looks like this:

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Encoding=UTF-8
Version=1.0
Name=No Name
Name[en_US]=Firefox
Comment[en_US]=Web Browser Firefox
Comment=Web Browser Firefox
Exec=firefox-2
X-GNOME-Autostart-enabled=true

Change the last line to false to disable an autostart entry, or even override an system-wide auto-start entry.

Applications

Gnome DO

My Gnome+launcher bookmarks on Delicious.
Added 2 new repositories (to get latest version on openSUSE):
- http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/Mono:/Community/openSUSE_11.0+Mono/
- http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/Mono/openSUSE_11.0/
To index Firefox bookmarks, they must be exported to .html. Type about:config in Firefox address bar, and change the settings browser.bookmarks.autoExportHTML ← true.
To add kde3 applications to catalog:

 sudo ln -s /opt/kde3/share/applications/kde /usr/share/applications/kde

My default configuration:
- Start Gnome DO at login
- Hide window on first launch (quiet mode)
- Show notification icon
- Launch key: <alt>+space
  But 1st disable Gnome shortcut for Activate the window menu (System → Preferences → Keyboard shortcut - restart Gnome DO afterwards for change to take effect)
Alternatives to Gnome Do:
- Synapse
- Kupfer (or [6])

Gnome Terminal

My default configuration

Set default window size (per user) to 150x43
Disabled keyboard shortcuts that conflict with midnight commander (see below)
Set scrollback to unlimited lines

How to change default window size

Per user (since Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid):
Click on menu Edit → Profile Preferences..., in tab General, set Default size.

System-wide:

sudo gedit /usr/share/vte/termcap/xterm
# Edit :co / :li to change the default width / height. E.g.:
#    :co#80:it#8:li#24:\

Via Panel launcher:
Right-click on launcher, Properties, change command to gnome-terminal --geometry=150x50+100+100.
Via Application Menu:
Same as above, but need to edit Application Menu (use Main Menu - System View).
Via Terminal preferred application:
Open GNOME Configuration Editor. Go to desktop/gnome/applications/terminal, edit value exec-args=-x --geometry=150x50+100+100.
This is same as changing the settings in System → Preferred Applications → Terminal.
Q? Is there any use to change the file /usr/share/applications/gnome-terminal.desktop? I hoped that it would change the default settings in Gnome DO, but it doesn't :-(...

Keyboard shortcuts

Disable the following shortcuts to avoid conflicts with Midnight Commander:

menu shortcut key (F10)
menu access keys (Alt+F)
help (F1)

Gnome Keyring

Change password

Only alternative is to change via the gnome control center. Found no CLI way.

Force reset password

To force the password of the keyring (hence losing the keyring content), delete ~/.local/share/keyrings [7].

Nautilus

To change icon size:
- Change the zoom level (in the preference window, or in the toolbar)
- Or right click on an icon, select Stretch icon, and drag icon corner to desired size ([8]).
To prevent Nautilus to draw the desktop, use Configuration Editor [9]:

gconftool -t bool /apps/nautilus/preferences/show_desktop -s false

To change default file association (Open With...) (see [10]),
1. Right-click on a file of the type you wish to set a default application to open it with
2. Select Properties
3. Select the Open With tab (all makes sense, now, doesn’t it??)
4. Select the application you want associated with that file-type
5. Click OK

Nautilus Terminal

Nautilus Terminal is an integrated terminal for Nautilus.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:flozz/flozz
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install nautilus-terminal

Bugs

Wish [11] on Indicator-applet (Add action when double-clicking on an indicator applet)

Gnome

Contents

Introduction

Configuration

Edit home menu (apps, icons...)

Show Home Icons (and others) on Desktop

Configuring the Window List Panel

Configuring Alt-Tab

Editing preferences of root

Move Min,Max,Close button to the right / left

Restore defaults

Using `dconf`

Install / manage extensions

Desktop Theme

Macbuntu

Mac4Lin

Other Mac OS-like themes

GDM

Startup programs

Applications

Gnome DO

Gnome Terminal

Gnome Keyring

Nautilus

Nautilus Terminal

Bugs

Navigation menu

Gnome

Introduction

Configuration

Edit home menu (apps, icons...)

Show Home Icons (and others) on Desktop

Configuring the Window List Panel

Configuring Alt-Tab

Editing preferences of root

Move Min,Max,Close button to the right / left

Restore defaults

Using dconf

Install / manage extensions

Desktop Theme

Macbuntu

Mac4Lin

Other Mac OS-like themes

GDM

Startup programs

Applications

Gnome DO

Gnome Terminal

Gnome Keyring

Nautilus

Nautilus Terminal

Bugs

Navigation menu

Search

Using `dconf`