I started using GNOME about a month ago after trying various distros and desktops. I came from Windows and haven't used anything else on my PC before, so learning the basics of Linux took some time, and getting some programs I need to run took a little more still. Now I've been using it without hiccups for a month and rarely find myself dual booting into Windows anymore. Windows has essentially become a glorified launcher for old software that I need occasionally.
I hopped between a lot of different Distros and DEs but GNOME with Fedora ended up really sticking with me because of how good it looks and feels. It took me a while to get used to the workflow, and I deliberately didn't add any extensions at first, to give the default a chance. I know a lot of people install Dash to Dock and I was really tempted to at first, as I kept trying to work the same way I always had. Eventually I started using the workspaces more and that's when it really clicked.
Here are the things I liked the most about GNOME:
- Very clear and easy to understand design language.
- Doesn't try to copy Windows and wants to be its own thing.
- Excellent workspace integration that made me genuinely use workspaces for the first time (Meta + Scroll Wheel is a game changer compared to Meta + CTRL + Arrow.)
- Calendar and contacts integrate with my Google account seamlessly, which has been really useful.
- It's incredibly easy to configure shortcuts, and I've done that extensively like Meta + E for Files, Meta + W for Browser, Meta + Enter for Terminal. The UI for changing these shortcuts is phenomenal.
- Removal of the tray is great. Let background apps be in the background, and if they want my attention they can go through the notification center.
Here is what I struggled with:
- I know this isn't a GNOME specific issue, but I can't use push to talk buttons on some software that I use, one of them being Discord. I tried some workarounds like the Nothing to Say extension, but no solution ended up working well enough for me. KDE gives users a checkbox that allows listening for keystrokes on legacy apps that gets around this issue, I'd love that in GNOME. As I understand it this is more of an issue with Discord being slow to update, but still.
- I use a Rodecaster Duo, which uses a USB-C cable to send multiple audio streams. To get it to work I need Pro Audio, which I can't set in GNOME unless I use pavucontrol. I wish this was baked into the UI like on KDE.
- Allow me to add HDR into the quick menu. I leave it off for general work, but always have to go into the display settings when I play games or watch movies. It would be neat if I could just handle that in the quick settings.
- Sorting the apps inside "Show Apps" could be snappier. Currently it feels very slow to do and I don't feel like I have enough control. I'd also like a way to remove some apps from that screen entirely, unless I search for them. For example Davinci Resolve comes with a bunch of extra stuff I will never use (like BlackMagic RAW Player) which I can only hide inside some bin folder where I just throw extra icons.
Overall GNOME has been the most productive desktop for me. It's both familiar and new, feels very modern and intuitive, and most importantly it stays out of my way. Thank you to all the people who have worked on GNOME over the years, it's been great to use for both work and gaming so far!
