Hold back gnome 40

With gnome 40 just around the corner now, I was wondering how I could hold back updating till, either my favorite extensions get updated, I find new ones, or I decide to switch DEs entirely. I’ve held back a package or two but never an entire DE even if it’s possible. I know I run the risk of things breaking, just wondering if it’s possible and how I would do it. Is it sufficient to simply hold back gnome-shell? Do I have to hold back the entire list of packages?

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You can follow the procedure over here

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Thanks for the links, looks like the easiest thing would be to simply add gnome to the ignoregroup section.

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IDK, I think it is safer to simply not update your system for a period of time, rather than ignore a large chunk of your packages, and create a messy partially upgraded system prone to breakage.

Just me though.

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Nah, totally agree here. I personally wouldn’t do this.

That’s what I’ve been struggling with. Holding back such a big set of packages could be more problematic than just holding off for a couple of weeks. Still not sure what I’ll do.

My advice, which matches the others, don’t do it. A lot of extensions weren’t optimized for the current Gnome version either, even today.
So, you might wait in vain, just search for an alternative extension that does work in the upcoming version.

just wait a week… in the first day’s the first bug reports going in probably 3th day new updates roles in… also eventually upstream of extentions get corrected as well

This is ultimately my growing frustration with gnome, their extension api changes so much from version to version that many of them just stop working. I generally love gnome, and with a couple of extensions imho it’s great, but version upgrades are stressful. You never know if your favorite extension will get updated. Maybe it’s time to take KDE out for another spin. I’ve been playing with it in a vm but can’t seem to get the panels just right yet. All I really want is a system tray at the top, a calendar widget would be nice and something like the dash on the left. I’m able to do that but they are still not quite right. Oh and multiple workspaces are a must. I know KDE has all that just haven’t gotten it quite configured right yet to take the plunge.

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on one part this is true… https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=GNOME-40-Better-Extensions

possible there is light at the end of the tunnel :slight_smile: for a more frozen os is extention better maintanable…

Most extentions are written for there own that relies mostly the issue…

Another option would be to take the current PKGBUILD files for 3.38, rename them to append a “3”, add a provides(); conflicts() against the original package. Build and install those and you’ll stay on version 3.38.

For example:

diff --git a/PKGBUILD b/PKGBUILD
index cd11d69..7ca725b 100644
--- a/PKGBUILD
+++ b/PKGBUILD
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 # Contributor: Ionut Biru <ibiru@archlinux.org>
 # Contributor: Flamelab <panosfilip@gmail.com
 
-pkgname=gnome-shell
+pkgname=gnome3-shell
 pkgver=3.38.4
 pkgrel=1
 epoch=1
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ pkgdesc="Next generation desktop shell"
 url="https://wiki.gnome.org/Projects/GnomeShell"
 arch=(x86_64)
 license=(GPL2)
+provides=('gnome-shell')
+conflicts=('gnome-shell')
 depends=(accountsservice gcr gjs gnome-bluetooth upower gnome-session
          gnome-settings-daemon gnome-themes-extra gsettings-desktop-schemas
          libcanberra-pulse libgdm libsecret mutter nm-connection-editor unzip
@@ -18,7 +20,7 @@ makedepends=(gtk-doc gnome-control-center evolution-data-server gobject-introspe
              sassc asciidoc bash-completion)
 optdepends=('gnome-control-center: System settings'
             'evolution-data-server: Evolution calendar integration')
-groups=(gnome)
+groups=(gnome3)
 install=gnome-shell.install
 _commit=d91b41ade09ea9960678416ab919ececf12ec8d1  # tags/3.38.4^0
 source=("git+https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gnome-shell.git#commit=$_commit"

Same, it was one of the reasons I changed over to Openbox quite a few years back.

gnome is broken by design. The desktop is missing basic functionality. Therefore almost all gnome users are using extensions to provide the missing functionality. But then the extensions break every once in a while because the gnome APIs change. This is outrageous from my point of view.

But then, this is probably not so much of a problem if you are are not using a rolling release distro. :wink:

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I’m waiting a little bit to see if some key extensions get updated, but in the end I’ll likely switch over to KDE Plasma

This is so true, sadly.
With a few extensions Gnome is the (nearly) perfect desktop environment for me. But without extensions it’s unusable.
I like that “MacOS style” with a real dock e.g. and it makes it easier switching between Mac and Linux but it’s really annoying to have that extension trouble every 6 months.

Btw. I made the latest updates including gnome-shell 1:40.0-1 on my test vm right now and i’m stuck on a plain login screen now.
To late for a research now, but better be careful before updating your main computer.

Yep haven’t updated my main desktop yet, my wife is using for school and needs it to just work. I updated my media server and lost all my extensions :rage:.

Exactly! Every 6 months I stress over which expression will break! I know this is likely more of an issue for rolling releases then distros like ubuntu. But now they’ve got to figure out how to fix it for their users or once again have the UI change for them.

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It must be quite frustrating for the extension developers to fix their already working extensions all the time. No wonder some quit their projects.
My VM Installation works again and of course there’s some extension trouble, so i’ll wait a while before i update my main computer.
Dash to dock - the most important extensions for me - is not working properly, but they’re working on it, so maybe in a few days it works again.
Ironically the Extensions App isn’t working at all with xorg and very bumpy under wayland. I have no idea why, i wait for an update before i’m doing further research.

By the way … maybe someone has similar issues with Virtual Box.
My “stuck on plain login screen” problem could be solved by changing the virtual graphics controller to VMSVGA. Before the update VBoxSVGA worked fine but i don’t know if this is related to Gnome 40 or any other update.

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I switched to KDE for good. Simplicity of Gnome is great, but with a Windows like dconf registry, and every update breaking favorite extensions had to finally leave. I just want to get work done, not work to be able to get work done.