Switch vanilla Gnome to ubuntu/yaru?

Desktop Environments Gnome
1

Hi there,

currently I’m finding only the other way round how to de-ubuntufy an installation.

For “reasons” I had to install Ubuntu on a Laptop and was impressd how many things just worked where I had to do put effort into EOS and/or Plasma. Overall I’m happy with EOS and don’t like Ubuntu’s way switching to Snap. So let’s give EOS and Gnome a try. But there are many thing I like more in Ubuntu’s desktop.

Just yay’in yaru and gnome-shell extensions didn’t do the trick. Panel or dock? was the wrong one etc…

So question from a Plasma-user:

What packages (minimal approach) do I need to properly to UbuntEOS my desktop

  • theme (fonts, icons, colors)
  • extensions (top-right menu)
  • light-dm theme

Does anyone have a link or list of things to do after installing vanilla Gnome?

Thanks guys.

2

I hope somebody else could answer your question but the only thing I do after I installed Gnome is using it, no extension, no theming, no nothing.

I think, if I understand your question correctly, the only thing you need to install is the dash to dock extensions, yaru icon theme, yaru cursor and ubuntu fonts.

Anyway, Snap bad but you don’t need to use it if you don’t like it, I recommend to use Flatpak if ever back using Ubuntu.

I hope this answer your question somewhat.

3

yes. partly it was kinda like this

  • yaru theme stuff
  • ubuntu fonts
  • one of the wallpapers
  • most important dash-to-dock - the default gnome is … not my taste
  • find some of the stuff for the system menu top right. Ubuntu has some very useful stuff there
  • clipboardmanager icon
  • LightDM theming?

I guess that’s it in general. Need to see if fpring is properly supported by default gnome same as it is in Ubuntu. Plasma is somewhat behind .

I’ll play around in a VM and test when new Laptop arrives mid Dec.

Will post packages needed to Ubuntufy EOS if anyone interested later :slight_smile:
Thanks @proficiency

4

GNOME doesn’t use LightDM. It uses GDM.

There is a package: gdm-settings in AUR. I guess you could customize certain aspects of the GDM with it ( I wouldn’t know which ones since i have never tried it). With that said, I have seen some users reporting some issues with it like lagging, glitching… You might want to look into it a bit yourself to see if that is what you want.

Are you looking for a clipboard manager?
I use an extension called Clipboard History. It puts an icon on your panel. I’m pretty content with how it works.

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5

thanks @pebcak GDM - I always thought they switched to LightDM…

I have a recent installation of Ubuntu 23.10 and just grepped all installed packages with ‘yaru", gnome-extensions’, ‘ubuntu’, … and will now try to sort out what needs to be added as a pure minimum to get some of the cool features Ubuntu added to pure vanilla. Will add it here later.

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6

So, did you had success?

7

I haven’t used Gnome for ages but I’ve been calculating a bit out of curiosity. Here are a few links that convince me that at the login screen Gnome-Classic or Gnome under Xorg should be selected. This should also work in EOS.
Since some of the software selection is unlikely to run under Wayland.
The vanilla theme at Ubuntu is still colored with corresponding css file.

These are just thoughts of mine.

https://discovery.endeavouros.com/desktop-environments/gnome-desktop/2024/09/

8

I use it on Debian. Just use the extensions you like and you’re good.

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9

@Omig - I was not conviced that time (was incomplete somwhow) and “gave” up. basically installed yaru packages and set it as theme (icons and gtk)

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