I've added an option for there to be a running window list in the default GNOME panel.

The main idea is to keep the Dock at the bottom for pinned apps, while the top panel shows all of your open windows as labelled buttons. It gives you a quick way to see and switch between everything that's open without changing the rest of the GNOME panel.

I've also added a Windows 10 theme toggle. You could already get pretty close to this look by changing the settings manually, but a few people asked for an easier way to do it, so now it can be enabled as a preset and then adjusted from there.

At the start of the video I enable the new setting and tweak a few things to how I like them. I also show the Windows 10 & Windows XP theme at the end for comparison.

Also, Dynamic Music Pill is now supported in the dock, (it was already working in the taskbar).

Feedback is welcome as always.

https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/10448/simple-taskbar/

https://github.com/simple-taskbar

Hi everyone,

I just updated Dhruva 4.0, a dock extension for GNOME Shell. This is the biggest update so far, and a lot of it came from issues and ideas you posted on GitHub. Thank you for that.

What's new

• Panel mode. An optional mode that moves the GNOME top bar into the dock. Workspaces, an extension tray, Quick Settings and the clock with its calendar all sit in one bar. It works on any screen edge, and a dock on another monitor gets its own clock.
• Extension tray. Small icons from other extensions sit behind an arrow. You can pin any of them to the bar or reorder them.
• Overflow menu. When there are more apps than space, the extra ones go into a menu instead of being cut off.
• Folder customizat!on. Rename folders, change the plate colour and letter style, or use your own image or an emoji as the icon. Apps inside a folder can be reordered by dragging.
• A new emoji picker with search, categories and recently used emojis.
• Redesigned preferences with a live preview of the dock and a new Panel page.

F!xes and improvements

• Folders no longer jump to the end of the dock on multi-monitor setups, and renamed folders keep their names.
• Unpinned running apps keep their position, so repeated clicks cycle through windows of the same app.
• A dock on an edge shared with another monitor no longer blocks the pointer or window dragging.
• The extension no longer fails to load at login when the Trash is still mounting.
• Icon click animations work again.
• Hover zoom settles back properly, and the Magic Lamp effect has been rewritten.
• File and D-Bus calls are now asynchronous, so the dock never blocks the shell.

One honest note: the Music Pill currently works with Spotify only. Supp0rt for other players is something I'd like to add.

Links

• Updated notes and screenshots: https://github.com/NarkAgni/dhruva/releases
• Source code: https://github.com/NarkAgni/dhruva

Edit: Thanks to everyone who shared their thoughts. I know this might sound a bit funny after I questioned whether to keep going, but somehow the comments suggesting I spend my time elsewhere actually made me more motivated to continue.

For now, I want to develop it far enough that the differences and what it brings to the table are easier to see. If I get it to a polished state and it still feels like something nobody really needs, I’ll let it go.

Thanks for your honest feedback and for taking the time to reply!

---
Hey everyone,

I’ve been working on a second extension for a while now: Better Panel. The idea is similar to Better Tray Icons: give users full control over functionality, appearance and behavior—with a particular focus on making intellihide less buggy.

It’s still early in development, and a lot of it is currently proof of concept. But I wanted to share the main idea and get some honest feedback.

The biggest difference is the applet system:

• Every element in the taskbar and GNOME’s top panel is an applet, with its own settings.
• Other extensions can register as applets through an API key and share settings with Better Panel. For example, extensions that modify Quick Settings often only affect the main monitor when using panels across multiple screens. The idea here is to let participating extensions apply their settings across all monitors or configure each one individually.
• Better Panel and Better Tray Icons already work together through this system. You can adjust how they interact, with the goal of building an ecosystem where the extensions work together.
• And, as you’d expect from Better Tray Icons, you can customize the hell out of it: position, colors, behavior, and more. Same philosophy: give users control through an intuitive settings interface.

There are other features in the works, but I’m keeping a few things under wraps for now. This is mostly about the direction rather than a full feature announcement.

Which brings me to my actual question: does GNOME need another panel extension?

With all the established options and newer alternatives, I sometimes wonder whether this space is already too crowded and whether my time and energy would be better spent on a different project.

Would this approach give you a reason to try another panel extension? What do the existing options still get wrong or leave out for you?

I’d appreciate your honest thoughts on whether to keep going or put that effort into something else. Thanks!

Typesetter, the Typst editor for focused writing, gets its biggest update yet with version 0.16.

The headline feature is sandbox-compatible multi-file projects. Typesetter now uses a new default archive-based project format, .typz, that keeps your document and everything it references (images, imports, and other assets) together in a single file. Projects work the same wherever you open them, and they’re easy to share and back up. Because Typesetter now only ever needs access to the files you explicitly open, never entire folders, multi-file Typst projects now work easily and reliably within the Flatpak sandbox.

A project can hold as many sub-files as you like, so you can split a long document into chapters or sections, keep reusable functions and styles in their own files, and bring everything together with #include and #import statements.

This replaces the previous “project folder” workflow, which was required to make imported files available to single-file .typ documents. That approach presupposed access to whole directories, which the sandbox is designed to prevent, and it was easy to get wrong. Removing it means there is now one secure, consistent way to include files in a document.

Typesetter can still open and edit standalone .typ documents, but they can no longer reference external files. To include assets in an existing document, open it and choose “Save As Project” when prompted, then add the files through the navigator.

Other noteworthy features include:

- GUI bibliography manager: You can now add and edit references through a dedicated graphical interface.
- Adjustable preview pane: The preview pane can now be manually resized to suit your workflow.
- Comments navigator: A new navigator lets you list, view, and jump directly to author comments throughout your document.
- New templates: Typesetter now includes several additional templates to help you get started with new documents. (More to come.)

Since the previous release announcement, Typesetter has also gained advanced export to HTML and Markdown, making it easier to share documents in other formats.

There have also been a range of performance improvements, bug fixes, and smaller feature updates across the application, continuing Typesetter’s focus on being a fast, distraction-free writing environment.

Typesetter 0.16 is available now on Flathub.

Thanks again for continuing to help me improve Letter.

I’m now sharing the new version 1.6.0, with you.
There are quite a few changes under the hood, and I’ve also introduced some improvements you requested for both the UX and the UI.

Also thanks to Kansa Fu for Japanese translation.

This version highlights:

• Drag & Drop messages from the list onto a folder to move them
• Optional account pictures could be set in Preferences ->Account pictures
• Japanese translation
• Move mail window has now a live filter search
• UI improvements for better overall consistency

If you like, help me translates in other languages.

Here is the full CHANGELOG for the new version. Download the new Flatpak version from my GitHub Page:

https://github.com/stalvatero/letter

Regarding the use of LLMs, I should clarify that I use Cursor as my primary IDE; it assists me mainly by helping to find APIs and integrations that would otherwise have required extensive online research. The ideas, code review, and final validation are all my own.

I would welcome further feedback 😄

I switched from Zorin to Fedora 44 two days ago and even though they both use Gnome, I decided to go on a ricing project with Fedora. Fedora is great too, don't think I'm going back to Zorin

I have been closely following this project and it's now on FlatHub.

It is a GTK4/Libadwaita manga/comic reader that allows you to use Mihon-compatible extensions. This allows you to get a similar experience to what you would get from Mihon/TachiJ2K on your phone. You can read, download, track manga/comics and add your own sources.

For someone who reads alot of manga, I find this app to be really helpful.

The app bundles Suwayomi so you can simply download the Flatpak and run it OR you can connect it to a pre-existing Suwayomi instance.

Some trivia behind the name:
Kaori is a small tribute to Kaori Miyazono from Your Lie in April, a character who left a lasting impression on the app's author.

Here's the FlatHub link: https://flathub.org/en/apps/io.github.riyaniii.Kaori
Here's the Github repo: https://github.com/riyaniii/Kaori

I'm working with the author to get a macOS release. If you have a Mac or know how to achieve this, then you can help with this.

I built Tasklane, a simple open-source GNOME task timer, and I'd love to hear your feedback!

Github: https://github.com/penerbangkode/Tasklane

I wanted to share a desktop extension I've been developing called Vitals Widget.

If you prefer keeping your top bar clutter-free, vitals widget moves system monitoring out of the panel and places customizable, clean circular progress rings and metrics directly onto your desktop.

We just released v8, featuring support for modern GNOME Shell versions (GNOME 45 through 51).

You can position the widget anywhere on screen using precise percentage controls, adjust orientation (horizontal/vertical), font sizes, and container background/padding.

I’d love for you to give it a try and share any feedback.

https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/9072/vitals-widget/

https://github.com/stinmark/vitals-widget

There's a configurable shortcut to make window follow active workspace, but none for making ii Always on Top. Why? And are there any extensions/workarounds for it?

I'd like to make my wallpaper show up unblured on the lock screen. I've seen an extension to do this but it seems to no longer be available.

I’m using Gmail and WhatsApp web apps from chrome browser. I turned on gnome notifications settings to on, do not disturb is off, WhatsApp and Gmail notifications settings is on. I get notification banner but if I don’t check them banner goes and does not show in notification tray when I click the clock. Any help is appreciated. Thank you.

Using Fedora 44 gnome 50.

any help?

strange artifacts when moving blurred kitty above text

I’m using Gnome with Fedora and I like the rounded corner look, but I can’t seem to get the corner radius ghosting to disappear on some windows. any ideas?

edit: I fixed it. It was in blur my shell settings, turn pop ups to static instead of dynamic. I get it, I should’ve looked at recent posts before posting, I was on my way out the door and snapped a quick pic for a simple question. Thanks the one person who helped.