Build-me-a-desktop

· Tim's Blog

When I use Linux, I don't actually mean I'm using it to get work done. Well, maybe I will get a little done. But what I do is install multiple desktop environments and window managers. Unfortunately, this leads me to eventually have so many packages, including multiple file managers, image viewers, settings managers, and so forth, that I give up, wipe the drive and start again.

I install a Gnome desktop. It's pretty nice; It's one of my favorite looks. But then I need my system tray and its status icons. There is an extension for it, but that is pretty buggy; well, extensions on Gnome, in general, are an issue. They cause random bugs, crash the shell, and are downright rowdy.

Plasma is just so beautifully customizable; I can tweak it to my heart's content, and it has my beloved system tray. But I always find Qt apps to not look as lovely as Gtk apps. But man, every app's configuration options and tools are astounding and make things yours.

Then there are my true loves, both i3 and Sway, depending on if you are on Wayland or not. The workflow for this window manager is what I would call perfect. I tend to go back to them purely due to their functionality. They are also really customizable. The downfall is the amount of research you have to do to find the right app or setting to get things the way you want, usually attained by a configuration text file.

So what I need is the following. First, I want the Gnome + Gtk combo for my look. Second, I need the configuration ability of Plasma and KDE. And finally, I would like the functionality of i3 or Sway. All rolled up into one pretty package. Is that too much to ask? Be sure to drop me an email with your thoughts.

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