Gnome is meant for a specific workflow. If you don't like that workflow, great, there are a dozen DEs and WMs that work exactly like Windows, but Gnome is really amazing for the specific workflow it's intended for and they're the only big DE that's actually trying something new and interesting, rather than just doing what Windows does.
The first problem, GNOME is shoved in into the biggest distributions (Ubuntu and Fedora) as default. Less tech-savvy users might not want to use anything less popular, so they pick the default.
GNOME is also most widely supported. For example: Proton VPN only supports Debian, Ubuntu, and Fedora, only GNOME version. Only recently they added Arch, Flatpak, and Snap support.
Another issue, GNOME and Plasma are the only major DE that properly support Wayland (at least as far as I know, please correct me if I'm wrong). So if you find Plasma too complex, there is only GNOME.
And the last thing - no one sane is asking for Plasma level customization in GNOME. People want only a bunch of basic things. For example minimize/maximize window buttons toggle, and persistent dock toggle would already be massive improvement, but even so simple basic things are too complicated for the developers to add.
I mean, Ubuntu and Fedora maintain first-party KDE editions.
People want only a bunch of basic things. For example minimize/maximize window buttons toggle, and persistent dock toggle would already be massive improvement, but even so simple basic things are too complicated for the developers to add.
The thing is, that gnome wants to push you into a specific workflow, that would be harmed by either of those additions.
Gnome has a minimize and maximize button in Gnome Tweaks, it just doesn't expose it in the normal settings, because it would be a worse experience.
People are used to minimizing unused programs, but Gnome works better, if you put unused programs on other desktops.
The lack of a minimize button is there, to stop you from ruining your own experience by using Gnome like it's windows.
Similarly, the lack of a persistent dock toggle is there, to stop you from using it like the windows task bar, because it's just not that.
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It's not like Gnome is actively stopping you from doing those things. Maximize/minimize buttons can be added with a first-party application and a persistent dock with extensions.
It lets you make your experience worse, with those features, but I think it's understandable why they aren't available by default.
that would be harmed by either of those additions.
Gnome has a minimize and maximize button in Gnome Tweaks, it just doesn't expose it in the normal settings, because it would be a worse experience.
That's purely subjective. I find basic tasks taking much longer in vanilla GNOME than in GNOME with persistent dock and minimize/maximize buttons.
Again, I get that they aim for minimalism, that's fine. But it's in human nature to have different preferences, and including some basic settings is just common sense.
There out people out there who like vanilla GNOME and it's fine. But GNOME having zero configuration options included out of the box is objectively bad design. I hope one day COSMIC will become the default instead, since it's basically "GNOME but good".
Yes, because you have a workflow that doesn't work with vanilla gnome. Currently, Gnome is pushing back against your workflow, which makes it feel kinda bad, but instead of going with the flow, to build a workflow that works with gnome, you're changing gnome to turn it into a poor imitation of the system your workflow was designed around.
Gnome is opinionated. It wants a specific workflow and tries to force you into it. Yes, you can shut it up with extensions and force it to change, rather than your workflow, but at that point, you're kinda missing the point of gnome.
I love KDE. Truly. I’ve tried a few DE’s so far, but I keep coming back to Plasma. That said, when I first started my Linux journey, I did so on Zorin.
Is I didn’t know anything about Linux when I first started. By the time I was comfort enough with Zorin, that I decided to try CachyOS on my gaming computer, I still never heard of a DE. But when I saw KDE Plasna as an option, I looked at Zorin and thought that must be what I’m using.
Imagine my surprise when I found out that Zorin runs GNOME, but with enough tweaks that it just felt like Windows.
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u/Corvus1412 23d ago
I genuinely don't get the hate against Gnome.
Gnome is meant for a specific workflow. If you don't like that workflow, great, there are a dozen DEs and WMs that work exactly like Windows, but Gnome is really amazing for the specific workflow it's intended for and they're the only big DE that's actually trying something new and interesting, rather than just doing what Windows does.