Dash to Panel – Bring the Windows Taskbar to Ubuntu
Dash to Panel moves the GNOME dock from the side to the bottom of the screen and merges it with the top bar, creating a single, Windows‑style taskbar. It lets you position icons left, center, or right, resize elements, and customize colors and animations.
- Bottom‑aligned taskbar similar to Windows 11
- Highly configurable layout and icon size
- Improves workflow by keeping all apps and system indicators in one place
ArcMenu – A Compact Start‑Menu Replacement
ArcMenu replaces GNOME’s full‑screen app overview with a floating, Windows‑like Start menu. You can adjust its width, height, colors, and icon style, giving you a familiar launch experience without taking over the screen.
- Floating menu that mimics the Windows Start menu
- Customizable appearance and dimensions
- Quick access to installed applications and system settings
Blur My Shell – Add a Modern Windows‑Style Blur Effect
Blur My Shell adds a subtle blur to the top bar, overview, and other GNOME surfaces. While it doesn’t change functionality, it gives the desktop a polished, Windows‑like visual flair.
- Apply blur to the panel, overview, and lock screen
- Adjust intensity and background opacity
- Enhances the overall aesthetic without impacting performance
Clipboard History – Never Lose a Copied Item Again
The Clipboard History extension places a history manager on your panel, letting you retrieve previously copied text or files with a single click. It even supports favorites that persist across reboots, offering a smoother experience than Windows 11’s built‑in clipboard.
- Panel‑based clipboard manager with unlimited history
- Pin frequently used items as favorites
- Keyboard shortcut for instant access
Emoji Copy – Fast Emoji Insertion
Emoji Copy provides a lightweight panel icon that opens an emoji picker via a keyboard shortcut. It shows many emojis at once and lets you copy them to the clipboard instantly, surpassing Windows’ emoji flyout.
- Quick emoji picker accessible from the panel
- Customizable shortcut key
- Shows a large grid of emojis for fast selection
Tiling Shell – Powerful Window‑Management Like FancyZones
Tiling Shell brings the FancyZones‑style tiling system from Microsoft PowerToys to GNOME. Create custom layouts or use presets, then snap windows into zones by holding a modifier key and dragging. It’s far more advanced than Ubuntu’s default tiling assistant.
- Define custom tiling layouts or use built‑in presets
- Snap windows with a single modifier key
- Boosts productivity for power users and Windows‑to‑Linux migrants
Conclusion – A Windows‑Friendly GNOME Desktop
With just a few extensions—Dash to Panel, ArcMenu, Blur My Shell, Clipboard History, Emoji Copy, and Tiling Shell—you can transform Ubuntu’s GNOME desktop into a familiar, Windows‑like environment while retaining the flexibility and power of Linux. Explore the GNOME Extensions website to discover even more tweaks that suit your workflow.