Introduction
If you’re someone who values a minimalistic and sleek desktop environment, then you’ve come to the right place. In this blog post, we will delve into the process of removing title bars from Gnome applications, allowing you to achieve a clean and clutter-free look for your Ubuntu 20 Desktop. By following the steps outlined below, you’ll be able to customize your Gnome Desktop to suit your visual preferences.
Understanding the Challenge
By default, Gnome does not provide a straightforward method for hiding the title bars of applications. However, with the help of extensions, we can overcome this limitation and create a more streamlined appearance. We’ll focus on the Unite extension, which will allow us to achieve the desired effect.
Installing Gnome Tweaks
To begin, we need to install Gnome Tweaks, a powerful tool that enables us to customize various aspects of the Gnome Desktop environment. Launch the terminal and execute the following command:
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sudo apt install gnome-tweaks
Once the installation is complete, you can access Gnome Tweaks by navigating to “Show Applications” and selecting “Tweaks” from the list.
Installing the Unite Extension
Now, let’s proceed with installing the Unite extension, which will enable us to hide the title bars of Gnome applications. There are two methods you can choose from:
Using the gnome-shell-extensions Package
- Install the Gnome Shell Extensions package by executing the following command:
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sudo apt install gnome-shell-extensions
- Reboot your system or restart Gnome Shell by pressing Alt + F2, typing “r,” and hitting Enter.
- Open Gnome Tweaks and navigate to the “Extensions” section.
- Download the release package of the Unite extension from the Unite GitHub repository (https://github.com/hardpixel/unite-shell/releases).
- Extract the downloaded package to the extensions folder in your home directory using the following command:
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unzip unite-shell-v64.zip -d ~/.local/share/gnome-shell/extensions
- Reboot your system or reload Gnome Shell by pressing Alt + F2, typing “r,” and pressing Enter.
Installing GNOME Shell Extensions from a Web Browser
- Install the browser add-on specific to your preferred web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Opera) to enable GNOME Shell integration.
- Install the native connector by executing the following command:
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sudo apt install chrome-gnome-shell
- Visit the GNOME Shell Extensions website (https://extensions.gnome.org/) and ensure that the browser add-on is active.
- Search for the Unite extension (https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/1287/unite/) and enable it.
Configuring the Unite Extension
- Open the Unite extension settings from the “Extensions” section in Gnome Tweaks.
- Disable all the settings within the Unite extension to achieve the desired output. By doing so, you’ll be able to hide the decorators and create a clean, title-bar-free appearance for Gnome applications.
Conclusion
In this blog post, we explored the process of removing title bars from Gnome applications to create a minimalistic and sleek desktop environment. By installing Gnome Tweaks and the Unite extension, you can easily customize your Gnome Desktop and achieve a clutter-free look. Remember to follow the provided steps carefully, and feel free to experiment with different extensions and settings to further personalize your desktop.
Now, sit back, admire your clean and visually appealing Gnome Desktop, and enjoy a distraction-free computing experience.