My Pop!_OS and GNOME Configuration

In building out my Linux system I found a number of things that I like to configure or include. And so I figured I should include a list of those so that when/if things go sideways I can rebuild my system fairly completely.

Despite running Pop!_OS 24.04, which comes with the COSMIC DE, I am still preferring the look of GNOME and the function of some of the extensions that I’ve come to expect. And so I’ve gone out of my way to install that desktop environment. Every time I go back and check on the COSMIC DE it’s getting closer and closer to stable for me so I may one way move to it and stay there … but not today!

This list below is a bit of a jumbled mess to be sure but it will evolve over time. The important part right now is having a decent backup of my configuration process in case I need to run it. Also, some of this is likely backed up with Timeshift but I still need a record of how I put it together in the first place.

GNOME Extensions

ArcMenu
- For older versions of the extension it was critical, for me, to disable the setting Display ArcMenu on all Panels. If not I ended up with a video lag every 30 seconds. See this article for helpers, if not entirely relevant help.
- Also requires the Super key to be disabled so it doesn’t keep loading the Pop_OS applications. Like this:
```
cd /usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/pop-cosmic@system76.com/
sudo gedit extension.js
```
- Find “overview_toggle(overlay_key_action);”, and comment out that line. Credit: https://www.reddit.com/r/pop_os/comments/onp6hv/comment/i8fx9q7/
- Other Arcmenu settings:
  - On the General tab:
  - On the Menu tab
    - Menu Layout: 11
    - Menu Theme: Override, set to Simply Dark
    - Menu Visual Appearance
    - Grid Menu Items details:
  - On the Menu Button tab:
- My Arcmenu configuration file is also available.
Dash to Panel
- Position tab
- Style tab
- Behavior tab
- Action tab
- Fine-Tune tab
- My Dash to Panel configuration file is also available.
AppIndicator and KStatusNotifierItem Support
Bluetooth Quick Connect
GSConnect
Gtk4 Desktop Icons NG (DING)
Notification Banner Reloaded
Quick Settings Audio Devices Hider
Smile - complementary extension
Toggle Headphone

Retired Extensions

Some extensions that I once used.

Wallpapers

Part of a Windows 11 appearance for Gnome using Dash-to-Panel, Arc-menu, and Date Menu Formatter. This is also a great resource for ArcMenu, Dash To Panel, and Date Menu Formatter settings to be able to replicate the Windows 11 style on GNOME.

I also like the wallpapers available from Microsoft here. Hey, M$ may be making spyware versions of “operating systems” now, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy some fruits of their labours.

Drivers

Install other drivers through “Additional Drivers”. 1. POP Software 1. Enable all but Source code. 2. Other Software 1. Make sure POP and other obvious ones that are in use are enabled. Clean out those from retired software. 3. Additional Drivers 1. “NVIDIA driver metapackage from nvidia-driver-xxx (proprietary)”.

Applications

From the COSMIC Store
- BOINC Manager
- Bottles
- Caffeine
- Déjà Dup Backups
  - I’m also going to need to detail my backup process a bit.
- digiKam
- Discover
- Extension Manager
  - You need Extension Manager.
- FileZilla
- Firefox
- Flatseal
- Gear Lever
- GitHub Desktop
- Gitnuro
- GNOME Power Statistics
- GNU Image Manipulation Program
- Heroic Games Launcher
  - Config needed
- Inkscape
- Kdenlive
- Krita
- KSystemLog
- LibreOffice
- Lutris
- Menu Edit
- NetworkManager
- Nvidia System Monitor
- Obsidian
- Plasma System Monitor
- Proton
- Psensor
- PyCharm-Professional
- Rhythmbox
- S3Drive
- Smile
- Solaar
- Standard Notes
- Stream
  - Change Vulkan shaders to process in the background
- Tidal
- Timeshift
  - More like Timesaver, or Lifesaver! Document this too.
- Tweaks (GNOME)
  - This is the GNOME tweaks app.
  - Here you can edit the sounds, cursors, icons, and startup applications.
- Tweaks (COSMIC)
  - Best for fiddling with layouts, like setting the Windows layout of the dock and panels.
- VSCodium
  - Sync settings with the Settings Sync extension, targeted to your GitHub account.
  - To keep the windows from vibrating, ensure “Window: Experimental Control Overlay” is enabled, and “Window: Title Bar Style” is set to custom.
    - Credit
- Warehouse
- Zotero

AppImages

Beeper
- Add to startup applications manually
- Add the flag --hidden to the end of the command so it launches as iconified.
Actual

From packages

filen
- Default settings
  - For each of the syncs configure as two way sync, enable exclude dot files, and disable local trash,
- Configure the following syncs
  - AppImages
  - Desktop
  - Documents
  - Downloads
    - Add to the .fileignore:
```
*.iso
*.crdownload
**/*filen_excluded*/
```
  - Music
  - Pictures
  - Source
    - Add to the .fileignore:
```
/github/
/local/*pelican*/output/
```
  - Videos
  - Zotero
  - airlock
  - FM20
    - Source: ~/.var/app/com.valvesoftware.Steam/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/1100600/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/Documents/Sports Interactive/Football Manager 2020
    - Add to the .fileignore:
```
/games/Archive
/games/last save overwrite backup*.fm
```
Signal
Anaconda
- Be sure to use the included backup and restore function for the environments.
- For the launcher icon, do this
Snap Store
Vivaldi

Retired Applications

AppImageLauncher
Notebook Fan Control

Scripts

Switch the power profile on POP_OS when the device is unplugged or plugged in

DNS configuration

For some reason the DHCP DNS is not working. Unless and until this is fixed you may need to check on sudo nano /etc/resolv.conf and make sure the following entries are listed:

nameserver 8.8.8.8
nameserver 8.8.4.4