3 must-have extensions for Fedora 16 and other GNOME 3 installations

A default installation of a distribution using GNOME 3 can be a pain to use, but thanks to available extensions, you can make your GNOME 3 installation a little bit more fun to use, or at least closer to the type of desktop environment you are used to. KahelOS, a distribution that was recently reviewed on this website (see KahelOS 111111 review), is the only one I have used that comes pre-installed with the three extensions covered in this article.

While there are almost 100 extensions available on extensions.gnome.org, I find three of them to be almost indispensable. Do not use GNOME 3 without them! This article will show you how to install them on Fedora 16 or any other system running GNOME 3.

First, is the Dock extension. Once installed, you will find a retractable dock on the right side of the desktop which makes it easy to access your favorite and running applications. On the extensions page, you will find it on page 3. Click on it.

As expected, it will be off. Click on the button to the right of the name to install it. You will be promted to authenticated.

If authentication is successful, it will be installed and the status will change to On.

The second extension is at the bottom of the same page as the Dock extension, and it is called the Frippery Applications Menu. It replaces Activities with an application menu similar to a standard desktop menu. The installation process is the same as that of any other extension.

Prior to installation.

After installation.

The third and last is the Workspace Indicator extension. When installed, it gives you a workspace indicator on the top panel, so you can switch between workspace like you used to. You will find it on page 10 of the extensions website. Again, the installation process is the same as that of any other extension.

Prior to installation.

After installation.