Gnome extension how to install

How to Install Gnome Shell Extensions

To put simply, a GNOME Shell Extension (also GNOME Extension) is any piece of code that improves and adds GNOME desktop’s functionalities. Think of it as a Google Chrome extension or Firefox add-on only that it is for your Desktop Environment.

GNOME Extensions can be used to tweak almost every aspect of the GNOME Desktop Environment e.g. customizing mouse behavior; and also to display information like the weather, battery status, etc.

There are almost an unlimited number of GNOME Extensions and the most convenient way to manage them is via the popular GNOME Tweak Tool so you need to set that up if you don’t already have it installed on your system and you can install it either via your Software Center or your terminal using:

There are 3 ways to use GNOME Extensions:

1. Free Minimal Bundle Installation

This refers to the minimal set of extensions that several Linux distros usually package for their users and the last time I checked it contained 10 extensions. Install them via the CLI using the following command:

Once the installation is complete, reboot your machine, launch the GNOME Tweak Tool, navigate to Extensions and click to enable the extensions that you want to use.

Enable Gnome Extensions

If you want more extensions than those in the minimal bundle then read on.

2. Installation in Your Web Browser

The GNOME Project has a website dedicated to its Gnome extensions and you can install and manage preferred extensions right from your browser without the need to use GNOME Tweak Tool.

Gnome Shell Extensions

However, you will need to have a browser-specific add-on and a native host connector installed in your system. Follow any of these links to get the browser extension for Google Chrome, Firefox, and/or Opera.

Next, install the native connector using the following command:

You can now open the GNOME Extensions Website where you can search for, install, and enable your preferred extensions.

You can also configure individual extensions by clicking the gear icon next to their title on the website or via the GNOME Tweak Tool.

3. Manual Installation

Assume that you’re offline and you need to set up a GNOME Extension, how do you go about it? Manual installation. Head over to the website to download the extension file which you will extract and move to your

Next, open metadata.json file inside it and check for the value of uuid and make sure it is the same value as extension folder’s name. If it isn’t, rename the folder to the value of the uuid.

Restart GNOME Tweak Tool if it was already running and you should see the newly installed extension in the extensions section where you can manage it like you would in the formerly listed methods.

Uninstalling any GNOME Extension is as easy as removing them from the GNOME website’s installed extensions section. And if you installed the extensions manually, delete the files from your

Are you conversant with the methods for installing GNOME Shell Extensions? Tell us which is your favorite in the comments section below.

Установка расширений Gnome Shell

Несмотря на то, что разработчики в погоне за простотой окружения Gnome отказались от большого количества настроек, благодаря энтузиастам, существует множество расширений, которые позволяют восполнить этот недостаток. С помощью расширений вы можете изменить практически все во внешнем виде вашего окружения.

В этой статье мы разберем как выполняется установка расширений Gnome Shell в Ubuntu. Данная статья ориентирована в первую очередь на Ubuntu, но приведенные здесь советы также будут работать и в других дистрибутивах.

Где брать расширения?

Все доступные расширения для Gnome расположены на сайте extensions.gnome.org.

Здесь можно отсортировать расширения по популярности, загрузками, дате добавления, а также фильтровать по поддерживаемой версии оболочки Gnome. Вы можете искать расширения и на других интернет-ресурсах, но этот считается официальным.

Установка расширений Gnome через сайт

Расширения можно устанавливать двумя способами. Автоматически с веб-сайта или вручную, скачав архив расширения. Сначала рассмотрим автоматический вариант. Для установки расширений с сайта необходимо установить chrome-gnome-shell и расширение для браузера.

Для установки пакета выполните:

sudo apt install chrome-gnome-shell

Затем нужно установить расширение для вашего браузера. Обычно, когда вы открываете сайт расширений Gnome, то на странице вам предлагают скачать расширение для вашего браузера. Поддерживаются Chrome, Firefox и Opera.

После установки расширения для браузера нужно перезапустить браузер и перезайти в систему если вы устанавливали пакет chrome-gnome-shell. После этого на странице каждого расширения появится вот такая кнопка, с помощью которой можно будет установить, включить, отключить или удалить расширение:

Для установки просто переключите выключатель в положение On:

Затем согласитесь на установку:

На вкладке Installed Extensions можно увидеть все установленные вами расширения:

Также посмотреть список установленных расширений и управлять ими можно с помощью утилиты gnome-tweak-tool:

sudo apt install gnome-tweak-tool

Здесь установленные расширения приведены на вкладке Расширения:

Как установить расширение Gnome вручную

Если у вас не получается установить расширение через браузер, то ничего страшного, можно все сделать вручную. Сначала смотрим какая у вас версия Gnome:

Затем на странице нужного расширения выберите вашу версию Gnome и версию расширения в пункте Download. После этого автоматически начнется загрузка архива:

Далее, нужно узнать UUID только что скачанного расширения:

Осталось только распаковать наше расширение в эту папку:

Затем осталось активировать расширение командой:

В отличие от варианта с браузером, здесь все немного сложнее, чтобы расширение заработало нам необходимо перезапустить оболочку Gnome Shell.

Выводы

В этой небольшой статье мы рассмотрели, как выполняется установка расширений Gnome в Ubuntu и других дистрибутивах. Если у вас остались вопросы, спрашивайте в комментариях!

Оцените статью:

Об авторе

Основатель и администратор сайта losst.ru, увлекаюсь открытым программным обеспечением и операционной системой Linux. В качестве основной ОС сейчас использую Ubuntu. Кроме Linux, интересуюсь всем, что связано с информационными технологиями и современной наукой.

10 комментариев

Возможно я его себе и поставлю- но не может ли KDE конфликтовать с другими DE? (Я попробовал установить «третьегном» рядом с Mate- проблемы из за этого были мелкие (некоторые настройки в Mate после этого изменились и я их возстановил- больше пока других проблем не замечаю). Но а если я еще эту коллекцию KDE пополню? Это мне интересно, я всю жизнь только «Mate» использую (и буду и далее использовать)- я все перепробовал, а остановился лишь на одном (и а как и винду такой сделать?)

И что касается распробования этих разширений: зашел я сейчас туда ( https://extensions.gnome.org/ )- а всевозможных вариантов разширений там удивительно много- я самостоятельно не смог в них разобраться но я думаю, что большинству «типа счастливых обладателей» «третьегнома» сего в него достаточно лишь какие-то определенные единицы из тех разширений «для полного счастья» доустановить», чтобы этот «третьегном» можно было бы значительно улучшить (у кого таковой имеется (это очень актуально- вот мне в оригинальном официальном своем виде «третьегном» и отвратителен и я не смог с этим разобраться. Я из существующих DE все что можно перепробовал и я уже много лет только на «Mate» сижу- лучше него все равно, я считаю, ничего нет. А какое-нибудь еще DE (в т.ч. и «третьегном») я себе все же хочу доустановить- это мне в спортивных/профессиональных интересах и как для коллекции нужно- только бы между собой разные DE потом не конфликтовали (а то было вот раньше такое (что-то с зависимостями там)- надеюсь теперь это наконец в них там устранено (и еще установка «третьегнома» (и KDE) удивительно много всяких библиотек за собой натягивает- а они часто бывают нужны при установках какого-либо ПО (ведь много какое ПО при его установке всякие библиотеки там за собой тянет. А при установке софта оффлайн то «типа полное собрание сочинений» может оказаться очень даже к стати (правда после того, как я устанавливая «третьегном» всем тем его ассортиментом обзавелся- этот «третьегном» после своей установки заодно похоже чего-то еще и в автозагрузку непонятного лишнего мне внес- теперь в сеансе «Mate» моя «18.04.2» оперативной памяти жрать стала больше, чем раньше (но в третьегномовом сеансе такая ОС у меня мегабайт так еще на 400 RAM больше «жрет»- как разобраться?)))
▧ Установка из под командной строки ( sudo apt install chrome-gnome-shell ) потребовала у меня 76 пакетов, а установка потом и самого третьегнома ( sudo apt install ubuntu-gnome-desktop
)- еще целых 100 пакетов (и версия третьегнома сего установилась у меня «3.28.1». Хотя и «3.32» в эти дни вот уже зарелизилось- очень интересно,- у кого и когда до этой версии обновления придут?) Завершив сеанс с Mate я запустил сеанс с «третьегномом»- очень опять мне он не понравился (все настройки в нем перебрал- не помогло. Видимо помимо того, чего я себе там так много понаустанавливал- тем не менее что-то еще «для полного счастья» там требуется. Но я и не знаю, что и похоже с «Mate» третьегном не конфликтует- а раз так, то тогда я бы всем советовал и не морочить голову и не боясь в третьегномовую убунту «Mate» тогда доустановить, запустить, распробовать, сравнить).
▧ Мне тем не менее в любом случае интересно- а какие дополнения для «третьегнома» в него надо установить, чтобы он стал максимально схожим с «Mate» с тем, который как я хотел- я смог настроить под себя? (Ну и заодно и а как еще и винду такой сделать?) И из твиков, которые везде нужны- вот во многих DE (в т.ч. и в базовом «третьегноме») в настройках отсутствует такая функция, как возможность открывать (или запускать) файлы одним, а не двойным кликом мыши. И еще мне очень нравится, когда под каждой файлом и папкой (ниже их названий) отображается и их объем (и под папками- еще и количества файлов в них).
(да много в каких еще твиках ОС нуждаются- иначе они будут очень «умственно неполноценны»- https://forum.ubuntu.ru/index.php?topic=276655.msg2313821#msg2313821 )

Gnome extension how to install

The GNOME Shell extension project is designed to give a high degree of power to the parts of the GNOME interface managed by the shell, you can extend, change and add features to your desktop by simply loading arbitrary JavaScript and CSS code. This gives developers a way to make many kinds of changes and share those changes with others, without having to patch the original source code and recompile it, and somehow distribute the patched code.

It is a replacement for the «applets» or «widgets» system of GNOME 2. Extensions can add their own items to the top panel, but they can also do much more: adding a custom search provider, for instance. If you lack ideas, see this post.

Once you are done, you should be able to flip the switch on a compatible extension’s page to install it. If you have any trouble, use the link at the bottom of the page to file a bug report.

Starting with GNOME 3.22, you can install extensions directly from the Software Center on Fedora 25.

Enabling and Disabling

gsettings set org.gnome.shell enabled-extensions name-of-the-extension

If your extension does not appear in any of these tools, try to restart your shell by pressing ALT+F2 and typing «r» or «restart» in the dialogue.

Viewing Installed Extensions

Your extensions will be listed :

In the Looking Glass developer console.

Uninstalling

/.local/share/gnome-shell/extensions) and delete the extension manually.

Debugging

On systemd-based systems (like Debian), you can see error and log output of extensions using

Writing your own Extension

If you are interested in developing your own extension, you will have to :

Learn GNOME’s Javascript. Beginner or Advanced, you will have stuff to learn.

Create your first Extension. To learn the basics of extension creating, debugging and have a look at your first extension.

Once you have all of this done, you can :

Several older tutorials exist if you need more help :

Projects/GnomeShell/Extensions/EcoDoc (last edited 2017-05-06 05:31:37 by Fulleco )

Manually install a Gnome Shell Extension from a ZIP file

Did the installation of a Gnome Shell Extension, through your web browser’s Gnome Shell integration add-on, result in an error? This happens sometimes due to a potential bug or compatibility issue. To resolve the problem, you can download an older or newer version of the Gnome extension. You’ll end up with a ZIP file of the Gnome extension, which you’ll have to install manually. This tutorial explains how to manually install a Gnome extension from a ZIP file.

Background

When I first tried out the Gnome 3 desktop environment, I strongly disliked it. I felt that it didn’t fit my workflow. Consequently, I decided on moving to a different desktop environment. I settled on XFCE because it’s simple, lightweight and responsive. This was a few years ago. About a year ago I started working with my Thinkpad T450s. Most of the time it’s connected to an external monitor. On occasion, I work directly on the laptop with its relatively small 14″ screen. On the 14″ laptop screen, the fonts were just too small for my eyes. At that point the XFCE desktop environment did not yet support font scaling. As a result, I started desktop hopping to find one that allows me to quickly adjust the font scaling. That’s how I ended back on the Gnome 3 desktop environment.

After committing myself to this desktop environment, I have to admit that I now really love it. Once you understand and use the workflow the Gnome 3 designers had it mind, it’s a joyful experience and it makes me feel productive. Here’s what I particularly like about Gnome 3:

Gnome Shell Extensions

The recommended way of installing Gnome Shell extensions is through your web browser, by visiting the https://extensions.gnome.org/ website. Upon your first visit, the site recommends that you install the Gnome Shell integration browser add-on. Afterwards you can conveniently search and directly install Gnome Shell extensions through your browser. You probably already know about this. Now here’s a questions for you: Did you ever encounter an error like the one you see in the following screenshot, while installing a Gnome Shell extension this way?

This happens sometimes. In the above example of the Dash to Plank extension, I caused the error myself. The notes clearly stated that this extension does not yet work under Wayland, and I tried it anyways. The point is that sometimes a Gnome extension installs with an error. Typically caused by one of the following reasons:

Why would you manually install a Gnome Extension?

In case the installation of the Gnome shell extension resulting in an error, you have two options:

The web page of the Gnome Shell extension gives you both options, as you can see in this screenshot:

Either way, you’ll end up with a ZIP file of the Gnome extension, which you’ll have to install manually. This leads to the next question: How do you manually install a Gnome extension from a ZIP file? That’s exactly what I’ll explain in this tutorial. I’ll show you how to manually install the Gnome extension through GUI applications and by using the terminal. I’ll even present a Bash script for automating the manual installation of a Gnome extension.

What do you need?

Since we plan on manually installing a Gnome extension, you need a Linux system with the Gnome desktop environment. Gnome is the default desktop environment for popular Linux distributions such as Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora and openSUSE. For this article, I’ll use Fedora 34, which is the first regular release distribution to feature the Gnome 40 desktop environment.

Additionally, we need the ZIP file of a Gnome extension. For demonstration purposes, I decided on using the Lock Keys extension. This extension adds two icons to the Gnome panel, which indicate the Numlock and Capslock status. To download the ZIP file of the Lock Keys extension, point your browser to its page on the Gnome extensions website:

Note that the extension’s page on the Gnome extensions website also lists the homepage of the extension. By going there directly, you can often download a newer development version of the Gnome extension. One that is not yet available on the Gnome extensions website.

Manually install the Gnome Extension using GUI applications

With the ZIP file of the Gnome extension downloaded, we can continue with the manual installation of it. This section shows you how to do this, without having to touch the terminal.

Extract the ZIP file

Open up the file manager (Nautilus) and go the directory where you stored the ZIP file of the Gnome extension. Extract the ZIP file, by right-clicking it and selecting Extract Here from the pop-up menu:

Rename the directory of the Gnome extension

Move the directory to your user’s Gnome extension directory

Halfway there. We now need to move the renamed directory to your user’s Gnome extension directory. We’ll use a basic cut-and-paste operation for this. Before we proceed, make sure you enabled the Show Hidden Files option in the file manager (keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + h ):

In my case the result looks like this:

Restart the Gnome Shell and enable the extension

At this point the Lock Keys Gnome extension is correctly installed. We just need to restart the Gnome shell such that it actually detects it. One way is to log out your user and then log back in. A quicker way is to restart the Gnome shell like this:

You can now enable the newly installed Gnome extension the usual way, so with the Gnome Tweaks or Gnome Extensions (Gnome >= 40) application. Afterwards, the icons appear on the Gnome panel, to indicate the Numlock and Capslock status:

Manually install the Gnome Extension using the terminal

Anything that can be achieved through a GUI, can also be done through the terminal on Linux. Especially for those who prefer working in the terminal, I’ll now show you how to manually install the Gnome extension directly in the terminal.

Install dependencies

To automatically extract the value of the uuid variable from the metadata.json file, we’ll need a tool. Specifically one that can extract JSON formated parameters from a file. The jq tool is perfect for this. Luckily most Linux distributions packaged the jq tool. Run one of the following commands to install it, based on your Linux distribution:

Extract the UUID from metadata.json

With the jq tool installed, we can use it to extract the uuid parameter value from the metadata.json file, which is located inside the ZIP file. Note that we can do this in combination with the unzip command, without even having to extract the entire ZIP file first. Open up the terminal and run the following command:

Extract the ZIP file to your user’s Gnome extension directory

Now that we know the uuid of the extension, we also know the name of the directory to extract the ZIP file to. Before extracting the ZIP file, we first make sure that the directory for storing your user’s Gnome extensions exists:

Next, we extract the ZIP file to a subdirectory here, with the name we stored in the MY_EXT_UUID Shell variable:

/.local/share/gnome-shell/extensions/$MY_EXT_UUID

Restart the Gnome Shell and enable the extension

The Lock Keys Gnome extension is now installed. We just need to restart the Gnome shell to make sure it actually detects the new Gnome extension. Instead of logging out and back in, you can run this command directly in the terminal:

That’s it. You can now enable the newly installed Gnome extension the usual way, so with the Gnome Tweaks or Gnome Extensions (Gnome >= 40) application.

How to remove a manually installed Gnome Extension

Removing a manually installed Gnome extension is as simple as deleting its directory and restarting the Gnome Shell. So in the case of our Lock Key extension:

Bash script for manually installing a Gnome Extension from a ZIP file

As a bonus, I created a Bash script that you can use to manually install a Gnome extension from a ZIP file. Handy if you perform this procedure a lot. For example to automate the installation of several Gnome extension after installing your Linux system. The Bash script also comes in handy for Gnome extension developers. Here’s how to install the Bash script on your Linux system:

Next, copy-and-past the following contents into this file:

Save the file and make it executable:

From now on, you can quickly and conveniently install Gnome extensions from the terminal using the following command syntax:

Example for the Lock Keys Gnome extension from this tutorial:

/Downloads/lockkeysvaina.lt.v42.shell-extension.zip

Wrap up

Sometimes the need exists to manually install a Gnome extension from a ZIP file, instead of using your web browser’s Gnome Shell integration add-on. For example when the web browser approach resulted in an error. Or if you want to install the latest development version of the Gnome extension.

This article presented you with two approaches for installing a Gnome extension directly from a ZIP file. One where you just use graphical user interface applications. Another one where you perform all steps directly in the terminal. Both approaches work fine and which one to select, depends on your personal preference.

In case you often install Gnome extensions this way, I included a Bash script that enables you to quickly and conveniently install a Gnome extension manually, using the terminal.

Note that extensions change the functionality and work flow of your GNOME desktop. If you want to customize the look-and-feel of your GNOME desktop, this article about how to manually install a GNOME icon, cursor, GTK and Shell theme might be of interest to you.

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PragmaticLinux

Long term Linux enthusiast, open source software developer and technical writer.

How to Use GNOME Shell Extensions [Complete Guide]

Brief: This is a detailed guide showing you how to install GNOME Shell Extensions manually or easily via a browser.

While discussing how to install themes in Ubuntu 17.10, I briefly mentioned GNOME Shell Extension. It was used to enable user themes. Today, we’ll have a detailed look at GNOME Shell Extensions in Ubuntu 18.04 and higher versions.

I may use the term GNOME Extensions instead of GNOME Shell Extensions but both have the same meaning here.

What are GNOME Shell Extensions? How to install GNOME Shell Extensions? And how to manage and remove GNOME Shell Extensions? I’ll explain all these questions, one by one.

Before that, if you prefer video, I have demonstrated all these on It’s FOSS YouTube channel. I highly recommend that you subscribe to it for more Linux videos.

What is a GNOME Shell Extension?

A GNOME Shell Extension is basically a tiny piece of code that enhances the capability of GNOME desktop.

Think of it as an add-on in your browser. For example, you can install an add-on in your browser to disable ads. This add-on is developed by a third-party developer. Though your web browser doesn’t provide it by default, installing this add-on enhances the capability of your web browser.

Similarly, GNOME Shell Extensions are like those third-party add-ons and plugins that you can install on top of GNOME. These extensions are created to perform specific tasks such as display weather condition, internet speed etc. Mostly, you can access them in the top panel.

» data-medium-file=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-weather-300×114.jpeg» data-large-file=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-weather-800×303.jpeg» width=»800″ height=»303″ src=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-weather.jpeg» alt=»GNOME Shell Extension in action» data-lazy-srcset=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-weather.jpeg 800w, https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-weather-300×114.jpeg 300w, https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-weather-768×291.jpeg 768w» data-lazy-sizes=»(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px» data-lazy-src=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-weather.jpeg?is-pending-load=1″ srcset=»data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7″> GNOME Shell Extension to display weather information

There are also GNOME Extensions that are not visible on the top panel. But they still tweak GNOME’s behavior. For example, middle mouse button can be used to close an application with one such extension.

Installing GNOME Shell Extensions

Now that you know what are GNOME Shell Extensions, let’s see how to install them. There are three ways you can use GNOME Extensions:

Before you learn how to use GNOME Shell Extensions, you should install GNOME Tweak Tool in Ubuntu or whichever distribution you are using. You can find it in the Software Center. Alternatively, you can use this command:

At times, you would also need to know the version of GNOME Shell you are using. This helps in determining whether an extension is compatible with your system or not. You can use the command below to find it:

Method 1: Use gnome-shell-extensions package [easiest and safest way]

Ubuntu (and several other Linux distributions such as Fedora) provide a package with a minimal set of GNOME extensions. You don’t have to worry about the compatibility here as it is tested by your Linux distribution.

If you want a no-brainer, just get this package and you’ll have 8-10 GNOME extensions installed.

You’ll have to reboot your system (or maybe just restart GNOME Shell, I don’t remember it at this point). After that, start GNOME Tweaks and you’ll find a few extensions installed. You can just toggle the button to start using an installed extension.

Method 2: Install GNOME Shell extensions from a web browser

GNOME project has an entire website dedicated to extensions. That’s not it. You can find, install, and manage your extensions on this website itself. No need even for GNOME Tweaks tool.

But in order to install extensions a web browser, you need two things: a browser add-on and a native host connector in your system.

Step 1: Install browser add-on

When you visit the GNOME Shell Extensions website, you’ll see a message like this:

“To control GNOME Shell extensions using this site you must install GNOME Shell integration that consists of two parts: browser extension and native host messaging application.”

You can simply click on the suggested add-on link by your web browser. You can install them from the link below as well:

Step 2: Install native connector

Just installing browser add-on won’t help you. You’ll still see an error like:

“Although GNOME Shell integration extension is running, native host connector is not detected. Refer documentation for instructions about installing connector”

This is because you haven’t installed the host connector yet. To do that, use this command:

Don’t worry about the ‘chrome’ prefix in the package name. It has nothing to do with Chrome. You don’t have to install a separate package for Firefox or Opera here.

Step 3: Installing GNOME Shell Extensions in web browser

Once you have completed these two requirements, you are all set to roll. Now when you go to GNOME Shell Extension, you won’t see any error message.

» data-medium-file=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-3-300×134.jpeg» data-large-file=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-3.jpeg» width=»799″ height=»358″ src=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-3.jpeg» alt=»GNOME Shell Extension» data-lazy-srcset=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-3.jpeg 799w, https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-3-300×134.jpeg 300w, https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-3-768×344.jpeg 768w» data-lazy-sizes=»(max-width: 799px) 100vw, 799px» data-lazy-src=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-3.jpeg?is-pending-load=1″ srcset=»data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7″> It’s a good idea to sort the extensions for current version of GNOME

A good thing to do would be to sort the extensions by your GNOME Shell version. It is not mandatory though. What happens here is that a developer creates an extension for the present GNOME version. In one year, there will be two more GNOME releases. But the developer didn’t have time to test or update his/her extension.

As a result, you wouldn’t know if that extension is compatible with your system or not. It’s possible that the extension works fine even in the newer GNOME Shell version despite that the extension is years old. It is also possible that the extension doesn’t work in the newer GNOME Shell.

You can search for an extension as well. Let’s say you want to install a weather extension. Just search for it and go for one of the search results.

When you visit the extension page, you’ll see a toggle button.

» data-medium-file=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-4-300×171.jpeg» data-large-file=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-4-800×456.jpeg» width=»800″ height=»456″ src=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-4.jpeg» alt=»Installing GNOME Shell Extension » data-lazy-srcset=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-4.jpeg 800w, https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-4-300×171.jpeg 300w, https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-4-768×438.jpeg 768w» data-lazy-sizes=»(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px» data-lazy-src=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-4.jpeg?is-pending-load=1″ srcset=»data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7″> Toggle the button to enable or disable GNOME Shell Extensions

Click on it and you’ll be prompted if you want to install this extension:

Obviously, go for Install here. Once it’s installed, you’ll see that the toggle button is now on and there is a setting option available next to it. You can configure the extension using the setting option. You can also disable the extension from here.

» data-medium-file=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-6-300×144.jpeg» data-large-file=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-6.jpeg» width=»799″ height=»383″ src=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-6.jpeg» alt=»Configuring installed GNOME Shell Extensions» data-lazy-srcset=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-6.jpeg 799w, https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-6-300×144.jpeg 300w, https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-6-768×368.jpeg 768w» data-lazy-sizes=»(max-width: 799px) 100vw, 799px» data-lazy-src=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-6.jpeg?is-pending-load=1″ srcset=»data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7″> Extensions can be configured via browser

You can also configure the settings of an extension that you installed via the web browser in GNOME Tweaks tool:

» data-medium-file=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-7-300×214.jpeg» data-large-file=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-7-800×572.jpeg» width=»800″ height=»572″ src=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-7-800×572.jpeg» alt=»GNOME Tweaks to handle GNOME Shell Extensions» data-lazy-srcset=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-7-800×572.jpeg 800w, https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-7-300×214.jpeg 300w, https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-7-768×549.jpeg 768w, https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-7.jpeg 876w» data-lazy-sizes=»(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px» data-lazy-src=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-7-800×572.jpeg?is-pending-load=1″ srcset=»data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7″> Installed extensions will always be accessible in Tweaks

You can see all your installed extensions on the website under installed extensions section. You can also delete the extensions that you installed via web browser here

» data-medium-file=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-8-300×210.jpeg» data-large-file=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-8.jpeg» width=»799″ height=»559″ src=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-8.jpeg» alt=»Manage your installed GNOME Shell Extensions» data-lazy-srcset=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-8.jpeg 799w, https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-8-300×210.jpeg 300w, https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-8-768×537.jpeg 768w» data-lazy-sizes=»(max-width: 799px) 100vw, 799px» data-lazy-src=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-8.jpeg?is-pending-load=1″ srcset=»data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7″> Manage your installed GNOME Shell Extensions

One major advantage of using the GNOME Extensions website is that you can see if there is an update available for an extension. You won’t get it in GNOME Tweaks or system update.

Method 3: Install GNOME Shell Extensions manually (for intermediate to advanced users)

It’s not that you have to be always online to install GNOME Shell extensions. You can download the files and install it later, without needing internet.

Go to GNOME Extensions website and download the extension with the latest version.

» data-medium-file=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-9-300×171.jpeg» data-large-file=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-9-800×456.jpeg» width=»800″ height=»456″ src=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-9-800×456.jpeg» alt=»Download GNOME Shell Extension» data-lazy-srcset=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-9.jpeg 800w, https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-9-300×171.jpeg 300w, https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-9-768×438.jpeg 768w» data-lazy-sizes=»(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px» data-lazy-src=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-9-800×456.jpeg?is-pending-load=1″ srcset=»data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7″> Download GNOME Shell Extension

Extract the downloaded file. Copy the folder to

Once you have the files copied in the correct directory, go inside it and open metadata.json file. Look for the value of uuid.

Make sure that the name of the extension’s folder is same as the value of uuid in the metadata.json file. If not, rename the directory to the value of this uuid.

» data-medium-file=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-10-1-300×169.jpg» data-large-file=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-10-1-800×450.jpg» src=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-10-800×450.jpg» alt=»Manually install GNOME Shell extension» data-lazy-src=»https://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gnome-shell-extension-installation-10-800×450.jpg?is-pending-load=1″ srcset=»data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7″> Name of extension folder should be the same as uuid

Almost there! Now restart GNOME Shell. Press Alt+F2 and enter r to restart GNOME Shell.

Restart GNOME Tweaks tool as well. You should see the manually installed GNOME extension in the Tweak tool now. You can configure or enable the newly installed extension here.

And that’s all you need to know about installing GNOME Shell Extensions.

Remove GNOME Shell Extensions

It is totally understandable that you might want to remove an installed GNOME Shell Extension.

If you installed it via a web browser, you can go to the installed extensions section on GNOME website and remove it from there (as shown in an earlier picture).

If you installed it manually, you can remove it by deleting the extension files from

Bonus Tip: Get notified of GNOME Shell Extensions updates

By now you have realized that there is no way to know if an update is available for a GNOME Shell extension except for visiting the GNOME extension website.

Luckily for you, there is a GNOME Shell Extension that notifies you if there is an update available for an installed extension. You can get it from the link below:

How do you manage GNOME Shell Extensions?

I find it rather weird that you cannot update the extensions via the system updates. It’s as if GNOME Shell extensions are not even part of the system.

If you are looking for some recommendation, read this article about best GNOME extensions. At the same time, share your experience with GNOME Shell extensions. Do you often use them? If yes, which ones are your favorite?

Creator of It’s FOSS. An ardent Linux user & open source promoter. Huge fan of classic detective mysteries ranging from Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes to Detective Columbo & Ellery Queen. Also a movie buff with a soft corner for film noir.