I think both have their use cases. Gnome is absolutely fantastic, if you use it on a laptop with a touch screen (for university, school, etc), but on desktop I dont really like it that much. I like the simple design, but KDEs customisability is much better. However, their virtual desktops are kinda ass, but I dont really use them on my desktop PC anyways.
I think KDE reworked virtual desktops with Plasma 6. I haven’t use KDE in years but I saw a comment about it a while back.
I dont understand why so many people are saying KDE is so much better than GNOME.
GNOME is by far my favorite DE
When leaving windows, i didnt want my computer to be almost the same, with a couple extra settings and different icons. GNOME does something different, and something i likeWindowMaker had that going for me. Sadly it was abandoned long ago.
Nice!
I like GNOME but I think there’s essential functionality missing from it. Fortunately the extensions fill the gap.
GNOME 2 was different and easy to customize
GNOME is still in their KDE 4.x days where it needs time to mature.
KDE 3 was loved, KDE 4 made a ton of breaking changes, and was reviled. KDE 5/6 are now butter smooth and fixed all the issues from the 3 -> 4 transition
GNOME 4/5 will probably come back into the loved category if they start stabilizing the extension system some more
There is no GNOME 5. They are up to GNOME 48 now.
Yeah, their branding makes it harder to recover.
I don’t know how they’ll change their versioning in the future, so I just went with that.
If they don’t make an obvious split to when the extension system is stable, they may never get that new beloved version like KDE managed
From a UI/UX point of view Gnome is excellent (very subjective of course, it’s a matter of taste - obviously this sparks endless discussions). There are very good arguments to be made about the organisations behind it and the tech that powers those DEs.
Use whatever floats your boat
I use Gnome because it works for me
I use Cinnamon but Gnome would be my second choice. I want to like Plasma, but every time I’ve used it there’s some glaring bug. Last I checked (few months back) font scaling caused fonts to look like absolute garbage. I found the bug online, tried all the “fixes”, no bueno.
I’m not going without scaling on a 14" 1080p screen.
Cinnamon and Gnome on the other hand: accessibility > large text. Easy. (Higher scaling factors can be found in font settings if needed).
I think it only works if you’re either an absolute KDE config file genius hacker or your distro’s repository has actually good default configs and setup. Installing KDE on arch always works well for me but every time I’ve tried it on Ubuntu I just get an unusable mess. One time I had it such that I had to retype my password all the fucking time to “unlock the keychain” and then the stupid update window would ALWAYS show up during the worst possible time with impeccable timing.
Same. I really wanted to like Plasma, it’s really nice looking. But it just never works right for me. Most recently, my PC would crash every time I woke it from sleep. And my cursor wouldn’t stay locked to one screen in-game. No issues at all with Cinnamon. Everything just worked out of the box. And there are plenty of themes and icons to dress it up a bit. I used Gnome 2 back in high school, so if I didn’t use Cinnamon I think I’d probably go with MATE since it’s a familiar feel.
obligatory LXDE is actually also really good but you know what would make it 10000000000000000000000000000 times better? If there was a Windows 7-esque search bar on the start menu so you could search instead of painstakingly browse through all the stupid icons like its Windows 95.
I always post a comment like this in discussions about desktop environments in the off chance someone found a way to mod a search into LXDE’s start menu.
It’s wild what an impact organizational politics can have on a codebase
Not wild to me. Code is written by people, people who engage in organizational politics. No “base” created by people, digital or otherwise, will be free of such influences.
If you don’t know:
Maybe I’m biased because gnome is stock fedora but it runs so smoothly and I love how the windows button and search feature works out of the box. I know that can be setup in KDE though. I love how it feels unique unlike KDE and most other DE that just feel like bad windows. I love that it doesn’t have dumbass names like KDE adding k to everything. Also feel it just works.
Every time I’ve added KDE there’s also a bunch of stupid minor things that just down make sense. Why do so many applications lose the ability to use the right click menu like in jdownloader? Why do windowed games get pushed so vertical low? Why does search recommend things I clearly didn’t ask for? Moving windows with the arrow keys is icky and not smooth. Blowing them up with windows W like gnome’s windows key just looks bad. I want to love it but it just feels like a FOSS windows.
Same here. I really tried using KDE as Fedora and Nobara were pushing for it with HDR, fractional scaling and variable refresh rates available. But there are so many useless options that seem to over-complicate everything.
I always go back to Gnome especially now that the missing technologies were added with 47 and 48. I just need my 2 extensions (DashtoDock, Just Perfection) setup via Nix and Home-manager.
also: Libadwaita > QT in terms of looks and usability.
UX wise, GNOME is oversimplified and Plasma is overcomplicated.
Can you give an instance of plasma being overcomplicated?
Launch System preferences, go to Internet and WiFi. Then you’ll get a UI divided into three panels. The first one lists WiFi and networks, Firewall, Proxy and Other preferences; the second panel will list your connections, including Ethernet, WiFi 2.4 GHz, WiFi 5 GHz, WiFi 6GHz, Bluetooth, VPN and Loopback, your current connection will be auto selected; from the current selected connection you’ll see in the third panel SSID, Mode, BSSID, Restrict devices, Cloned MAC, MTU and Visibility, and this is only one in 5 tabs of options.
I’m sure I skipped some other components in the same windows, but you see my point?
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I don’t agree that this is overcomplicated, how would you improve it? The simple settings are in the middle and the advanced settings are also easily accessible
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if you wanted something simple and not the advanced network settings wouldn’t you just use the panel applet anyway?
We don’t agree, but I still think it is. I just described the first window that found overcomplicated, of course there may be options of UX which may have different options. In any case, in my opinion, even the system applet is overcomplicated (for a system applet).
In this window, for example, what’s the use of the first panel if you wanted to edit something in some WiFi connection? I’d replace the whole first panel with a “back” button and let the window breathe.
If you want it simple you can resize the window, make it smaller horizontally.
Exactly. Overcomplicated.
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Gnome: We lock down everything since youre too wtupid to handle womputers Also gnome: “oh you want right click-create file? We can’t think of a more streamlined solution than navigating to the folder you already have open in nautilus using terminal, making an empty file with a terminal text editor and googling the command to save and exit empty file. Intuitive is our MO”
I love gnome workflow and simplicity but it is too locked down in nonsensical ways and it is too broken too often.
You can just put a blank file in the Templates directory then it shows up in the right click menu. At least it does that on PopOS
Yes that is what you have to do. It is ridiculous that this is what you have to do.
Or, and now hear me out, you could add a New > File/Directory to the context menu.
I was searching for this a few days ago and was stunned that you aren’t able to just create an empty file in the gnome file manager.
In the terminal you can use
touch file.txtto create an empty file, but it should be possible to do this in the file manager.Oh i know i can painstakingly navigate to the correct folder with ls and cd, then google what that one command I never use is and then use man to stop the whole process and read how to use it.
It’s nice to have that option for those who want to have fun with it, but it is a joke this is the intended option in gnome of all places.
That’s because they want to be user friendly for non tech people 🤦🏻
What is user friendly about right click-new file replaced with terminal?
Absolutely nothing! I was sarcastic, in fact I agree with you.
Sorry, my faith in techkind was low as I had someone legit claim im bad with computers for installing linux as all the windows stuff can be disabled with a single tick in control panel. Furthermore only tech distant people use regedit or cti.
Why asking for up arrow in Nautilus when you can always press alt+f8
LoL and old nautilus already had it. I just installed Nemo, nautilus is pathetic
Gnome has always been like this. They started on this trend at the very beginning.
I dropped it when they released 1.0 or 1.1 as they had released another of idiotic changes that were half because “we know better” and because “fuck you, user peons”. Never looked back as it’s been managed the same way ever since.What’s the point in being able to create an empty file from the file manager? You pretty much never want to actually have an empty file.
Open whatever program that can edit the document type you want (you would have it open later anyway to edit the document), make a new document, put something in it and save it. You have to do that anyway with any document type where an empty file isn’t valid data.
- making a readme
- making notes
- making task lists
- prewriting messeges for proof reading
- writing down passwords, keys or hashes and hiding them
- writing down links -archiving general information -not writing anything in the file and using the filename to make notes or organize -making todos -making text files you intend to fill out later as you get more info
All done conveniently by right click and double click in the folder you’re in already. No need to open another program, rummage through the menus to find “save as” or “export as” then navigate to the same location you are already in AGAIN.
Ive used txt files in windows constantly and I do not program. My archidect gf uses them constantly as well. It is very useful in a myriad of ways. Its a post it note since the other solutions for making notes, task in specific folders do not exist or suck.
For all of those you need to open an editor anyway.
Open your editor, start typing, press ctrl+s, drag the folder from the file manager to the save dialog to navigate there.
If anything, there should be a “Create new document with…” menu entry with a submenu that lets you select an editor, and when you save, the save dialog has the correct folder open. Anything, but have the editor create the document because it knows best what data to write when you do save.
A menu entry to create new empty file is a bad solution to this. It’s not general enough, and people don’t actually want an empty file as you just demonstrated with your list.
None of those are solutions and make a widely used feature more annoying to use.
Well duh, I just came up with it on the fly instead of actually spending time thinking about what the right design would be for this. I don’t know why you expect otherwise.
I expect right click-new file.
I agree with the general sentiment, though KDE’s apps do have some real performance issues.
Dolphin sometimes takes 2-5 seconds to open on my gaming PC, whereas Nautilus (Gnome Files) is usually done before I’ve even let go of the click.
Maybe that’s just preloading, but it makes a bloody enormous difference in everyday usage.
I prefer Plasma overall, though.
Dolphin sometimes takes 2-5 seconds to open on my gaming PC, whereas Nautilus (Gnome Files) is usually done before I’ve even let go of the click.
You might need to look into this more.
It opens instantly on my gaming desktop, Microsoft Surface 7 Pro, and ASUS ROG Strix
I just checked, it boots in .5 seconds on my Steam Deck. So yeah, there’s a problem somewhere 😅
Hmm, Dolphin takes about 0.5 seconds on my laptop. Might be that worth debugging on your system, even if it is some bug that your specific system triggers.
It is easy to go fast if you have no features.
Dolphin is the worst file manager, mostly because of how it doesn’t give you a file copy window but also because it’s just a shittier version of Nemo. Nemo is superior except that most of the time you can’t drag and drop files from a zip folder window into Nemo but only if you’re using KDE. Cinnamon is pretty much the only other DE I can stand and Nemo lets you drag and from from zip files all the time on Cinnamon but it’s otherwise worse than KDE.
I just realized that this desktop environment debate has slowed down a lot these last few years. I reckon it’s about time we heat it back up. I’ll get the popcorn!
Sounds like something a goddamn GNOME user would say 😠
Honestly as a newvomer to linux using both, they’re both fine. Both have their annoyances and stupidity but both are better than windows.
We’ll have to see if System 76’s Cosmic DE can stir up some tribalism again!
I know the hyprland Dev had some stuff to say that caused a mild shit storm. Nothing lasting though.
Are they still people giving a thing about that guys opinion? Hey is hating everything and evwrybody by no good reasons but pure gas lighting hatred
I install Fedora Workstation and change nothing. I’m pretty happy with GNOME in that case. KDE has been too fiddley for me the last few times I tried it. It’s there a distro that has a default KDE setup that feels minimal and out of the way?
Garuda KDE-lite is what I’ve been using my and it’s great
I have both versions of the workstation and KDE one is less broken, more functional and less annoying to use daily. I patiently await when the projects that require my current software packages end so I can wipe my home and go manjaro or something.
ive had and heard of many bad experiences with manjaro, though they do a couple of cool things. i really wish you all the best on your manjaro endeavours, but would recommend (not from experience but rather what i have gathered) to use endeavourOS over manjaro. also that would fit your name nicely
Ah thanks for the reccomendation. I’ll give endOS a go first as iirc that was not fedora based.
endOS is like manjaro based on Arch. they feel closely related, hence the recommendation. i probably wouldn’t install it because i don’t want to deal with Arch’s quick update cycle, but that’s just my personal preference and no statement about the quality of arch and its derivatives.
endOS and Manjaro are both that keep being reccomended a lot and I really want to check them out, but I keep forgetting. My big wishlist is working vr, working hotas, not having to mess around with nvidia drivers every kernel update. Thanks for help!
Strong recommendation of EndeavourOS over Manjaro.
arch probably
KDE has almost perfect fractional scaling, that was the real chadfeature for me.
Where is TempleOS when you need it, huh?
Whenever I try KDE there are a many minor bugs that are super annoying. Last time it just switched main and secondary monitor so my main one was a weird mix of both. I really wanna like KDE but since I switched to Wayland it always feels like something weird is going on.
Even in plasma 6?
Do you have an nvidia GPU?
No.
You really need to be on Plasma 6 if you use Wayland.
iirc that was fixed in 5.27 or so, kde’s been really smooth since for me
5.27 is great, perfectly stable on wayland with amd
Exactly my experience too.
deleted by creator
add a secondary storage device to my steam library.
You mean have more than one steam library? That’s a steam setting. Nothing to do with KDE. Gnome, Debian or Fedora.
The flatpak works,
Oh. There’s your issue. Don’t run steam as a flatpak, there might be sandboxing issues.
EDIT: MF did you read the page you downloaded stuff from:
Note: To add a game library on another drive, first you need to grant the app access to it:
flatpak override --user --filesystem=/path/to/your/Steam/Library com.valvesoftware.Steamdeleted by creator
Well, I’m using KDE and I set up a library eight months ago and… yes there’s a bug. Just checked. Not entirely the same but related to this:
https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/9797
There’s an official workaround mentioned there.
I guess KDE updated their portal protocol version some time in between and steam got doubly confused. Probably not a KDE bug, in particular because this kind of stuff is happening for many, many portal implementations.
And it’s not a dolphin window (with me) btw it’s a qt filepicker. Says “portal” at the end in the title, kde logo to the left.
I have like five libraries, I went ahead and just tried to add another one to see if it was a regression and unfortunately I can’t reproduce. Then again I’ve always been a KDE Arch user I don’t know if that has anything to do with it maybe I just missed this bug
I have the issue with debian also witj KDE, but I havent tried with Gnome, i did some searching and it seems to be a common issue among debian based distros
You forgot to add that unlike GNOME, KDE does not depend on SystemD
That’s good?
Yes
Yes
