GNOME extensions provide a very easy way of adding new, functional, and exciting features to your Ubuntu desktop. Be that as it may, installing them is not exactly straightforward.
Between installing them, adding the add-on integration with your preferred browsers, and installing the Gnome shell host connector, you’re sure to spend a good couple of minutes until you can enable them.
Not to say that the process has rocket-science levels of difficulty, but, surely, the process could be a lot smoother. This is where Extension Manager comes into play.
What exactly is Extension Manager?
Described as being a “native tool for browsing, installing, and managing GNOME Shell Extensions. It’s written with GTK 4 and uses libadwaita, meaning it looks and feels modern, even though it doesn’t necessarily perfectly integrate with Ubuntu’s color theme.
With its help, you can search for and install GNOME extensions on the GNOME extensions website without the need for a web browser.
One of the best aspects of Extension Manager is the fact that it also detects all installed GNOME extensions, including preinstalled system extensions (i.e. Ubuntu Dock, App Indicator add-ons, etc.). It also allows you to enable, disable, and uninstall extensions with just a few mouse clicks.
Getting started with Extension Manager
Installing the app is remarkably simple. You can install the latest release from Flathub, or directly from the source found on the official GitHub repository.
Once installed, you can check out and manage all the extensions present on your system (enable, disable, tweak, or uninstall them). Furthermore, you can search for extensions using keywords. The results are displayed underneath the search field, and you just have to click the “Install” button, and that’s pretty much about it.
Verdict
If you love GNOME extensions then you will most definitely want to install this app. Conversely, if you hate installing GNOME extensions, then should also install Extension Manager, as the convenience it brings is just awesome.
Sure, it’s still perfect (it’s still in an early development stage): it doesn’t show screenshots or ratings, and it doesn’t allow you to add search filters. Nevertheless, we’re sure (or at least, we hope) that app will improve with further releases.
