Linux Customization
So over the weekend, I spent a lot of time making tweaks and changes on my laptop to improve the overall experience for myself. In the process, I learned a lot about GNOME extensions. Previously, I was operating on a very stock experience. It wasn't the worst thing in the world, but I knew I could do more.
Here's a quick overview of all that I was able to update:
- Shell Theme (Arc Dark)
- Icon Pack (Breeze Gradient Dark)
- Cursor (Sweet Cursors)
- GRUB2 Customization
- Appfolders
- Apt Update Indicator
- Dash to Dock
- GSConnect
- Places Status Indicator
- Unite
- Workspaces to Dock
I also took the time to learn how to make my own shortcuts for applications. For example, I've had TechnicLauncher installed for Minecraft to connect to a specific modded server. In order to run it, I had to open a terminal and run
java -jar TechnicLauncher.jar
Now, I have an icon on my dock that runs the command for me, saving me time.
I'm extremely happy that I'm able to make an experience completely tailored to myself. Like, I've heard people say that about Linux before, but it finally clicked. There's a lot of room left for me to grow in to, but I'm finally getting the hang of Linux. I still don't know much about kernals or different desktop environments, but I can figure those out as time goes on.
I'm trying to get to the point where I can uninstall Windows completely from this laptop. The main thing holding me back right now is my capture card. I've been doing research and learned that there are plug-and-play capture cards that should work perfectly fine for my usage. Unfortunately, I will never be completely free of Windows, but at least I can limit my usage to a virtual machine for those proprietary softwares and only that.