GNOME SWEET GNOME
There are many desktop environments for Linux, and for my main laptop, I decided to go with Gnome. Many distributions use it, and with recent changes, I felt I could mold it to my workflow or adjust my workflow to match it.
When I first chose Manjaro, it was because of their default Gnome layouts. You could easily switch between Apple style, Windows style, Manjaro's style (which is a blend of Apple and Gnome), or the default Gnome desktop. This flexibility to make you when you move from another system was what made me feel comfortable. I can do this!
As I got more familiar, I discovered what Manjaro had done was thoughtfully package up a bunch of Gnome Extensions for these layouts. The ability to install Gnome Extensions are built into Gnome, but instead of having you dig through the whole list, Manjaro picked what they thought were the best and included them by default. So let me go over Gnome, the key extensions Manjaro used, and then the my favorite extension that I found on my own.
DEFAULT GNOME
The base gnome has a very clean desktop, and expects you to use the "super" key to access the desktops, search, and apps. On most keyboards the super key is the Windows icon key, though on Macs it is the command key ( ⌘ ) and on Chomebooks they put a magnifying glass. Tap the super key once, and it shows your virtual workspaces and the "Dash" of your favorite applications.
Double tap the super key and it shows both the virtual workspaces and the apps you can launch. After either the single tap or double tap you can start typing and it will find the app you are looking for.
The top bar has date and notifications in the middle (click the date to show), and controls to the right. These are becoming more and more "mobile like" and they are trying to minimize the number of clicks/taps it takes to get to your settings. Super+tab works as it does in Mac and Windows, and cycles you through your open apps.
All these choices makes for a very clean desktop, and Gnome tries to do its best to get out of your way for work. However, this can make it more intimidating for someone coming from another system that they are familiar with. No problem, enable extensions using the Extensions App, and then the question then becomes... where are you coming from? What would you like?
MAC
Maybe you are coming from Mac. The default Manjaro experience has you covered, and the biggest extension that helps with that is Dash to Dock. This makes the Dash always visible, and look like a Mac Dock. Simple, effective, and comfortable for your mac refugees. Inside the Extensions App, you can configure what edge it is on the screen, what kind of "running" indicator you would like, and whether it automatically hides.
WINDOWS
I suspect more people are going to be Windows exiles instead of Mac refugees, and ArcMenu has you covered. You can even choose which version of Windows you like the best. You can choose from Windows 95 style to all the way to Windows 11 style.
This extension can even mimic other Linux menus such as KDE Plasma style or Linux Mint! I personally like Mint's style, so that is the one I use. Mint's "auto-categorization" is helpful if you forget the name of the program but you know what it does.
MY FAVORITE
One of the big things that Linux had done better than other OSes has been multiple workspaces. You can easily switch between workspaces with a keystroke. On Manjaro, it is super plus a number (super+2 for the second workspace). On Fedora, they follow the standard Gnome's super+page up and super+page down. Manjaro includes a Windows List extension, but it is ugly. I went and found one I like. Colorful, uses the space in the existing top bar. I present to you BaBar Task Bar!
The white numbers are the workspaces, and each icon is one window. I always felt it is best to keep the user informed on what is running. With BaBar, you can see what apps are running and in what workspace.
Do you want one browser window on your personal workspace and one browser window in your work workspace? Grab it in BaBar and move it! This isn't something I had seen in any other operating system. This is cool.
LINUX - FREEDOM OF CUSTOMIZATION
I like all of these extensions. Can I run them all at the same time? Yes, I can. Are there more extensions? Yes, you can find them here. It is a big pile of extensions, and it is like doing extensions for your browsers. In fact, if you have extended your browser, you should feel comfortable extending your operating system!
What if I want to get used to the default, clean desktop Gnome instead? What if they slow down my system? I can turn them off using the Extensions App. The top option is to disable all extensions. Below that, you can enable, disable, or configure each extension individually.
So, go out there an play. If your desktop is Gnome, feel free to chime in. There are many other desktops to play with. The desktop is only one aspect of Linux, but it is the one that most people first look at before they dive in to find out the other details. It isn't that scary, try it out, have fun!