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I have installed gnome-tweaks and gnome-shell-extensions using:

$ sudo apt install gnome-tweaks
$ sudo apt install gnome-shell-extensions

Now, I am interested in installing few extensions. I want to install the extensions using apt or apt-get or snap, but not by using a web browser.

For example, I could install "netspeed" extension using browser, but am not able to find this package in the main/universe/multiverse repos. So how can I install this (netspeed) or other extension using the command line and which repo should I search in?

Edit: This question is not about being able to install/manage or remove GNOME Shell Extensions. It is specifically about doing these from a terminal, using apt or similar package managers.

Edit: Software Center still shows no results:

Software Center showing no results

BeastOfCaerbannog
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samshers
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2 Answers2

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Some extensions indeed are packaged in the standard Ubuntu software repositories. These can be installed using apt get, Synaptic Package Manager and even using Snap Software. The selection, however, of extensions packaged in the Ubuntu software repositories is relatively small.

The names of the packages typically start with gnome-shell-extension, so you can have an idea of what is standard available with the command

apt search gnome-shell-extension

or browse though them in Synaptic package manager after searching the term. If an extension you are after is not available in the Ubuntu Software repositories, you have no option than to install it in a different way, either through the website or by a manual install.

System wide extensions versus locally installed extensions

Extensions installed using apt are installed for all users. They are not enabled by default. Each user can enable or disable the extension individually. Ubuntu 20.04 comes with a dedicated utility "Extensions" that allows to enable or disable a Gnome Shell extension. Users of older Ubuntu versions can install "Tweaks" to enable/disable extensions.

Extensions installed using the Gnome Extensions website are installed for the user only. Only the current user "sees" it and can enable/disable it.

As a general rule, it is preferred to install gnome shell extensions using the Ubuntu PPA. These extensions have been packaged by the Ubuntu developpers, and have been tested to work with your system.

Extensions installed from the Gnome Extensions website may with a future update not work correctly anymore on your system. Note also that this is not directly supported in a default Ubuntu install: you are required to install some additional software before you can install from the Gnome Shell extensions website.

vanadium
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GNOME Extensions are available directly on Ubuntu Software. You just have to enable them through GNOME Tweaks.

gnome-software

As soon as you install an extension on Ubuntu Software, it's added to the Extensions on GNOME Tweaks where you can configure or customize them.

gnome-tweaks

Akbarkhon Variskhanov
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  • "GNOME Extensions are available directly on Ubuntu Software." - i don't see any results. which tweak has to be enabled... can you get specific – samshers Aug 17 '20 at 17:51
  • Try apt list gnome-shell-extension-* it will list all available GNOME Shell Extension in default Ubuntu repositories for your version (bionic main for 18.04, focal main for 20.04). You can install any of them through apt. To use and customize them, you have to enable GNOME Shell Extensions via GNOME Tweaks (enabled by default, if I'm not mistaken). GNOME Tweaks can be downloaded through Ubuntu Software as well. – Akbarkhon Variskhanov Aug 17 '20 at 18:29
  • "As soon as you install an extension on Ubuntu Software". Can't find any extension results in Software Centre. – samshers Aug 17 '20 at 18:31
  • If it's not there, then Ubuntu doesn't support it officially and it's not in their repositories. Check my edit to the previous comment. – Akbarkhon Variskhanov Aug 17 '20 at 18:33
  • This page contains all available GNOME Shell Extensions for various versions of Ubuntu, sorted alphabetically: https://packages.ubuntu.com/search?keywords=gnome-shell-extension-&searchon=names&suite=all§ion=all. apt list gnome-shell-extension-* will list all available extensions specific to your version from repositories stated in sources.list. Anything in official Ubuntu repositories: you can install with apt or apt-get without any add-ons or extra steps. – Akbarkhon Variskhanov Aug 17 '20 at 18:42
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    Is that Focal Fossa? Simple Net Speed is available on Bionic: https://prnt.sc/u16ekp;

    extension running: https://prnt.sc/u16eeg; removing an extension: https://prnt.sc/u16fqx

     – Akbarkhon Variskhanov Aug 17 '20 at 19:15
  • Alright, I don't know why would you prefer installing them this way over Ubuntu Software, but I decided to try it myself and I can assure you the CLI way is way worse. Not only it requires knowing the package name of an extension but also an understanding of how gsettings work. And it's full of bugs: in my case, Dash to Panel destroyed the window manager and its rendering capabilities until remove and reboot. It's way too complicated: I'd suggest just looking for whichever is needed in Ubuntu Software; and if they're missing there, doing the official way through extensions.gnome.org – Akbarkhon Variskhanov Aug 17 '20 at 19:36