Notes on tweaking GNOME

I've experienced some frustrating moments when trying to figure out how to tweak GNOME's(and related softwares') functions. Here is a sheet of notes.

System setup🔗

An ArchLinux laptop.

Problems🔗

GSConnect and missing "send to" in Nautilus's context menu🔗

It turned out just installing python-nautilus isn't enough. I have to install:

• python-nautilus
• nautilus-sendto

I don't want to use AltGr but don't know how to disable it🔗

I thought I need AltGr to input some characters. But in reality I never typed those characters. I once turned on the AltGr, but forget how to disable it now.

Related trackers:

• MR 910
• Issue 918

Solution: using gnome-tweaks

• open Tweaks
• select Keyboard & Mouse in the side panel
• press button Additional layout options
• navigate to Keys to choose the 3rd level
• uncheck unwanted keys

When eGPU unplugged, the laptop cannot shutdown properly, just stuck🔗

There could be an issue with internal resource management of gnome-shell. gnome-shell will open at least 2 file descriptors on each output-capable DRM device. There's no known way to release the resource except shutting down the graphical interface.

If eGPU display output is not necessary, use the udev rule below, so gnome-shell will ignore the eGPU:

# card0: internal integrated GPU
# card1: internal dGPU, if exists, otherwise eGPU
# cardN: eGPUs
ENV{DEVNAME}=="/dev/dri/card0", TAG+="mutter-device-preferred-primary"

# Use this line to let mutter ignore NVIDIA devices
SUBSYSTEM=="drm", DRIVERS=="nvidia", TAG+="mutter-device-ignore"

Note that I don't have any AMD GPU, so I don't know if the same problem exists on AMD platforms.