How to Add a Taskbar to Debian 13 GNOME Desktop (Easy Guide)

If you are switching to Debian 13 "Trixie", you might find the default GNOME desktop a bit minimal. In this guide, we will look at how to add a taskbar to our Debian 13 GNOME desktop to improve your workflow.

There are two types of taskbars available: Dash to Panel (similar to the Windows taskbar) and Dash to Dock (similar to the Apple macOS dock). We will look at both options in this tutorial.

Prerequisites: Install GNOME Extension Manager

Before installing any extensions, we have to install a package called GNOME Extensions to manage our desktop tweaks. The package name is gnome-shell-extension-prefs.

Open a terminal and log in as root using the su command:

su -

Update your package list:

apt update

Install the package using:

apt install gnome-shell-extension-prefs

Once installed, you can find the Extensions manager in your application menu.

Option 1: Windows-Style Taskbar (Dash to Panel)

If you prefer a classic bottom bar, we will install the extension called Dash to Panel.

How to Install Dash to Panel on Debian 13:

Install Dash to Panel using the command: apt install gnome-shell-extension-dash-to-panel
Restart your computer so the Extensions manager recognizes the new extension.
After the restart, open the Extensions manager and toggle Dash to Panel on.

Customization Tips:

You can right-click the taskbar and select Dash to Panel Settings to customize the look:

Center Icons: Change "Show application buttons" to the center.
Taskbar Thickness: Under the Panel screen position, you can adjust the thickness of the taskbar.
Margins and Paddings: Under the Style tab, you can adjust the height, padding, and margin.

Option 2: Mac-Style Dock (Dash to Dock)

Now let's see how to install a taskbar similar to Apple macOS, which is called Dash to Dock.

How to Install Dash to Dock on Debian 13:

Login as the root user in your terminal.
Install the package: apt install gnome-shell-extension-dashtodock
Restart your computer.
Open the Extensions manager and enable Dash to Dock.

Troubleshooting Auto-Hide:

If the auto-hide setting doesn't work properly on your computer, follow these steps:

Go to Settings for Dash to Dock.
In Intelligent auto-hide, click the gear (settings) button.
Uncheck the box "Push to show".
With "Push to show" unchecked, you do not need to apply extra mouse pressure to show the dock when a window is open.

Conclusion

That is how we add a taskbar to the GNOME desktop in Debian 13, using either Dash to Panel or Dash to Dock. Both options make the Debian desktop much more user-friendly.