this post was submitted on 17 Sep 2024
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I’m looking for a launch menu that has similar functionality as the Windows 10 Start Menu. While I don’t think Windows is the pinnacle of OS development, I did find the "Start" menu quite useful in organizing my apps by task group and importance. Specifically, I’m interested in the following features:

  • The ability to resize the menu.
  • The option to create my own application layout in named groups.
  • The capability to create folders with applications.
  • Optionally, the ability to resize various application tiles.

The Cinnamenu applet for Cinnamon comes somewhat close, but it isn't quite it. Does anyone know of an app, a DE or anything else on Linux that offers these features?

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[–] MyNameIsRichard@lemmy.ml 24 points 2 months ago (2 children)
[–] original_reader@lemm.ee 11 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Thank you. I might just have to switch to KDE for that. Will install KDE on my current GNOME environment. Will give it a test drive.

[–] ian@feddit.uk 6 points 2 months ago

In KDE Plasma, if you right click on the launch menu button, there is an option Show Alternatives. Here, you can immediately select and use one of the installed alternative start menus. On top of that, you can install further launcher menus, which will then appear in the Show Alternatives list. I installed Simple Menu (from Eike Hein) that has categories, favourites and search. And let's you move the icons around. But its that easy to try out different launchers. I hope you find a good one.

[–] D_Air1@lemmy.ml 4 points 2 months ago (2 children)

That isn't a good idea. You should never install gnome and kde together on the same system. There are often lots of conflicting stuff. Some distros handle it well, but most don't.

[–] MonkderVierte@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 months ago

They are both so bloated, they can even conflict. 😮

[–] original_reader@lemm.ee 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Good point. Which distros handle it well?

[–] D_Air1@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I have heard good things about how openSUSE handles it.

[–] original_reader@lemm.ee 1 points 1 month ago

Good I'm on Tumbleweed then. 😁

Seriously, I will test it in a virtual machine.

[–] Admetus@sopuli.xyz 2 points 2 months ago

Reading up on the GitHub page, it has a few concerning WIPs. Might not be worth swapping to a different DE.

[–] gomp@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] MyNameIsRichard@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 month ago

Yeah, it's not feature complete

[–] HouseWolf@lemm.ee 23 points 2 months ago (1 children)

If you don't already know what desktop you're going to use I'd suggest KDE Plasma. It's pretty close to Windows out of the box, and as another comment pointed out there's Tiled menu for it which is basically a clone of Win10s menu.

[–] Telorand@reddthat.com 5 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Plasma has a Win 11 menu clone as well, iirc. I forget what it's called.

[–] eugenia@lemmy.ml 7 points 2 months ago

Either the ArcMenu extension for Gnome, or the Deepin DE.

[–] bloodfart@lemmy.ml 6 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

old windows -> xfce/lxqt/whatever

nuwindows -> kde

macos/phones -> gnome

[–] VerilyFemme@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 2 months ago

KDE Plasma is the way to go if you're too used to the Windows desktop. Plasma 6 is out, and from what I ses it's more like Windows 11, though Plasma is so configurable you could definitely mimic Windows 10.

Kubuntu still uses Plasma 5, which was pretty much exactly like using Windows 10 when I used it, though more configurable and smoother to use. If you want stability and compatibility in your machine, with a DE that has all its issues ironed out, Kubuntu is a good choice.