After nearly one and a half decades after the packaging request was made, GNOME Shell Frippery extensions have finally worked their way into Debian via the unstable archive for offering a GNOME2-like desktop experience.
GNOME Shell Frippery provides a desktop experience reminiscent of the GNOME 2 days. Rather than forking old GNOME 2.x code like the MATE desktop or other poorly maintained methods, GNOME Shell Frippery is implemented as extensions atop the modern GNOME desktop.
GNOME Shell Frippery adds favorites in the panel, an applications menu in the panel, moves around the system clock, adds a bottom panel and other modifications to provide a GNOME 2 like experience while otherwise using the modern GNOME software stack. GNOME Shell Frippery is tested on GNOME 3.x releases as well as modern GNOME desktop versions, including GNOME 48 with Fedora Workstation 42.
Those wishing to try out the GNOME Shell Frippery extensions can do so or learn more via Frippery.org.
Going back to 2011 has been a packaging request for offering gnome-shell-frippery within the Debian archive. Fourteen years later that today materialized in Debian Unstable. Ubuntu/Debian developer Jeremy Bicha added it to Debian Unstable with the packaging work carried out by Sebastien Noel. Though with Debian now under a soft-freeze for Debian 13, it’s too late to be found in this next Debian release. So those on Debian 13 or prior will need to stick to grabbing the Frippery extensions on your own if so desired.