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Asked: 2024-09-27T03:25:37+05:30 In:

What are the steps to completely uninstall and then reinstall GNOME 3 on an Ubuntu system?

I’ve been having quite a bit of trouble with my GNOME 3 on Ubuntu lately. It feels like it’s become sluggish, and I suspect some of the customizations I applied might be messing things up. I’m seriously considering just starting from scratch by completely uninstalling and then reinstalling GNOME 3.

Here’s the thing: I’m not entirely sure what the best way to do this is. I’ve done some digging online, but the steps seem to vary widely depending on which version of Ubuntu I’m using, and I’m worried I might accidentally mess something up. I mean, I really don’t want to break my system in the process!

Can anyone give me a straightforward rundown of the steps I need to follow to get GNOME 3 off my system completely? I’ve seen advice about using terminal commands, and I’m okay with that, but I just want to make sure I’m not missing any critical steps.

Also, once I’ve uninstalled it, what’s the best way to go about reinstalling GNOME 3? Should I stick with the default options, or do you think I should tweak anything in the process? I’ve heard there are different flavors and extensions that might be worth considering.

I really appreciate any tips or personal experiences you can share. Screenshots or terminal command lines would be super helpful if that’s not too much trouble. Honestly, I’m just looking for a tried-and-true guide to get my GNOME back to its former glory without running into a million errors along the way. Thanks in advance!

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    2 Answers


    1. To completely uninstall GNOME 3 from your Ubuntu system, you can use the terminal. First, open a terminal window and run the following command to remove GNOME Shell and its associated packages:
      sudo apt remove --purge gnome-shell ubuntu-gnome-desktop gnome-session. This command will remove GNOME and return your system to the default desktop environment. You might also want to clean up any remaining configuration files with sudo apt autoremove and sudo apt clean. After this, ensure you’ve removed any custom extensions or themes that might have contributed to the sluggish behavior; you can check your local user extensions directory at ~/.local/share/gnome-shell/extensions/.

      Once you’ve uninstalled GNOME 3, you can reinstall it using the command sudo apt install ubuntu-gnome-desktop. This command will fetch the latest version of GNOME available on the repositories for your Ubuntu version. During the installation, you can stick with the default options unless you have specific preferences for desktop flavors or additional extensions. After installation, you can customize your desktop by installing extensions via the GNOME Extensions website, which could significantly enhance your experience. Just make sure your system is up-to-date before proceeding by running sudo apt update and sudo apt upgrade to avoid potential issues. It’s always a good practice to back up your important data before making significant changes.




    2. Uninstall and Reinstall GNOME 3 on Ubuntu

      Getting Your GNOME 3 Back to Normal on Ubuntu

      So if your GNOME 3 is feeling all sluggish and you’ve got a bunch of customizations that might be causing chaos, it’s understandable you want to start fresh. Here’s a simple way to completely uninstall and then reinstall GNOME 3 so you don’t break anything!

      Step 1: Uninstall GNOME 3

      Fire up your terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T) and enter these commands. You might need to enter your password:

      sudo apt purge gnome-shell
sudo apt autoremove

      The first command removes GNOME Shell, and the second one cleans up any leftover packages that you don’t need anymore!

      Step 2: Reinstall GNOME 3

      Now let’s get GNOME 3 back. You can do this by entering the following command:

      sudo apt install ubuntu-gnome-desktop

      This will install the full Ubuntu GNOME desktop environment. Just hit enter when it asks for any prompts!

      Step 3: Choose Your Session

      When you reboot your computer, at the login screen, click on the gear icon and choose “GNOME” to make sure you’re logging into the correct session.

      What About Extensions & Customizations?

      If you liked some of the extensions and tweaks you had, you can check out the GNOME Extensions website after reinstalling. But if you want to avoid any future performance issues, maybe just stick with the basics for now. You can always add them back later!

      Final Thoughts

      Remember to back up any important files before you start playing with system components. If you run into any weird errors, you can always check the community forums — there’s a ton of helpful folks out there!

      Good luck, and hope this helps get your GNOME running smoothly again!


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