26
What exactly is GNOME?
(programming.dev)
Whether you're a seasoned pro or the noobiest of noobs, you've found the right place for Linux support and information. With a dedication to supporting free and open source software, this community aims to ensure Linux fits your needs and works for you. From troubleshooting to tutorials, practical tips, news and more, all aspects of Linux are warmly welcomed. Join a community of like-minded enthusiasts and professionals driving Linux's ongoing evolution.
gnome 2 was a traditional desktop. gnome 3 tried something new, and has stuck with it. people who didn't like that thing made MATE, which is a lot like gnome 2.
gnome is extremely opinionated, yes. personally i like how it's set up, but the way they build it rubs me the wrong way.
Is gnome 3 the one without a desktop? The only thing I can figure out with
gnome-shell --version
is that bazzite uses 46.4There is a KDE variant of bazzite I might try but I dont know what can of worms is that going to open
GNOME 3 doesn't have desktop icons, if that's what you mean. And yeah, that version number sounds about right. They used to version it as "3.38”, but then instead of "3.40", they decided to call that version "40" and continue from there.
KDE is very much the opposite of opinionated. It comes with a Windows-like layout by default, but you can do pretty much any layout you want with it. People rather complain that it has too many options.
I would definitely recommend giving it a try, or at least checking out some videos. It happens a lot that people who dislike GNOME, then try KDE and are completely flabbergasted why that's not the default.