Enable machine-wide extensions

To make extensions available to all users on the system, install them in the /usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions directory. Note that newly-installed machine-wide extensions are disabled by default.

You need to set the org.gnome.shell.enabled-extensions key in order to set the default enabled extensions. However, there is currently no way to enable additional extensions for users who have already logged in. This does not apply for existing users who have installed and enabled their own GNOME extensions.

Setting the org.gnome.shell.enabled-extensions key

  1. Create a user profile in /etc/dconf/profile/user:

    user-db:user
    system-db:local
  2. Create a local database for machine-wide settings in /etc/dconf/db/local.d/00-extensions:

    [org/gnome/shell]
    # List all extensions that you want to have enabled for all users
    enabled-extensions=['myextension1@myname.example.com', 'myextension2@myname.example.com']

    The enabled-extensions key specifies the enabled extensions using the extensions’ uuid (myextension1@myname.example.com and myextension2@myname.example.com).

  3. Update the system databases:

    # dconf update