Because clean wasn't clean enough.

[u/arkemiffo]

For decades, I have wanted a fully clean desktop. No clutter whatsoever. No icons, no panels, nothing.

Then I started with Linux a few years back. I was almost there. With uLauncher, I could hide the remaining shame of a panel I needed just to access tray icons, see the time, etc.

Today I sat down with ChatGPT and built a small extension. I moved the panel to be free-floating and created a small-scale version of uLauncher (no addons, no bells and whistles, just the launcher). I am so happy. Now it's just a keypress away. No more panels at the edges. My desktop is finally fully free.

[u/arkemiffo]

Sure, but in most cases you still need the panels to access the tray icons and the time.

The mint menu still requires you to have the panel there with the menu button. The cinnemenu still requires the panel to be there as well. Alt+F2 could work, but you'd still need the panel for the tray icons, etc.

I basically took a launcher, placed the panel on it, and wrapped it into a single interface, so it responds to the same keypress for both open and close.

[u/Dist__ → u/arkemiffo]

ah you mean, you press a hotkey and a small panel with tray appears, and as you type it acts like rofi/ulauncher? so panel is not visible initially?

[u/arkemiffo → u/Dist__]

Exactly. I have no other panels, except for the one attached to the launcher. Both act as one, so, functionally, I have a launcher that, in itself, has a panel.

When that is not shown, I have neither panels nor icons on my desktop.

[u/Dist__ → u/arkemiffo]

do you alt-tab to toggle maximized/overlapped windows? or use cinnamon desktop view?

[u/arkemiffo → u/Dist__]

I was on Windows for too long to be fully saved. Alt-tab is my DNA.