Native RGB Lighting Control, .deb Installer, App Menu Folders, and Background Apps Improvements

[RaulKong898]

What Happened?

Several key features are missing from elementary OS that would significantly improve the user experience:

No native RGB lighting control - There's no built-in way to manage PC RGB lighting (keyboard, mouse, fans, RAM, etc.) from System Settings. Users currently need third-party tools like OpenRGB.

No simple .deb file installation - Double-clicking .deb files doesn't open a native installer. Users must use terminal commands or install third-party tools like Eddy.

Inconsistent uninstall option in Applications Menu - Right-click → Uninstall is sometimes missing or grayed out for installed applications.

No folder organization in Applications Menu - Users cannot create custom folders to organize applications, making it hard to manage many installed apps.

Background apps issues in Dock - While the new Background Portal support is great, clicking background apps only shows the quit option instead of opening the app window. There's no system tray icon support for apps that minimize to background.

Applications Menu display bug - Sometimes installed applications don't appear in the Applications Menu grid view but only show up when using search functionality.

Steps to Reproduce

For RGB Lighting:

Install elementary OS on a PC with RGB hardware (keyboard, mouse, motherboard RGB, RAM, fans)

Open System Settings

Look for RGB lighting or LED control options

Result: No native option exists

For .deb Installation:

Download a .deb file (e.g., from a software website)

Try to double-click the .deb file

Result: No native installer opens, file opens in archive manager instead

Right-click → "Open With" shows no elementary OS installer option

For Applications Menu Uninstall:

Install an application via AppCenter or terminal

Open Applications Menu

Right-click on the installed application

Result: Uninstall option is sometimes grayed out or missing entirely

For Folder Organization:

Open Applications Menu

Try to create a folder to organize apps

Try to drag apps into categories/folders

Result: No folder creation or organization options available

For Background Apps:

Install an app that runs in background (e.g., Telegram, Discord, music player)

Minimize the app to background

Click on the app icon in the Dock's background apps section

Result: Only shows "Quit" button, doesn't open the app window

Expected: Should show system tray icon or allow clicking to reopen window

For Applications Menu Bug:

Install an application via apt install or Flatpak

Installation completes successfully

Open Applications Menu and scroll through all apps

App doesn't appear in the grid view

Search for the app by name in Applications Menu search

Result: App appears in search results but not in the main grid

Expected Behavior

RGB Lighting:

A dedicated panel in System Settings → Hardware or Display for RGB lighting control

Options to change colors, effects (static, breathing, rainbow, reactive, etc.)

Device-specific controls (keyboard, mouse, case fans, RAM)

Animated effects and screen-reactive lighting

Simple on/off toggle per device

Deb Installation:

Double-clicking .deb file should open a native elementary OS installer

Installer should show package info, dependencies, and installation progress

Right-click → "Open With" should show native installer option

Similar experience to AppCenter installations

Applications Menu Uninstall:

Right-click any installed application → "Uninstall" should always be available

Clicking "Uninstall" should remove the application

Works consistently for both Flatpak and APT packages

Shows confirmation dialog before removal

Folder Organization:

Ability to create custom folders in Applications Menu

Drag-and-drop apps into folders

Automatic folder name suggestions based on app categories

Folders expand/collapse when clicked

Similar to GNOME but with elementary design language

Background Apps:

Clicking background apps in Dock should open their window (if they have one)

Apps should be able to show system tray icons

Background apps remain stable and accessible

Visual indicator for apps running in background (like Windows system tray)

Apps can minimize to background and restore from Dock

Applications Menu Display:

All installed applications should appear in Applications Menu immediately after installation

Consistent behavior for Flatpak, APT, and manually installed apps

If refresh is needed, provide a manual refresh option

Apps shouldn't disappear from menu while still being searchable

Host OS

elementary OS 8 (latest stable version)

Image Version

elementary OS 8

Hardware Platform

64-bit AMD/Intel (x86)

Log Output

Hardware Info

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 8400F

Motherboard: ASUS PRIME B650M-K (Socket AM5)

RAM: Corsair Vengeance RGB 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5 6000MHz CL36 (AMD EXPO)

GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070

Storage:

Kingston NV2 1TB NVMe SSD (primary system drive)

Samsung PM981 476.9GB NVMe SSD

Western Digital 232.8GB HDD (boot/EFI partition)

Western Digital 500GB HDD

PSU: nJoy Alpha+ 750W, 80+ Gold, Full Modular

Case: AQIRYS Avior (with ARGB support)

CPU Cooler: AQIRYS Hydra 360 AIO (360mm)

RGB Devices:

Corsair Vengeance RGB RAM modules

AQIRYS Avior case ARGB lighting

AQIRYS Hydra 360 AIO RGB

AURA LED Controller for RGB synchronization

MageGee STAR75 RGB mechanical keyboard

RGB mouse (Logitech)

Peripherals:

Monitor: Samsung Odyssey G3

Keyboard: MageGee STAR75 (mechanical)

Mouse: Logitech (wireless via USB receiver)

Headset: Logitech PRO X Wireless

Microphone: HyperX SoloCast

[stsdc]

Had to make this a discussion due to multiple topics in the question.

1. Native RGB lightning control support is not currently expected to be introduced. Companies usually do not provide any API to control their devices RGB lights, so it means there would be a need to reverse engineer the communication. Doing this for the variety of the devices will take a lot of effort and time, which can be used elsewhere. OpenRGB is a great app which is still being maintained. But, still, if you're interested to have a native app, you may try to develop one and publish it on AppCenter.
2. The .deb package installation is not officially recommended due to security risks. We recommend to use Flatpak.
3. Please check if there is already an existing issue on missing or greyed out "Uninstall" option: "Uninstall" and "View in AppCenter" context options are always disable applications-menu#503
4. There are no "folders" in the app menu since every app has to have a category metadata. Based on this metadata it is placed on predefined category entry. If you're interested in created custom categories, please create an issue in Applications Menu repository.
5. Any issues with Dock should be reported in the Dock repository
6. Applications Menu display bug - please report it to the Applications Menu repository. So the Application Menu maintainers can look into this.