Open-Shell-Menu
Classic Shell Reborn. (by Open-Shell)
Pi-hole
A black hole for Internet advertisements (by pi-hole)
| Open-Shell-Menu | Pi-hole | |
|---|---|---|
| 256 | 2,377 | |
| 7,871 | 52,438 | |
| 1.5% | 0.9% | |
| 7.0 | 9.5 | |
| 10 days ago | 9 days ago | |
| C++ | Shell | |
| MIT License | GNU General Public License v3.0 or later |
The number of mentions indicates the total number of mentions that we've tracked plus the number of user suggested alternatives.
Stars - the number of stars that a project has on GitHub. Growth - month over month growth in stars.
Activity is a relative number indicating how actively a project is being developed. Recent commits have higher weight than older ones.
For example, an activity of 9.0 indicates that a project is amongst the top 10% of the most actively developed projects that we are tracking.
Stars - the number of stars that a project has on GitHub. Growth - month over month growth in stars.
Activity is a relative number indicating how actively a project is being developed. Recent commits have higher weight than older ones.
For example, an activity of 9.0 indicates that a project is amongst the top 10% of the most actively developed projects that we are tracking.
Open-Shell-Menu
Posts with mentions or reviews of Open-Shell-Menu.
We have used some of these posts to build our list of alternatives
and similar projects. The last one was on 2024-06-26.
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Windows 11 unsuckifying guide
Replace the start menu which is filled with ads and widget bullshit Replace Windows 11 logo with Windows 7 logo
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Windows 11 Start menu ads are now rolling out to everyone
I've been very happy happy with https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu as a Start Menu replacement. If ads have rolled out to my Windows install, I wouldn't even notice.
- Why does part of the Windows 98 Setup program look older than the rest?
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Windows XP 2024 Edition is everything I want from a new OS
Whenever I set up a new computer for older family members, despite it being windows 11, I always install open shell[1] and retro bar[2]. Between the two, I've made the operating system look very close to Windows XP visually, and they always appreciate it.
[1] https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu
[2] https://github.com/dremin/RetroBar
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Window Manager / DWM replacement?
There's Open-Shell but it's not exactly a full WM replacement.
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I turned the Windows start icon into Elysia's signet!
Hi yall, I used Open-Shell to change the icon.
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How do I remove the recommended thing in the start menu, or add more space for pinned apps?
There is also Open Shell, a free and open source tool which performs a similar function.
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What is a piece of software that you need but doesn't exist?
I wish so bad there is a port (a fork) of the Legacy Kickoff start menu for Windows: https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu/issues/1083
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Looking for a specific 'subgenre' of digital minimalism - "Retro digital"?
Classic Start Menu
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Ask HN: How do you “clean” Windows from all bloatware?
I use Open Shell (fork of Classic Shell) as a replacement to original Start Menu. This gives me full control over what appears in start menu - no results from internet, animated tiles, etc (I am on Win 10 though, from what I read the Win 11 is supported, but not yet officially [1]). It could be a solution to the ads appearing in start menu.
[1] https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu/issues/1564
Pi-hole
Posts with mentions or reviews of Pi-hole.
We have used some of these posts to build our list of alternatives
and similar projects. The last one was on 2025-06-21.
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Remove Internet Junk from Ground Up: A DNS-Based Approach
P.S. If you want even more control over your DNS resolvers, you can host one of your own using Pi-hole.
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Why do we need DNSSEC?
Your mom should be running this. It would improve her life. Set it up for her.
https://pi-hole.net
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Zero Trust, One Router: Hardening Your Home Lab Like a Cyber Fortress.
Pi-hole: Block ads and trackers at DNS level
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Self-hosting like a final boss: what I actually run on my home lab (and why)
Pi-hole: DNS-level ad-blocking
- Ask HN: What project do you donate to?
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Tools for thoughts1 Date:03/2025 Moderator:Daniel.J.Q.Goh
This part can be link to Pi-Hole Before proceed to configuring VPN, recommended to get "Free DNS" for yourself at MyDNS to manage your own network.
- Ask HN: What are good high information density UIs (screenshots, apps, sites)
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Using Raspberry Pi Computers For OSINT And Self-Quantification
One of my favorite uses of a Raspberry Pi computer is Pi-hole. Which is promoted as a network-wide advertisement blocker. By installing Pi-hole on a RPi and attaching said device to your home LAN, a whole new world of OSINT and self-quantification is opened up.
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uBlock Origin is no longer available on the Chrome Store
Time to set up Pi-Hole on my Rapsberry Pi 4
https://pi-hole.net/
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Sniffnet – monitor your Internet traffic
Tools like https://pi-hole.net does this for the whole house. It comes with a default set of blocked domains and you can easily add to it. It acts as your local DNS for the network.
What are some alternatives?
When comparing Open-Shell-Menu and Pi-hole you can also consider the following projects:
RetroBar - Classic Windows 95, 98, Me, 2000, XP, Vista taskbar for modern versions of Windows
Technitium DNS Server - Technitium DNS Server
ExplorerPatcher - This project aims to enhance the working environment on Windows
graylog - Free and open log management
Sandboxie - Sandboxie Plus & Classic
dnscrypt-proxy - dnscrypt-proxy 2 - A flexible DNS proxy, with support for encrypted DNS protocols.