diff --git a/home/programs/ags/src/config.js b/home/programs/ags/config.js
similarity index 69%
rename from home/programs/ags/src/config.js
rename to home/programs/ags/config.js
index 246fbef..3759540 100644
--- a/home/programs/ags/src/config.js
+++ b/home/programs/ags/config.js
@@ -1,10 +1,8 @@
-// const hyprland = await Service.import("hyprland");
-const notifications = await Service.import("notifications");
 const mpris = await Service.import("mpris");
 const audio = await Service.import("audio");
 const battery = await Service.import("battery");
 const systemtray = await Service.import("systemtray");
-
+import { NotificationPopups } from "./notificationPopups.js";
 const date = Variable("", {
   poll: [1000, 'date "+%H:%M %b %e."'],
 });
@@ -13,31 +11,6 @@ const date = Variable("", {
 // so to make a reuseable widget, make it a function
 // then you can simply instantiate one by calling it
 
-//function Workspaces() {
-//  const activeId = hyprland.active.workspace.bind("id");
-//  const workspaces = hyprland.bind("workspaces").as((ws) =>
-//    ws.map(({ id }) =>
-//      Widget.Button({
-//        on_clicked: () => hyprland.messageAsync(`dispatch workspace ${id}`),
-//        child: Widget.Label(`${id}`),
-//        class_name: activeId.as((i) => `${i === id ? "focused" : ""}`),
-//      }),
-//    ),
-//  );
-//
-//  return Widget.Box({
-//    class_name: "workspaces",
-//    children: workspaces,
-//  });
-//}
-
-function ClientTitle() {
-  return Widget.Label({
-    class_name: "client-title",
-    label: "Label!", // hyprland.active.client.bind("title"),
-  });
-}
-
 function Clock() {
   return Widget.Label({
     class_name: "clock",
@@ -45,24 +18,6 @@ function Clock() {
   });
 }
 
-// we don't need dunst or any other notification daemon
-// because the Notifications module is a notification daemon itself
-function Notification() {
-  const popups = notifications.bind("popups");
-  return Widget.Box({
-    class_name: "notification",
-    visible: popups.as((p) => p.length > 0),
-    children: [
-      Widget.Icon({
-        icon: "preferences-system-notifications-symbolic",
-      }),
-      Widget.Label({
-        label: popups.as((p) => p[0]?.summary || ""),
-      }),
-    ],
-  });
-}
-
 function Media() {
   const label = Utils.watch("", mpris, "player-changed", () => {
     if (mpris.players[0]) {
@@ -161,19 +116,13 @@ function SysTray() {
 
 // layout of the bar
 function Left() {
-  return Widget.Box({
-    spacing: 8,
-    children: [
-      // Workspaces(),
-      ClientTitle(),
-    ],
-  });
+  return Widget.Box({});
 }
 
 function Center() {
   return Widget.Box({
     spacing: 8,
-    children: [Media(), Notification()],
+    children: [Media()],
   });
 }
 
@@ -202,13 +151,7 @@ function Bar(monitor = 0) {
 
 App.config({
   style: "./style.css",
-  windows: [
-    Bar(),
-
-    // you can call it, for each monitor
-    // Bar(0),
-    // Bar(1)
-  ],
+  windows: [Bar(), NotificationPopups()],
 });
 
 export {};
diff --git a/home/programs/ags/default.nix b/home/programs/ags/default.nix
index bf4f2dd..3d65b1b 100644
--- a/home/programs/ags/default.nix
+++ b/home/programs/ags/default.nix
@@ -1,15 +1,23 @@
 {
   inputs,
   pkgs,
+  config,
   ...
-}: {
+}: let
+  cfg = config.programs.ags;
+in {
   imports = [inputs.ags.homeManagerModules.default];
 
+  home.packages = with pkgs; [
+    libdbusmenu-gtk3
+    dart-sass
+  ];
+
   programs.ags = {
     enable = true;
 
     # null or path, leave as null if you don't want hm to manage the config
-    configDir = ./src;
+    configDir = ./.;
 
     # additional packages to add to gjs's runtime
     extraPackages = with pkgs; [
@@ -18,4 +26,17 @@
       accountsservice
     ];
   };
+  systemd.user.services.ags = {
+    Unit = {
+      Description = "Aylur's Gtk Shell";
+      PartOf = [
+        "graphical-session.target"
+      ];
+    };
+    Service = {
+      ExecStart = "${cfg.package}/bin/ags";
+      Restart = "on-failure";
+    };
+    Install.WantedBy = ["graphical-session.target"];
+  };
 }
diff --git a/home/programs/ags/notificationPopups.js b/home/programs/ags/notificationPopups.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..70c92b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/home/programs/ags/notificationPopups.js
@@ -0,0 +1,124 @@
+const notifications = await Service.import("notifications");
+
+/** @param {import('resource:///com/github/Aylur/ags/service/notifications.js').Notification} n */
+function NotificationIcon({ app_entry, app_icon, image }) {
+  if (image) {
+    return Widget.Box({
+      css:
+        `background-image: url("${image}");` +
+        "background-size: contain;" +
+        "background-repeat: no-repeat;" +
+        "background-position: center;",
+    });
+  }
+
+  let icon = "dialog-information-symbolic";
+  if (Utils.lookUpIcon(app_icon)) icon = app_icon;
+
+  if (app_entry && Utils.lookUpIcon(app_entry)) icon = app_entry;
+
+  return Widget.Box({
+    child: Widget.Icon(icon),
+  });
+}
+
+/** @param {import('resource:///com/github/Aylur/ags/service/notifications.js').Notification} n */
+function Notification(n) {
+  const icon = Widget.Box({
+    vpack: "start",
+    class_name: "icon",
+    child: NotificationIcon(n),
+  });
+
+  const title = Widget.Label({
+    class_name: "title",
+    xalign: 0,
+    justification: "left",
+    hexpand: true,
+    max_width_chars: 24,
+    truncate: "end",
+    wrap: true,
+    label: n.summary,
+    use_markup: true,
+  });
+
+  const body = Widget.Label({
+    class_name: "body",
+    hexpand: true,
+    use_markup: true,
+    xalign: 0,
+    justification: "left",
+    label: n.body,
+    wrap: true,
+  });
+
+  const actions = Widget.Box({
+    class_name: "actions",
+    children: n.actions.map(({ id, label }) =>
+      Widget.Button({
+        class_name: "action-button",
+        on_clicked: () => {
+          n.invoke(id);
+          n.dismiss();
+        },
+        hexpand: true,
+        child: Widget.Label(label),
+      }),
+    ),
+  });
+
+  return Widget.EventBox(
+    {
+      attribute: { id: n.id },
+      on_primary_click: n.dismiss,
+    },
+    Widget.Box(
+      {
+        class_name: `notification ${n.urgency}`,
+        vertical: true,
+      },
+      Widget.Box([icon, Widget.Box({ vertical: true }, title, body)]),
+      actions,
+    ),
+  );
+}
+
+export function NotificationPopups(monitor = 0) {
+  const list = Widget.Box({
+    vertical: true,
+    children: notifications.popups.map(Notification),
+  });
+
+  function onNotified(_, /** @type {number} */ id) {
+    const n = notifications.getNotification(id);
+    if (n) list.children = [Notification(n), ...list.children];
+  }
+
+  function onDismissed(_, /** @type {number} */ id) {
+    list.children.find((n) => n.attribute.id === id)?.destroy();
+  }
+
+  list
+    .hook(notifications, onNotified, "notified")
+    .hook(notifications, onDismissed, "dismissed");
+
+  return Widget.Window({
+    monitor,
+    name: `notifications${monitor}`,
+    class_name: "notification-popups",
+    anchor: ["top", "right"],
+    child: Widget.Box({
+      css: "min-width: 2px; min-height: 2px;",
+      class_name: "notifications",
+      vertical: true,
+      child: list,
+
+      /** this is a simple one liner that could be used instead of
+                hooking into the 'notified' and 'dismissed' signals.
+                but its not very optimized becuase it will recreate
+                the whole list everytime a notification is added or dismissed */
+      // children: notifications.bind('popups')
+      //     .as(popups => popups.map(Notification))
+    }),
+  });
+}
diff --git a/home/programs/ags/src/style.css b/home/programs/ags/src/style.css
deleted file mode 100644
index 9ac7355..0000000
--- a/home/programs/ags/src/style.css
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,40 +0,0 @@
-window.bar {
-    background-color: @theme_bg_color;
-    color: @theme_fg_color;
-}
-
-button {
-    min-width: 0;
-    padding-top: 0;
-    padding-bottom: 0;
-    background-color: transparent;
-}
-
-button:active {
-    background-color: @theme_selected_bg_color;
-}
-
-button:hover {
-    border-bottom: 3px solid @theme_fg_color;
-}
-
-label {
-    font-weight: bold;
-}
-
-.workspaces button.focused {
-    border-bottom: 3px solid @theme_selected_bg_color;
-}
-
-.client-title {
-    color: @theme_selected_bg_color;
-}
-
-.notification {
-    color: yellow;
-}
-
-levelbar block,
-highlight {
-    min-height: 10px;
-}
diff --git a/home/programs/ags/style.css b/home/programs/ags/style.css
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aeded67
--- /dev/null
+++ b/home/programs/ags/style.css
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+window.notification-popups box.notifications {
+  padding: 0.5em;
+}
+
+.icon {
+  min-width: 68px;
+  min-height: 68px;
+  margin-right: 1em;
+}
+
+.icon image {
+  font-size: 58px;
+  /* to center the icon */
+  margin: 5px;
+  color: @theme_fg_color;
+}
+
+.icon box {
+  min-width: 68px;
+  min-height: 68px;
+  border-radius: 7px;
+}
+
+.notification {
+  min-width: 350px;
+  border-radius: 11px;
+  padding: 1em;
+  margin: 0.5em;
+  border: 1px solid @wm_borders_edge;
+  background-color: @theme_bg_color;
+}
+
+.notification.critical {
+  border: 1px solid lightcoral;
+}
+
+.title {
+  color: @theme_fg_color;
+  font-size: 1.4em;
+}
+
+.body {
+  color: @theme_unfocused_fg_color;
+}
+
+.actions .action-button {
+  margin: 0 0.4em;
+  margin-top: 0.8em;
+}
+
+.actions .action-button:first-child {
+  margin-left: 0;
+}
+
+.actions .action-button:last-child {
+  margin-right: 0;
+}
diff --git a/home/programs/ags/src/tsconfig.json b/home/programs/ags/tsconfig.json
similarity index 100%
rename from home/programs/ags/src/tsconfig.json
rename to home/programs/ags/tsconfig.json
diff --git a/home/programs/ags/src/types b/home/programs/ags/types
similarity index 100%
rename from home/programs/ags/src/types
rename to home/programs/ags/types
diff --git a/home/programs/default.nix b/home/programs/default.nix
index 870b8d9..eeecf72 100644
--- a/home/programs/default.nix
+++ b/home/programs/default.nix
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@
     proton-pass
     vesktop
     wl-clipboard
+    fractal
     cinny-desktop
+    gnome-control-center
+    playerctl
   ];
 }
diff --git a/home/programs/gtk.nix b/home/programs/gtk.nix
index ac4ad27..6aed1a9 100644
--- a/home/programs/gtk.nix
+++ b/home/programs/gtk.nix
@@ -4,20 +4,16 @@
   config,
   nixosConfig,
   ...
-}: {
+}: let
+  isDark = inputs.basix.schemeData.base16.${nixosConfig.style.scheme}.variant == "dark";
+in {
   home.pointerCursor = {
     inherit (nixosConfig.style.cursorTheme) name package size;
     gtk.enable = true;
     x11.enable = true;
   };
 
-  gtk = let
-    isDark = inputs.basix.schemeData.base16.${nixosConfig.style.scheme}.variant == "dark";
-    commonGtkConfig = {
-      gtk-decoration-layout = ":menu";
-      gtk-application-prefer-dark-theme = isDark;
-    };
-  in {
+  gtk = {
     enable = true;
 
     font = {
@@ -26,8 +22,14 @@
       size = 11;
     };
 
-    gtk3.extraConfig = commonGtkConfig;
-    gtk4.extraConfig = commonGtkConfig;
+    gtk3.extraConfig = {
+      gtk-decoration-layout = ":menu";
+      gtk-application-prefer-dark-theme = isDark;
+    };
+
+    gtk4.extraConfig = {
+      gtk-decoration-layout = ":menu";
+    };
 
     gtk2.configLocation = "${config.xdg.configHome}/gtk-2.0/gtkrc";
 
@@ -39,4 +41,12 @@
       inherit (nixosConfig.style.gtk.theme) name package;
     };
   };
+  dconf.settings = {
+    "org/gnome/desktop/interface" = {
+      color-scheme =
+        if isDark
+        then "prefer-dark"
+        else "default";
+    };
+  };
 }
diff --git a/home/programs/niri/binds.nix b/home/programs/niri/binds.nix
index 12ef432..4fef5e7 100644
--- a/home/programs/niri/binds.nix
+++ b/home/programs/niri/binds.nix
@@ -140,6 +140,9 @@ in {
       action.spawn = ["wpctl" "set-mute" "@DEFAULT_AUDIO_SOURCE@" "toggle"];
       allow-when-locked = true;
     };
+    "XF86AudioPlay" = {
+      action.spawn = ["playerctl" "play-pause"];
+    };
     "XF86MonBrightnessUp" = {
       action.spawn = ["brillo" "-q" "-u 300000" "-A 5"];
       allow-when-locked = true;
@@ -148,5 +151,9 @@ in {
       action.spawn = ["brillo" "-q" "-u 300000" "-U 5"];
       allow-when-locked = true;
     };
+    # set on media key since framework laptops have a gear as the button label
+    "XF86AudioMedia" = {
+      action.spawn = ["sh" "-c" "env XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP=gnome gnome-control-center"];
+    };
   };
 }
diff --git a/home/programs/niri/default.nix b/home/programs/niri/default.nix
index eb425e2..8f16689 100644
--- a/home/programs/niri/default.nix
+++ b/home/programs/niri/default.nix
@@ -8,6 +8,20 @@
   colors = inputs.basix.schemeData.base16.${osConfig.style.scheme}.palette;
 in {
   imports = [./binds.nix];
+
+  xdg.portal = {
+    enable = true;
+    xdgOpenUsePortal = true;
+    extraPortals = [pkgs.xdg-desktop-portal-gtk pkgs.xdg-desktop-portal-gnome pkgs.gnome-keyring];
+    config = {
+      common = {
+        default = ["gtk"];
+        "org.freedesktop.impl.portal.ScreenCast" = ["gnome"];
+        "org.freedesktop.impl.portal.Secret" = ["gnome-keyring"];
+      };
+    };
+  };
+
   programs.niri = {
     settings = {
       input.keyboard.xkb = {
diff --git a/hosts/default.nix b/hosts/default.nix
index b463b90..4414e65 100644
--- a/hosts/default.nix
+++ b/hosts/default.nix
@@ -19,8 +19,9 @@
         ++ [
           ./vamos
 
-          ../system/services/regreet.nix
+          "${mod}/services/regreet.nix"
           "${mod}/programs/niri"
+          "${mod}/services/gnome.nix"
 
           self.nixosModules.style
 
diff --git a/system/services/gnome.nix b/system/services/gnome.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c5233bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/system/services/gnome.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+{pkgs, ...}: {
+  services = {
+    # needed for GNOME services outside of GNOME Desktop
+    dbus.packages = with pkgs; [
+      gcr
+      gnome-settings-daemon
+    ];
+
+    gnome.gnome-keyring.enable = true;
+
+    gvfs.enable = true;
+  };
+}
diff --git a/system/services/regreet.nix b/system/services/regreet.nix
index 41c990e..e70502a 100644
--- a/system/services/regreet.nix
+++ b/system/services/regreet.nix
@@ -16,10 +16,6 @@ in {
   programs.regreet = {
     enable = true;
     package = pkgs.greetd.regreet;
-    cageArgs = [
-      "-s"
-      "-d"
-    ];
     settings = {
       background = {
         path = mkDefault config.style.wallpaper;
@@ -36,6 +32,17 @@ in {
       };
     };
   };
+
+  services.greetd = {
+    enable = true;
+    settings = rec {
+      default_session = {
+        command = "${lib.getExe pkgs.cage} -s -d -- ${lib.getExe config.programs.regreet.package}";
+        user = "greeter";
+      };
+      initial_session = default_session;
+    };
+  };
   security.pam.services.greetd = {
     enableGnomeKeyring = true;
     fprintAuth = false;