I'm a gnome man myself. I use xfce for my craptop for it speedy lightweight performance tho.
Blackpage I think I can help you with your Gnome annoyances. If I'm understanding you, you want to quickyly view hidden files and start in some folder other then / or /home/username when launching nautilus?
first the hidden files thing. I use a script in /home/greg/.gnome2/nautilus-scripts
#!/bin/sh
OLDSTATE=$(gconftool-2 --get "/desktop/gnome/file_views/show_hidden_files")
if [ "$OLDSTATE" == "false" ] ; then
NEWSTATE="True"
else
NEWSTATE="False"
fi
gconftool-2 --set "/desktop/gnome/file_views/show_hidden_files" --type boolean $NEWSTATE
that wink is suppose to be a closed paranthesis
You will get an option when you right click in gnome for scripts just make it executable then you can toggle off and on teh hidden files.
Now for the nautilus browser thingy.
go into gconf editor > apps > nautilus > desktop uncheck home_icon_visible that will make the defautl launcer disappear.
then create a new launcher with the following options
nautilus --no-desktop --no-default-window /home
if you don't liek the new spatial nautilus and prefer teh browser method do this
nautilus --no-desktop --browser --no-default-window /home
tehn booya your all fixed up. If this isn't what you wnat then maybe someone else will find it usefull