Ubuntu 10.04 - Lucid Lynx (LTS) - Change Windows control position
This guide will show you how move the windows controls on the Ubuntu 10.04 (Lucid Lynx) operating system
I'll be using the following during this guide:
User - tomb
Home Directory - /home/tomb
Machine name - tomb-laptop
Ubuntu Version - 10.04 (Lucid Lynx)
Desktop Environment - Gnome 2.30
Please adjust according to your needs / credentials.
By default Ubuntu 10.04 has the Window controls on the left of any open window.
To change to the right please follow these steps.
Right click on the Ubuntu menu and select 'Edit Menu's'
This will load the menu editor:
Select System Tools
Menus - Applications - System Tools
Then click the check box to the left of 'Configuration Editor'
Now click 'Close'
Next we need to load the 'Configuration Editor'
Applications - System Tools - Configuration Editor'
Once this has opened navigate to:
Apps - Metacity - General - Button Layout
Double click 'button_layout', this will enable you to edit it.
By default it will be:
close,minimize,maximize:With the ':' at the end of the line the controls will be displayed left. If you move the ':' to the begining of the line the controls will be displayed right.
I will change mine to the following:
:minimize,maximize,close
You will see that this has moved the controls to the right, and changed the order to 'Minimise - Maxamise - Close'
When you are happy with your layout close the 'Configuration Editor'.
Steps not complete
Your description is both precise and exact - with one small caveat: After changing the text in the "button layout" key, it is necessary to click on ANOTHER ITEM to "close" the edit. If you just make the change and close the configuration editor without clicking somewhere else, the changes do not stick.
Jim (JR)
One-liner to change buttons location
This will do the trick:
gconftool-2 –set /apps/metacity/general/button_layout –type string “:minimize,maximize,close,”
Source: http://www.dkpw.co.uk/wp/?p=3493
Thanks
Thanks for this. For me somehow the Edit Menu wouldnt bring up anythig, so I launched gconf-editor from the command line and then following the instructions for apps->metacity->general
script to do this
I found a script that does this. it is much easier.
see it at http://patx.me/wall/#awesome-script-to-move-window-controls
Thanks for the link, not sure
Thanks for the link, not sure about that being easier. But that's the joy of linux, there are many ways of achieving the same result!
Thanks!
Clear and easy to follow - thanks!
Can i make those same buttons bigger?
Good Setup guide
Cheers Tom,
Upgrade looks good on my Acer, I needed magnifying glasses to read the screen shots on your guides as my screen area is so small!
Simon
Simon, If you click on the
Simon,
If you click on the images you should get a larger view.
Glad to hear the upgrade went well!
Tom.
Thanks!
I was looking for this since I installed this version of Ubuntu. According to me, it is an error to force users to change such an habit. These window buttons are really linked to the representation you have in mind from an Operating System.
One could tell that the new layout is the one used in MacOSX. But when I use a Mac, I have no problem to use this layout because all the look and feel, even keyboard and mouse feeling, keep telling me "hey, you are using MacOSX". The same when using Windows or Ubuntu. That's why I definitely consider this change as a major mistake.
Don't worry, Windows 7 is full of them too! The first one that comes in mind to me is the "show desktop" button which is now far right of the task bar.