# The Ubuntu Forum Community > Ubuntu Community Discussions > Ubuntu, Linux and OS Chat >  14.04 min/max/close buttons

## blitzd

I've found tons of posts on how to move the min/max/close buttons to the right on 12.04 - 13.10, but none of those appear to work any more with 14.04. Even with dconf-editor when I can modify the button-layout setting it doesn't seem to do anything. Anyone know how to move those buttons to the right on 14.04?

gconf-editor no longer appears to even have a button-layout setting, or apps->metacity for that matter.

----------


## Frogs Hair

*Moved to Ubuntu +1*

----------


## Hazzabin

14.04 Trusty 'Unity' you can't, least not yet. If you have Trusty 'Unity' with Gnome Flashback you can.

I've had the same success with Gnome 14.04 with gnome flashback, some other people have not been so lucky.

----------


## kansasnoob

Which desktop environment are you using?

----------


## blitzd

Guess I'll wait for the official release and hope there's a way then.

It seems very odd to me that someone keeps making it so difficult to have those buttons where you want them.

----------


## blitzd

Using unity - though I'd be open to others, if I could figure out how to change the default desktop environment...

----------


## Hazzabin

> Using unity - though I'd be open to others, if I could figure out how to change the default desktop environment...



You can retain Unity, just from the repos install Gnome Flashback, when you do reboot you have the option of 'Ubuntu', or 'Gnome flashback with compiz'.

Maybe best to wait a bit for others to reply, the above is what I did. Strangely enough it worked    :Guitar:

----------


## todak

Install unity-tweak-tool from the repos. Start the tool and then look for "Appearance". Click the "Window Controls". Under "Layout" choose "Left" or "Right" for the alignment.

----------


## blitzd

No dice on installing fallback gnome - I clearly have the setting the way I want it in dconf-editor, but it's just ignored. I am starting to like gnome3 a bit more though.

Unity-Tweak tool doesn't do anything, I've switched it from left to right, logged in, logged out, rebooted, stood on my head... Nothin. 

Ubuntu-Tweak tool doesn't even show those settings for 14.04.

----------


## QDR06VV9

You know off the top of my head I think with gnome-tweak-tool off to left you will see windows click that over on the right
i think you might find what your looking for.

----------


## kurt18947

> No dice on installing fallback gnome - I clearly have the setting the way I want it in dconf-editor, but it's just ignored. I am starting to like gnome3 a bit more though.
> 
> Unity-Tweak tool doesn't do anything, I've switched it from left to right, logged in, logged out, rebooted, stood on my head... Nothin. 
> 
> Ubuntu-Tweak tool doesn't even show those settings for 14.04.


I'm using the Ubuntu Gnome version off 14.04.  It has buttons on the right by default but only one, close.  Tweak Tool enables all 3 buttons.  The option in tweak tools is Windows -> Title Bar buttons.

----------


## blitzd

14.04 unity does not appear to be using the same settings as gnome-tweak-tool, Unity-Tweak, Ubuntu-Tweak, gconf-editor, dconf-editor, or even gsettings are using (these all equate to the same thing I believe). I.e., button-layout is ignored.

I appreciate all the replies, but I've given up on it for the time being and settled back into 13.10.

----------


## kurt18947

Ubuntu-Gnome desktop was misbehaving for a while; log out, try to log in as another user and black screen.  I could do 'ctrl-alt-F1', log in at the command prompt then type 'startx' and I'd get a functioning desktop.  I installed XFCE4 (not XFCE-desktop) and chose that for the initial/SUDO account.  I can now choose between gnome, gnome classic & XFCE when I log in. The default Gnome seems to functioning as advertized now.   I didn't notice any difference between gnome & gnome-classic.

----------


## Vaphell

> 14.04 unity does not appear to be using the same settings as gnome-tweak-tool, Unity-Tweak, Ubuntu-Tweak, gconf-editor, dconf-editor, or even gsettings are using (these all equate to the same thing I believe). I.e., button-layout is ignored.
> 
> I appreciate all the replies, but I've given up on it for the time being and settled back into 13.10.



iirc they decided that right side controls don't work with the concepts of unity environment - and rightfully so. Consistency is of great value and in unity there is a clear separation between the left side for apps, windows and their menus and ther right side for indicators and session/system settings. I think they also make room for new features, bit i might be imagining i've heard that.

I also had a kneejerk reaction and switched to the right side on my secondary netbook i am using to write this post because i was used to this setting from previous iterations of ubuntu and still have this setting. In the long run the inconsistency is killing me though, i have to be conscious if the window is maximized or not and go left or right. I go the to the wrong corner all the time and i am going to revert to defaults.

I have fewer problems switching back and forth between my right side pc and left side unity than dealing with a mixed, inconsistent bag of maximized left/windowy right.
If the only reason to stick to the right side controls is habit, imo retraining is worth it.

----------


## Redalien0304

There is Also Cinnamon Desktop which has min/max/ close on right side by deafault.

----------


## OGpmpdog

Hi there, I also tried to move the window buttons to the left side, as I've been used to this location since Lucid!!

1) You could go into "advanced settings" and click "all" for min/max/close window buttons

2) As far as moving the buttons to the left, the below link will provide instructions; yes, this method works, despite "Raring" being in the title  :Guitar: 

https://coderwall.com/p/76mwva

----------


## su:bhatta

Using XFCE and KDE in 14.04 buttons can be placed anywhere and in any combination, Max, Min, Fullscreen. Whatever you want.

Problem with Gnome3, that I didn't particularly like was, Files had only close and to the Right, couldn't be customized.

----------


## kurt18947

> Using XFCE and KDE in 14.04 buttons can be placed anywhere and in any combination, Max, Min, Fullscreen. Whatever you want.
> 
> Problem with Gnome3, that I didn't particularly like was, Files had only close and to the Right, couldn't be customized.


Even with tweak-tools?  I have two installs of Ubuntu-gnome and both have 3 buttons on the right courtesy of tweak-tools.  Could your problem be related to theme or something like that?

----------


## su:bhatta

> Even with tweak-tools?  I have two installs of Ubuntu-gnome and both have 3 buttons on the right courtesy of tweak-tools.  Could your problem be related to theme or something like that?


Sorry, today i logged into gnome after a long time.
I have got no shell theme on my Gnome install, I generally use the default theme, like the black. 

I am attaching the screenshot of 'Files', there is only one button 'Close' on the right, and that I have not been able to put on left.
Tweak-Tools, as in Gnome Tweak Tool, that comes as default, has Maximise & Minimise but they do not seem to work, Turning them on doesn't do anything. 
Guess I have some problem with my install.

There is no option in Tweak Tool to set the buttons on left either, in Files, Tweak-Tool windows.
Other windows follow left buttons, which I set in dconf, if I remember correctly, but Files, Tweak-Tool does not.

Screenshot - Monday 24 March 2014 - 03:58:41  IST.png 
This screenshot was taken with Maximise & Minimise 'ON' in Tweak Tool.

----------


## blitzd

> iirc they decided that right side controls don't work with the concepts of unity environment - and rightfully so. Consistency is of great value and in unity there is a clear separation between the left side for apps, windows and their menus and ther right side for indicators and session/system settings. I think they also make room for new features, bit i might be imagining i've heard that.
> 
> I also had a kneejerk reaction and switched to the right side on my secondary netbook i am using to write this post because i was used to this setting from previous iterations of ubuntu and still have this setting. In the long run the inconsistency is killing me though, i have to be conscious if the window is maximized or not and go left or right. I go the to the wrong corner all the time and i am going to revert to defaults.
> 
> I have fewer problems switching back and forth between my right side pc and left side unity than dealing with a mixed, inconsistent bag of maximized left/windowy right.
> If the only reason to stick to the right side controls is habit, imo retraining is worth it.


That's good for you - but for me it's a matter of consistency with other systems that I am regularly using - and Unity is the inconsistency there, so it's either going to have the right hand side buttons, or I'm just not going to use it.

----------


## Vaphell

Unity is not for you then. Even if you manage to switch window controls to the right side, the maximized buttons won't leave the left corner ever.
Btw how do you manage to find your way around the ios or androids where everything is different?

----------


## blitzd

I guess not, but I'd rather that not be the case since I like unity, and it has worked the way I wanted it to in the past. 

As for iOS and Android - seeing as how I don't use a mouse and keyboard for either of them I don't find that it's an issue there. How do _you_ manage with android with no min/max/close button on the top left?

----------


## Vaphell

no idea, never touched a smartphone in my life, no problems with simple nokia though  :Wink:  either way it's not me who is not flexible here  :Wink:

----------


## jbaerboc

Yeah I'm not sure why Unity keeps road-blocking people wanting to customize their desktops to their liking. I mean KDE and XFCE have tons of abilities to customize but Unity only has bare essentials. Heck even adding a theme or new icons takes a bit of effort. In KDE they have a theme browser you can download from and color picker you can change color from. And it has almost every other option known to man as well  :Very Happy: . Just saying, come on Unity give us some default options to play with without having to rely on some 3rd party tweak tool that may or may not work when it feels like it!

I'm slowly getting used to the minimize etc...being on the left side but it messes with me when I go to work and am using Windows 7.

----------


## grumblebum2

I can understand the lack of some aspects of customization.
Canonical aren't solely making something just so you and I can use it for free at home.
Less customization the easier it is to support and iron out bugs.
At the moment I'm ok with what I can and cannot customize.

----------


## blitzd

> no idea, never touched a smartphone in my life, no problems with simple nokia though  either way it's not me who is not flexible here


No, I guess it's not you who's not being flexible. Seems it's Unity.

----------


## frank18

> I've found tons of posts on how to move the min/max/close buttons to the right on 12.04 - 13.10, but none of those appear to work any more with 14.04. Even with dconf-editor when I can modify the button-layout setting it doesn't seem to do anything. Anyone know how to move those buttons to the right on 14.04?
> 
> gconf-editor no longer appears to even have a button-layout setting, or apps->metacity for that matter.


If you use gnome session desktop you just type this in the terminal.


 gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.wm.preferences button-layout :minimize,maximize,close

----------


## Vaphell

> No, I guess it's not you who's not being flexible. Seems it's Unity.


Unity was never advertised as flexible. It's a DE for users who can't be bothered to tweak every little thing. Many people love dem macs with fixed window controls, it's the same deal here.

----------


## su:bhatta

> Unity was never advertised as flexible. It's a DE for users who can't be bothered to tweak every little thing. Many people love dem macs with fixed window controls, it's the same deal here.


True that ! 
No problems with this 'take it or leave it' approach.Gnome3 Shell is another example of the stand!

There are plenty of options in the FOSS world. 
Settle for what you like best and what works for you.

----------


## frank18

> True that ! 
> No problems with this 'take it or leave it' approach.Gnome3 Shell is another example of the stand!
> 
> There are plenty of options in the FOSS world. 
> Settle for what you like best and what works for you.



Take it or leive it! that's what i do, i like Unity but but i log out and use gnome2 cause i never could  live without the old gnome fallback desktop for the simple fact  that one can  send all the pages you want in the easy way to the taskbar,i could never get used to Unity, gnome3 ways.I bet you, if you could do same way as gnome2 the minimize,maximize butons,people wouldn't leave Unity as i did, hack at least give the option in the Unity instead of driving people away from Unity or gnome3 to XFCE or Gnome2.

----------


## su:bhatta

> Take it or leive it! that's what i do, i like Unity but but i log out and use gnome2 cause i never could  live without the old gnome fallback desktop for the simple fact  that one can  send all the pages you want in the easy way to the taskbar,i could never get used to Unity, gnome3 ways.I bet you, if you could do same way as gnome2 the minimize,maximize butons,people wouldn't leave Unity as i did, hack at least give the option in the Unity instead of driving people away from Unity or gnome3 to XFCE or Gnome2.


Myself, I go with "BE Free" KDE ! 

Fully customizable, just the way you want it to be !
I put only the Close and Minimize buttons on left ! 
Like it that way, double clicking on title maximises !

----------


## frank18

> Myself, I go with "BE Free" KDE ! 
> 
> Fully customizable, just the way you want it to be !
> I put only the Close and Minimize buttons on left ! 
> Like it that way, double clicking on title maximises !


Well KDE was never my thing, i use get  install kde desktop but always causing problems,

----------


## roiikkata

seems like the full release isnt compatible with it either. i guess we are going to have to wait for this "someone" to figure it out ..
until then, personally, i think i might try another desktop environment. this one seems a little too controlling .. unless the others look like windows 95 like a couple of them do ..

----------


## grumblebum2

> seems like the full release isnt compatible with it either. i guess we are going to have to wait for this "someone" to figure it out ..
> until then, personally, i think i might try another desktop environment. this one seems a little too controlling .. unless the others look like windows 95 like a couple of them do ..


If the window buttons position is such an issue just install gnome-panel.
This will give you 2 flashback sessions (compiz or metacity) where you can be the master of the window button positions.

Of course you will lose all the other things about unity you may like.  :Capital Razz:

----------


## blitzd

> If you use gnome session desktop you just type this in the terminal.
> 
> 
>  gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.wm.preferences button-layout :minimize,maximize,close


Doesn't work for Unity anymore in 14.04. That setting is ignored.

----------


## blitzd

> Unity was never advertised as flexible. It's a DE for users who can't be bothered to tweak every little thing. Many people love dem macs with fixed window controls, it's the same deal here.


Sure, and many people would probably get annoyed with those macs if they continued to have settings that were entirely ignored by the operating system as well.

For all I know it's an oversight and it wasn't meant to be that way in 14.04, there's no official word anywhere that I can find that says otherwise - just people in a web forum questioning why I would ever want anything other than the default.

----------


## blitzd

> seems like the full release isnt compatible with it either. i guess we are going to have to wait for this "someone" to figure it out ..
> until then, personally, i think i might try another desktop environment. this one seems a little too controlling .. unless the others look like windows 95 like a couple of them do ..


I took someone's advice and tried Cinnamon - which is quite nice. Unfortunately, the Ubuntu install from ppa ends up rather half-assed, missing themes, backgrounds, icons, etc... I'd try Mint if you're up to it. I'm running the LMDE with Cinnamon and so far so good.

----------


## Vaphell

> Sure, and many people would probably get annoyed with those macs if they continued to have settings that were entirely ignored by the operating system as well.


were these settings exposed to the user by default? No, they were some obscure setting deep in the gnome registry. Then maybe the whole thing was a legacy cruft that worked for some time and found itself on a chopping block? 




> For all I know it's an oversight and it wasn't meant to be that way in 14.04, there's no official word anywhere that I can find that says otherwise - just people in a web forum questioning why I would ever want anything other than the default.


Why would you expect anything other than the default from a locked down DE? If you want flexibility you need something that actually goes out of its way to expose gui building blocks to the user.
Either way iirc ubu people have some long term plans for the right corner. The overall deal is as follows: app/win controls - left side, indicators, session controls - right side.

----------


## Mateusz Stachowski

> Sure, and many people would probably get annoyed with those macs if they continued to have settings that were entirely ignored by the operating system as well.
> 
> For all I know it's an oversight and it wasn't meant to be that way in 14.04, there's no official word anywhere that I can find that says otherwise - just people in a web forum questioning why I would ever want anything other than the default.


This setting was never exposed in control center and it isn't oversight that it doesn't work in 14.04 LTS. Look at the branch that implemented new Unity decorations and check its description.

https://code.launchpad.net/~3v1n0/un.../+merge/202582




> Not supported:- Window buttons positions (we want a consistent user experience in unity, that
>   covers both the windows and the top panel and here the window buttons are, by
>   design on the top left corner of a window. Always).


Blogs like OMG! Ubuntu and Web Upd8 also mentioned that new Unity decorations don't support changing the window buttons position.

http://www.webupd8.org/2014/02/ubunt...-gtk3-css.html

----------


## blitzd

> This setting was never exposed in control center and it isn't oversight that it doesn't work in 14.04 LTS. Look at the branch that implemented new Unity decorations and check its description.
> 
> https://code.launchpad.net/~3v1n0/un.../+merge/202582


Now why didn't I think to look there! 




> Blogs like OMG! Ubuntu and Web Upd8 also mentioned that new Unity decorations don't support changing the window buttons position.
> 
> http://www.webupd8.org/2014/02/ubunt...-gtk3-css.html


And in such an obvious location that it only took a month for anyone who had seen anything about it to show up in this thread... But seriously, thanks for pointing that out - I can skip 14.04 on my desktop now and just stick with LMDE. My main interest in 14.04 was for servers anyways. It would have been nice to run the same thing on the desktop, but what can you do eh?

----------


## andrew.46

> This setting was never exposed in control center and it isn't oversight that it doesn't work in 14.04 LTS. Look at the branch that implemented new Unity decorations and check its description.
> 
> https://code.launchpad.net/~3v1n0/un.../+merge/202582


Somebody likes a fair bit of control:



```
Not supported:
- Window buttons positions (we want a consistent user experience in unity, that
  covers both the windows and the top panel and here the window buttons are, by
  design on the top left corner of a window. Always).
```

Looking forward to the hack that allows an end user to chose their own experience  :Smile:

----------


## frank18

> I took someone's advice and tried Cinnamon - which is quite nice. Unfortunately, the Ubuntu install from ppa ends up rather half-assed, missing themes, backgrounds, icons, etc... I'd try Mint if you're up to it. I'm running the LMDE with Cinnamon and so far so good.


What you get in Cinnamon that you don't get with Ubuntu14.04lts with gnome2 flashback (Metacity) maybe you get fancy desktop Items but efficiency! special with papas stuff?

----------


## cariboo

Moved to UL&O/SC, seeing as this has turned into a discussion thread.

----------


## blitzd

> What you get in Cinnamon that you don't get with Ubuntu14.04lts with gnome2 flashback (Metacity) maybe you get fancy desktop Items but efficiency! special with papas stuff?


It's been my finding that switching to a different DE with Ubuntu always results in a less that positive experience, when in comparison with using a desktop environment that is the default for that particular install. There always seems to be so much more tweaking involved to get some sane defaults out of it. So, I guess it's not so much what I get with Cinnamon, rather than what I get with a version of linux that is based on Cinnamon as a default desktop environment. I've still yet to try Cinnamon on 14.04 though, I went back to 13.10 to get Unity with the right hand min/max/close buttons, and afterwards to LMDE with Cinnamon.

----------


## gummygod

> Somebody likes a fair bit of control:
> 
> 
> 
> ```
> Not supported:
> - Window buttons positions (we want a consistent user experience in unity, that
>   covers both the windows and the top panel and here the window buttons are, by
>   design on the top left corner of a window. Always).
> ...


I'm also looking forward to the hack to get my desktop the way I want it.
Maybe by 16.04 they'll give us the option to put the window buttons where we want again...

I'm glad they want a consistent experience, but I also know what I want from my computer, so please give us the option to do what we want.

----------


## andrew.46

> I'm glad they want a consistant experience, but I also know what I want from my computer, so please give us the option to do what we want.


The source is there, it just takes the skill to change it  :Smile:

----------


## peng2can

If this is all about consistency, why is it that window controls are on the left, but tab controls are on the right?

----------


## jbaerboc

I had this same concern at first but have recently realized it does save me a lot of mouse movement to have them on the left. And me being the somewhat lazy humanoid I am quite enjoy that fact  :Very Happy: . But I to was trying various tools and never had any luck.

----------


## r_avital

> Btw how do you manage to find your way around the ios or androids where everything is different?


Excuse me, I didn't wake up this morning looking for ways to pick a fight with you or anyone else, but that is a stupid, stupid question, worhty only of shills.

So Canonical is not in the business of making free software for us to customize as we wish?  That's their salvation!  If they did charge money for it, what would happen? Exactly what has been happening to Microsoft, losing users like us who say "enough is enough," dump windows and go to whatever flavor of Linux we like.  So of course, they won't feel a thing when we slam the same door shut on Unity and go to MATE, Cinnamon, KDE, LMDE and the rest of them.  How lucky for them!

Canonical is not the first to do this.  Some time ago, some genius at Mozilla had a Divine Epiphany and decided that all humanity must have tabs on top of tools.  A hue and cry ensued.  Result?  A tweak to put the tools back where end-users thought they belonged.  You can start any kind of philosophical debate about the metaphysics and holistics and whatever else of user-interfaces, but in the end, you only make enemies of your end-users if you get into the practice of shoving things down their throats whether they like it or not, because they're too dumb to know better.

I have news for you: for every high wall, there will always be someone to build a taller ladder, if enough users want it.  That's how Linux was born, remember?  So don't bet the farm on "never having the buttons on the right" because that hack will come.

And by the way, if you can't offer a technical solution to a technical question, and feel the urge to preach instead, the web does not lack political debate forums, pick your favorite, but "get used to it or use something else" is not an answer.


Addendum:

Oh, by the way, see the image below?  Whaddayaknow?  Buttons on the right for us heretics who reject the Canonical sacred editcs.

Problems is, to get this, you have to enable Windows Decorations is CCSM, which in 14.04, a d ONLY in 14.04 so far, conflicts with the Unity Plugin.  Unity Plugin also conflicts with Gnome Compatibility.  There's a new one for us, Unity is made for gnome, and gnome is incompatible with Unity??? Bravo, Microsoft, er, I guess, Canonical

Of course, there's no way around it, because disabling Unity Plugin = disabling Unity altogether.  Which, by the way, coexists peacefully with both Windows Decorations and Gnome Compatibility in 13.10, 13.04, etc.

What a wonderful design philosophy: Introduce a bug, and call it a feature.... Where have we seen that before?

Mmm... yeah, wasted enough time on this idiocy for one year.  Back to good ol' MATE, which does exactly what users want -- imagine, what a heretic approach!

----------


## Vaphell

> Excuse me, I didn't wake up this morning looking for ways to pick a fight with you or anyone else, but that is a stupid, stupid question, worhty only of shills.


nope, i pointed out the inconsequence of the person who apparently is able to deal with 'non-standard' guis but for whatever reason can't do that if it's the PC.




> So Canonical is not in the business of making free software for us to customize as we wish?


No, what makes you think that? Their goal is to provide noob friendly distro that just works. People out there like hassle free setups and the popularity of apple branded computers is a proof of that. 




> Problems is, to get this, you have to enable Windows Decorations is CCSM, which in 14.04, a d ONLY in 14.04 so far, conflicts with the Unity Plugin.  Unity Plugin also conflicts with Gnome Compatibility.  There's a new one for us, Unity is made for gnome, and gnome is incompatible with Unity??? Bravo, Microsoft, er, I guess, Canonical


Unity was built using gtk, that doesn't mean need to it needs to support every little thing.
Also you must have missed all the problems canonical had with the gnome devs who reshuffle things all the time and cut features left and right. Moving goalposts are a pain to support and unity is going to be transitioned to Qt to cut the dependency.
Btw, if you love gnome3 so much, explain why you can't define a custom date format in nautilus, which you were able to do just fine just 1 or 2 years ago.





> Mmm... yeah, wasted enough time on this idiocy for one year.  Back to good ol' MATE, which does exactly what users want -- imagine, what a heretic approach!


Oh look, so many words to bitch about Canonical and while you had a perfect solution all that time! - use something that is actually advertised as customizable, who would have thought.
And it's not like repos are locked and you can't have a dozen DEs installed with a single command.

----------


## QIII

OK.  Closed at least temporarily to allow the cat fight to simmer down.

----------

