Ubuntu /mate recent update unwelcome change, panel icon display

[440roadrunner]

Something has changed, not for the better. Let's see, what do I have? Says

Ubuntu 14.04.3 LTS
Release: 14.04
Codename: trusty

64 bit I believe, Thinkpad T520

Mate 1.8.1

Note the photo, a screenshot of my panel. Up until "today" opening multiple windows of Firefox, or any other software window, resulted in a "square" icon display spread out across the panel, filling up the middle portion, depending on how many. Suddenly, several window icons are now "squashed" over there towards the right, and have become essentially useless. You can barely see that there are several there with dividing lines.

What have I done here? Something has changed. Either yesterday's / today's updates changed something, or else I unknowingly "bumped" something. Screenshot below

http://i57.tinypic.com/kcdy0h.jpg

[Dennis N]

The window list expands to the right as far as possible from where the left end is positioned until it is blocked by another item. The left end of your window list is at the left end of the four little boxes (actually window buttons) your arrow points to, and there is not enough space to show the contents of the buttons. Right click at the left-end of the window list, select move, and stretch it out towards the left and the window buttons' contents will reappear.

See attached image: your (compressed) window list is the yellow box. Move left end in direction of the arrow and it will expand out and reveal the window buttons.

[tgalati4]

You can add a separator to the panel and put the workspace switcher against it. Or move some of the other panel items around, then right-click and "Lock to Panel".

[440roadrunner]

Thanks guys. I must have been half asleep and accidently hit, say, control--alt--wiper switch or something. I finally figured out how to expand this. What I do NOT know is what changed it to start with. All is back to "normal" whatever that might be LOL