How to change window button layout left to right in Ubuntu 10.04-10.10

Shashwat Srivastava

Jun 23, 2010 — 3 min read

You can use Ubuntu tweak to change the ubuntu wondow button layout in Ubuntu 10.10 or 10.04. From the top panel go to Applications-> Software center and search and download the Ubuntu tweak software. Ubuntu tweak as the name suggests let you tweak Ubuntu settings. Now open the Ubuntu tweak from Applications->System Tools->Ubuntu Tweak and from the left column select Window Manager Setting, it will give you options to customise window button layout.

You can play with you own settings.

Screenshot: You can chose your own window button layout .

ubuntu tweak window button layout left to right

You can also manually tweak the window button layout, which has been explained below with the screenshots. But Ubuntu tweaks makes it much easier.

In this tutorial we will also learn how to change or move the window button layout from left to right in Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid lynx and also how to revert to default button layout in Ubuntu 10.04. Some of you hate the new mac clone of window button layout on new Ubuntu 10.04, where it has been placed on left top corner which might not be pleasing for a lot of ubuntu geeks. Ubuntu team did their best to lift the desktop look with Lucid Lynx, but opinion differ from person to person. However, we should not forget Ubuntu is free for all. Ubuntu being an open source OS, we have a choice to tweak and modify things for ourselves. If you don't like any part of the look then change is few commands away. In case of Ubuntu GNOME UI we can set button layout of our own choice using a simple tool called gconftool-2. In fact with simple command lines we can play with the button layout and choose the best layout for ourselves. Let's find out how to tweak the layout setting in command terminal.

Ubuntu terminal command to move button layout from LEFT to RIGHT:

Open your command terminal..Applications>>Accessories>>Terminal and paste the following command in terminal.

gconftool-2 --set /apps/metacity/general/button_layout --type string menu:minimize,maximize,close

Before:

After:

How does it work?

You shall also notice that we have a small menu button on the left top of the window. So let's disect the command line. In the later part of the command the items after ":" colon i.e minimize, maximize,close buttons will appear on right hand side and items before ":" colon i.e. menu remains on the left hand side. That's how it works ! So have a look at few possible combinations described below.

Ubuntu terminal comand to set default button layout that is LEFT top:

Paste the following command in terminal.

gconftool-2 --set /apps/metacity/general/button_layout --type string close,maximize,minimize:menu