How to change the position of window buttons in Ubuntu

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This is a small tutorial to learn how to change the position of the maximize, minimize and close buttons in our Ubuntu windows, although it could also be valid for any distribution based on Debian or Ubuntu. How well do you know one of the things or hobbies that make users who come from Windows the most nervous is the position of buttons in Ubuntu windows. This is easy to change with this tutorial and even if we want, in some distributions whose buttons come in the same position as Windows, we can change them distinguishing ourselves from Windows.

Gconf, a tool to configure buttons

To make this change in the buttons, what we will have to do first is install the program gconf-editor, a great tool that allows us to make expert modifications graphically, without having to use the terminal, although for its installation it is best to do it via the terminal. gconf-editor is available from Canonical repositories so we can use the Ubuntu Software Center or we can open the terminal and write

sudo apt-get install gconf-editor

After installing this powerful tool we go to menu or dash and we open it. A window will appear with two boxes, a vertical one that will have a folder tree and another more rectangular one that does not occupy the entire sale and that shows the folder that we mark, we go like the following image:

button_position (1)

In the tree, we will have to go to Apps–> Metacity -> General and in the window on the right look for the line where it says «button_layout: minimize, maximize, close«. We mark it and give it a double click with what the part of «: minimize, maximize, close»Will blink for us to modify it.

button_position (2)

At this point we will modify the words depending on how we want to have the position of the buttons. A) Yes, "minimize»Modify the position of the minimize button,«Maximize»Modifies the position of maximize and«Close»Modifies the close position. If we want to put it as windows we will have to leave it like this «: minimize, maximize, close«. Very important: You have to add «:» at the beginning or at the end, depending on which side you want the buttons on, since the «:»Marks the position of the buttons at the top of the window. Once we modify it, we save it and close it and we will have the position of the buttons changed to our liking. Easy and simple.

More information - Change clock face in Gnome

Source and Image - Do it on Linux


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  1.   Roberto Ferigo said

    I want to change the place of the window buttons from left to right. At the point «metacity> general> I only see a line« compositing manager ». I don't have the others. I use Ubuntu 14.04 with Unity desktop.

  2.   Carmen said

    Hello, how do I change it in Ubuntu 16.04 ?, Thank you very much.

  3.   DanielM said

    Hello! How do I change it in Ubuntu 17.04 with Unity? Thanks!

  4.   DanielM said

    Hello! How do I change it in Ubuntu 17.04 with Unity? Thanks!

  5.   juan diego said

    in the app I only see gconf-editor and gksu the metacity does not appear what I do

    1.    Hetor Andrés said

      The same happens to me. Metacity does not appear ...

  6.   Hetor Andrés said

    The same happens to me. Metacity does not appear ...