How do I add minimize / maximize buttons to GNOME shell windows?

Question

Just installed Ubuntu 12.04, then I did

sudo apt-get install gnome-shell

and windows have only a close button, how can I enable minimize / maximize? The old gconf-editor doesn't seem to work cause it has the three buttons in the config.

Possible duplicate of How to bring back minimize and maximize buttons in Gnome 3 — , Feb 29 '16 at 13:40

score 89 · Accepted Answer · edited Mar 11 '17 at 19:00

89

You need gnome tweak tool.

Click the Download button to install with Ubuntu Software Center:

Or you can install in Terminal:

sudo apt-get update; sudo apt-get install gnome-tweak-tool

Then open Advanced Settings to change the minimize and maximize buttons.

edited Mar 11 '17 at 19:00

Community

1

answered Apr 27 '12 at 01:31

wojox

11,362

1

Hmmm... could not find the specific option, I had to use ubuntu-tweak. Thanks anyway. – Rmano Apr 28 '12 at 22:27
4

@Rmano Shell > Arrangement of buttons on the titlebar [Close Only is the default setting] – SouthwindCG Apr 29 '12 at 04:05
3

FYI in Ubuntu 14.04 (Tweak Tool 3.10.4) the toggles to show Maximize and Minimize title bar buttons are in the Windows section – rakslice Jul 24 '16 at 05:19
1

Why is this not default? – Jan M. Oct 02 '17 at 20:01

score 44 · Answer 2 · edited Apr 12 '17 at 08:55

44

Install dconf-editor:

sudo apt-get install dconf-tools
dconf-editor

Then navigate to:

org.gnome.shell.overrides >> button-layout

and set value to:

close,minimize,maximize: **OR** :maximize, minimize,close

Note that you might also perform this from console:

gsettings set org.gnome.shell.overrides button-layout close,minimize,maximize:

In current versions of Gnome, you may need to use this instead:

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

edited Apr 12 '17 at 08:55

dmh

103

answered Apr 30 '12 at 18:25

vanlong441

726

7

Well done vanlong. Just to add this can be done from terminal too: gsettings set org.gnome.shell.overrides button-layout close,minimize,maximize: – Todd Partridge 'Gen2ly' May 13 '12 at 00:33
thanks Todd, things worked quite good after using the tweak you mentioned. :) – Ankit Aug 27 '12 at 02:50
1

the menu button on the window buttons is also available. I have my layout as close,minimize,maximize:menu – Peter Oct 14 '13 at 12:36
How do i disable it in terminal? – Binoy Babu Nov 26 '13 at 16:05
2

I had to navigate to org.gnome.desktop.wm.preferences >> button-layout to get it to work w/ dconf-editor. – JivanAmara Jul 10 '15 at 16:14

score 18 · Answer 3 · edited Feb 23 '18 at 13:48

18

This is very simple guys, just type the following command in the terminal, it worked for me:

gsettings set  org.gnome.shell.overrides button-layout ':minimize,maximize,close'

In Ubuntu 17.10 (and Debian 9 Stretch) with gnome 3.26.1 command is:

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

(thanks to Ohto Nordberg's reply).

edited Feb 23 '18 at 13:48

Eric Carvalho

54,385

answered May 23 '13 at 12:52

user161127

181
1
2

3

I feel this option is better than tweak-tool. It works for me. Thanks – bagavadhar Jul 07 '13 at 07:42
This option is very cool – manix May 16 '14 at 02:38
1

In Ubuntu 17.10 with gnome 3.26.1 command is gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.wm.preferences button-layout ':minimize,maximize,close' – Ohto Nordberg Oct 21 '17 at 17:38

score 4 · Answer 4 · answered Feb 24 '13 at 02:57

I had the same problem where my Ubuntu 12.04 windows only showed the close button. I realize that it is possible to right click on the menu bar to get the missing minimize and maximize functionality but I wanted the buttons back.

I was going to install Ubuntu Tweak but found the "Advanced Settings" application. I just went to the "Shell" tab and set "Arrangement of buttons on the titlebar" from "Close Only" to "All". This restored the missing buttons onto my windows.

I hope this alternate solution helps people with the same problem.

score 3 · Answer 5 · edited Jul 06 '12 at 12:29

3

I found this page when I was looking for an answer to this question. Thought some people would appreciate this information.

Here is the terminal command for those that are two lazy to open a link. Just wanted to give credit to the original contributor of this information.

gconftool -s /apps/metacity/general/button_layout -t string menu:minimize,maximize,close

edited Jul 06 '12 at 12:29

Eliah Kagan

117,780

answered Jul 05 '12 at 19:59

Curt

31
1

3

Re: links, people may not want to open links because they don't know what they land on. For askubuntu/stackoverflow and others, links without info are bad because the link may break, and the answer isn't self-contained. – belacqua Jul 06 '12 at 17:00

score 3 · Answer 6 · edited Apr 20 '15 at 17:28

3

For Ubuntu 14.04+, you might need to run the following:

gsettings set org.gnome.settings-daemon.plugins.xsettings overrides "{'Gtk/DecorationLayout': <':minimize,maximize,close'>}"

edited Apr 20 '15 at 17:28

Jens Erat

5,051
7
31
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answered Apr 20 '15 at 16:41

ash1991

31

Does it conflict with the gnome-tweaking-tool solution? – ofaurax Dec 16 '16 at 18:34

score 3 · Answer 7 · answered Aug 06 '16 at 19:12

On 12.04 and 14.04, the answer given by @user161127 worked well for me (entering the following in the terminal)

gsettings set org.gnome.shell.overrides button-layout ':minimize,maximize,close'

However, on 16.04, I needed to use the path given by @JivanAmara instead:

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

score 1 · Answer 8 · answered Apr 27 '12 at 07:46

1

Install ubuntu tweak.Open ubuntu tweak and go to Tweaks>Window and set "off" in Close button only . But I didn't like this type of solution though I'm sharing this solution.

answered Apr 27 '12 at 07:46

Anindya Biswas

11
1

score 1 · Answer 9 · answered Jun 16 '21 at 02:46

I ran into this after installing Gnome 40 where I lost the Firefox Minimize and maximize buttons. Up above, user wojox gave the command line tools for the Gnome Shell. This was important because Tweaks no longer works. In his/her answer, I failed to note the difference between the leading ':' and trailing ':' in the string. The trailing ':' moves the buttons to the left side of the menubar and the leading ':' puts them on the right side.

The choice is yours.

The simple command line solution (take note of ':' placement):

This gives right buttons

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

This gives left buttons

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

You can also use the dconf editor. Note that dconf-editor is now its own package and there is no dconf-tools.

Install dconf-editor:

sudo apt-get install dconf-editor
dconf-editor

Then navigate to:

org.gnome.desktop.wm.preferences >> button-layout

and set value to:

close,minimize,maximize: OR :maximize, minimize,close

score 1 · Answer 10 · edited Jan 10 '16 at 11:35

1

To maximise, you can instead double-click on the window frame with the left button. To minimise, single-click the middle button on the window frame.

edited Jan 10 '16 at 11:35

Martin Thornton

5,431

answered Jan 10 '16 at 09:12

guest

11

Middle button click does not work for me to minimize. – Alexey Sep 22 '16 at 03:52

score 0 · Answer 11 · answered Sep 02 '19 at 09:26

in lubuntu to show minimize maximize buttons to title bar of windows

sudo apt install `dconf-editor`
dconf-editor

ctrl+L & type to path:

/org/gnome/desktop/wm/preferences/button-layout

then use default value on and type menu:minimize,maximize,spacer,close to show minimize maximize buttons to windows

score 0 · Answer 12 · answered Apr 27 '12 at 05:04

0

As an alternative to the buttons, you can still minimize/maximize windows by right-clicking on their titlebar and selecting the appropriate entry from the menu.

answered Apr 27 '12 at 05:04

Knowledge Cube

14,781

score 0 · Answer 13 · answered May 20 '12 at 00:52

0

In Gnome tweak tool --> click on Shell in left column and then in right column for Arrangement of buttons in title bar select "all", instead of"close only".

answered May 20 '12 at 00:52

Sachin Malhotra

1

score 0 · Answer 14 · edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:23

0

The dconf-tool editor solutions described by vanlong441 and by Todd Partridge worked for me. The only thing to add is you can change the side of the buttons on the window by moving the : in the string, and change the order of the buttons by moving their names around. (Useful for personal preference and also pranking).

edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:23

Community

1

answered Aug 17 '12 at 17:56

user83965

1

1

As you've posted this as a separate answer rather than a suggested edit (or comment), you may want to expand it further, giving explicit examples of how different strings (with the : in different places) produce different behavior. – Eliah Kagan Aug 17 '12 at 23:14

score 0 · Answer 15 · answered Nov 09 '17 at 07:34

0

In Ubuntu Gnome 17.04 use

dconf-editor

to open the Editor and you can find it here:

answered Nov 09 '17 at 07:34

Isengo

518

score -1 · Answer 16 · edited Jun 17 '14 at 10:42

-1

To right align buttons, put the colon in the beginning:

gsettings set org.gnome.shell.overrides button-layout :minimize,maximize,close

edited Jun 17 '14 at 10:42

Eric Carvalho

54,385

answered Jun 17 '14 at 10:22

nvd

1,160
9
7

How do I add minimize / maximize buttons to GNOME shell windows?

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