Maximized windows in Unity do not respect Metacity button_layout

[hrhnick]

When maximizing a window, and the title and window buttons are merged into the Unity Panel, the Unity Panel defaults the window controls to a layout of "Close, Minimize, Maximize." This is done regardless of the Metacity gconf string, in my case "Minimize, Maximize, Close." See attached screenshot.

The default behavior should be to respect the Metacity gconf string "/apps/metacity/general/button_layout"

[Mirco Müller (macslow)]

Unity as per Natty does use compiz as its default window-manager. Actually Unity is a compiz-plugin. Thus it does not read these metacity-settings.

[Paul Sladen (sladen)]

macslow: aren't we making use of metacity theme hooks anyway; for instance the new enlarged resize grab area (<padding> and <shadow>) are set via a metacity theme (in light-themes) and used in Compiz.

I'm unsure that "Opinion" is correct status here; the bug itself seems clear (perhaps more simply phrased "window manager buttons rearrange themselves when changing to/from maximised"). It might be a low priority to get it fixed, but the bug as described appears to exist.

[Mark Shuttleworth (sabdfl)]

Essentially, we have to take a decision whether we can support that
gconf/dconf key completely, or just drop it completely.

I think we *could* support the button order, spreading the buttons
between left-of-title-slash-menu and right-of-title-slash-menu for
maximised windows.

Personally, I think buttons on the left is the only approach that makes
sense. Very, very few people change it, despite the ease with which it
can be changed and the outcry when the left side was initially adopted
in Ubuntu. In that light, dropping unused codepaths in exchange for
better tested code seems sane to me.

However.

This is such a sensitive issue, that I'd be happy to accept a patch
which follows button-order gconf key and puts that in the Unity panel.
It would need to be a patch with lots of automated tests, though,
because that codepath will not get a lot of user or developer testing in
the normal course of things.

Mark

[Lee Hyde (anubeon)]

At the very least I think that user defined window control button order should be respected by Unity. Ignoring the wider issue of window control button alignment (left or right), surely the order of control buttons can't break the Unity UI?

> Personally, I think buttons on the left is the only approach that
> makes sense.

Perhaps for those who are fortunate enough to be in a position to switch wholly to Ubuntu. However some of us are forced through circumstances beyond our control to dual-boot and/or switch between Ubuntu and Windows. By way of an example, many workplaces provision Windows workstations only and the vast majority of laboratory equipment rely upon Windows,

I can speak from experience, working as I do in a laboratory environment, that the enforcement of left-handed window controls (not strictly the topic of this bug) leads to a measurable period of readjustment which is, frankly, annoying. Thus far, under gnome2-panel, I've been able to remedy this situation using UbuntuTweak's (to set right-handed window controls). However it would appear that no such remedy will be forthcoming under unity, and it would be nice to see some care and consideration given to the 'forced to dual-boot' community.

> Very, very few people change it, despite the ease with which it
> can be changed and the outcry when the left side was initially
> adopted in Ubuntu.

Do you have any data to back this up? I wasn't aware that there was any way to track this kind of thing. I would gladly opt-in were some form of anonymous data gathering package available, but to my knowledge no such package exists.

Kind Regards,

Lee.

[Sam Spilsbury (smspillaz)]

On Fri, Jan 28, 2011 at 8:10 PM, Paul Sladen <email address hidden> wrote:
> macslow: aren't we making use of metacity theme hooks anyway;  for
> instance the new enlarged resize grab area (<padding> and <shadow>) are
> set via a metacity theme (in light-themes) and used in Compiz.
>
> I'm unsure that "Opinion" is correct status here;  the bug itself seems
> clear (perhaps more simply phrased "window manager buttons rearrange
> themselves when changing to/from maximised").  It might be a low
> priority to get it fixed, but the bug as described appears to exist.
>

We use metacity settings indeed in unity-window-decorator however we
do not use them in the panel/titlebar

> --
> You received this bug notification because you are a member of Canonical
> Desktop Experience Team, which is subscribed to Unity.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/708653
>
> Title:
>  Maximized windows in Unity do not respect Metacity button_layout
>
> Status in Unity:
>  Opinion
>
> Bug description:
>  When maximizing a window, and the title and window buttons are merged
>  into the Unity Panel, the Unity Panel defaults the window controls to
>  a layout of "Close, Minimize, Maximize." This is done regardless of
>  the Metacity gconf string, in my case "Minimize, Maximize, Close." See
>  attached screenshot.
>
>  The default behavior should be to respect the Metacity gconf string
>  "/apps/metacity/general/button_layout"
>
>
>

--
Sam Spilsbury