Ubuntu 10.10 (Maverick): Change Location of Maximize, Minimize, and Close Window Buttons

The default location for these buttons is on the left hand side of the window. This is an unusual place for most non-mac users. They can be moved to the right hand side, but the option to do so is not obvious. Luckily it’s still quite simple to do.

Open a Terminal and launch:

$ gconf-editor

In the editor window navigate through these folders:

/ → apps → metacity → general

Look for the option “button_layout” and edit it. Set it to the following:

:minimize,maximize,close

Press after the change and close the window. You will find when you try to close the window the buttons are now on the right hand side.