Cinnamon: GNOME application do not respect Windows button settings

[jtlpa]

If you open Windows and set window-buttons to just one button on left side, many GNOME default packages do not respect the setting (all three buttons remain on the right side).

[Mowalle]

I had this problem too a few days ago. You can work around this by changing the respective key in gsettings:
gsettings set org.cinnamon.desktop.interface 'close,minimize,maximize,menu:'
gsettings set org.cinnamon.desktop.interface gtk-decoration-layout 'close,minimize,maximize,menu:'
(everything before the : will be on the left side). Or use dconf-editor to set the same key via GUI.

I think setting the window buttons in Cinnamon Settings should maybe change this key as well as a solution?

[jtlpa]

Mowalle
Thanks for quick reply. I tried your recommendation, but gsettings give error that no key-name was supplied. Could you double check your fix for key and key-name.

Thank you
JTL

[jtlpa]

Whoops, hit the wrong button, didn't mean to close
JTL

[Mowalle]

Right I'm stupid, sorry...

The command should be gsettings set org.cinnamon.desktop.interface gtk-decoration-layout 'close, minimize, maximize, menu:'. You can of course sort them differently if you want.

[leigh123linux]

Gnome apps are broken by design so please close this report and bug the gnome devs instead.

[jtlpa]

Mowalle
Thanks, but didn't work. Here is terminal output.
gsettings set org.cinnamon.desktop.interface gtk-decoration-layout 'close,minimize,maximize,menu:'
No such key 'gtk-decoration-layout'

[Mowalle]

@leigh123linux I don't think this issue should be closed, as it has to do with a Cinnamon-specific key not being set.

@jtlpa That is weird, I just double checked it and it works fine for me. Which distro and Cinnamon version are you running?

[jtlpa]

Hi Mowalle
I will leave the issue open and agree with you on that. As to the version:
Debian Jessie 8.3 64bit, Cinnamon 2.2.16

Hope that helps

[collinss]

@jtlpa Your Cinnamon version is almost 2 years old. I'm pretty sure a lot has changed regarding gnome apps since then. It's quite possible this is no longer an issue. I would recommend trying a new version of Cinnamon. The current version is 2.8 and 3.0 will likely be released in a month or two.

[jtlpa]

Collinss
Yep I am aware of that, however our machines require stability. That's why we only use software from Debian Stable repositories.

[ghost]

Why you using Gnome applications!? Just use their _normal interface_ alternatives...

[jtlpa]

crains-bill
To answer your question, the apps Archive Manager, Caculator, Font Viewer, Gedit, Gdebi, Document Viewer are all included in the default Debian Jessie Cinnamon desktop and we use all of them.

[jtlpa]

SOLVED - move window buttons to left side of windows
APPLIES to Debian Jessie Stable 8.3 64bit, Cinnamon desktop 2.2.16, Gnome apps
open or create /home/Your-User-Name/.config/gtk-3.0/settings.ini
add this new line of text "gtk-decoration-layout=close:" with out quotes

You could also use "gtk-decoration-layout=close,minimize,maximize:" with out quotes fro all three buttons

[wunderlich]

Using gsettings works for me as well (Linux Mint 18, Cinnamon 3.0.7). But shouldn't the order of the buttons be close, maximize, minimize? I did the following:

gsettings set org.cinnamon.desktop.interface gtk-decoration-layout 'close,maximize,minimize,menu:'

Is somebody implementing this to cinnamon? I think the configuration of cinnamon should also affect the GNOME apps as they are shipped with Linux Mint.

[JosephMcc]

There is already a feature request open to allow the titlebar layout settings in Cinnamon settings->Windows to also effect this key. We are aware of it but there are only so many hours in a day :)

[clefebvre]

Fixed today. See https://github.com/linuxmint/Cinnamon/issues/5617 for details.