Window button ordering
March 12th 2010 04:52 pm
Sometimes you can’t please everybody. The blog article I linked to argues that the window button ordering change in the alpha releases of the next Ubuntu should be reverted back.
Update: I’ve seen reports that Canonical may have switched the button order back in the latest builds. The last entry I saw on Planet Ubuntu leads me to believe it’s still switched, but my Google-fu is too poor to find something conclusive. (Scarily enough, this very blog is already on the first page of the Google results…)
I agree with the comments about it being hard to get used to since I use a non-default window button order too, after being inspired by Aaron Seigo. My own personal layout is like this:
↓ ↑ < ---- window title ---- > ×
In case it’s unclear, starting from the left I have the minimize button, maximize button, the window title, and then on the right I have the close button.
The reason I have it like this is that I always use the minimize and close buttons, so they need to have the corners to be easiest to find. In particular, the close button just has to be in the upper right, it’s just a reflex for me and I have no particular need to fight it.
It would be annoying when I use Windows to find minimize, except that I normally just use a keyboard shortcut. (I later added a global keyboard shortcut for KWin to do the same thing). Other than that I like it a lot.
I can see why most people would not want the window order changed on them all of a sudden though. Probably the easiest thing would be to allow people to choose their own button order. I know we support it in KWin, given the blog article stating special theme support would be needed in ubuntu, I get the impression that Compiz and/or Metacity do not. :-/ Failing that, I think it’s a bad idea to deviate from the upstream GNOME window manager’s button ordering. Themes were already mentioned as being incompatible so it makes me wonder what else might be.
mandarin on 
Kerry on 
mama on 
Metacity supports ordering the buttons, but not as nice as in KWin: you have to use gconf. Which renders it a non-changeable option for Ubuntu’s targeted user base IMO.
I have a very similar button layout in KDE and bb4win (for my work machine). I have grown to despise the buttons all grouped up in one place after intending to click one, and accidentally clicking the wrong one.
Close works so much better isolated.
But what works even better is the very slick key mapping that has been in KDE since I started heavily using it … 5+ years ago (I think) … long enough for me to say “for as along as I can remember”.
This is where Gnome falls down, and it doesn’t have to. I am dumbfounded that in those same many years, there has never been a polite interface to edit the gnome config to handle the silly nuisances like button placement and the pixel size of the visible part of a (not so very) “hidden” panel. Even then, convenient key bindings are left to Compiz — which has always looked cool, but been such a pain to configure that I regularly gave up on it.
KDE won me long ago because I didn’t have to argue with cryptic files or commands to alter button placement or get key bindings to work. That’s what works for me — I know a few people who want to do it all with the mouse and Gnome is heaven for them.
Hooray for choice!
I have currently no buttons in the decoration.
To close the window, I press middle button on window decoration.
I can close window from any part and without mistakes.
To minimize window I click the taskbar. Same place where I need to click it back after minimized. Very logical.
Scrollwheel up/down sets window to be under, default or top of other windowses. Easy to do and lets me to use that more.
Double click does shadow the window only as decoration and back.
To maximize the window, I just drag it top of the screen edge. Same thing to 50% maximization with right and left edges.
I can do all needed functions, without mistakes and without any buttons in toolbar.
Only thing what I miss is the maximize button functions when you click them with middle or with right mouse button. You get maximized with horizontal or vertical direction.
Only thing what I hope I could configure (wish filled to BKO) the double click of window decoration to close the window. Then place the middle button as something else.
Compiz supports button ordering on all 3 decorators, just use the native configuration tools for each DE.