`Window Applets`, Finally Available For GNOME 3 (Classic / Fallback)

Window Applets is a pack of two GNOME panel applets that lets you put the window title and buttons on the top panel. Since GNOME 3, Window Applets stopped working but today, a new version has been released with support for the GNOME 3 classic / fallback panel.

The Window Buttons applet is basically like the Ubuntu window buttons displayed on the top panel for maximized windows, except it's for the classic GNOME session and it's highly customizable:

• you can move it anywhere you want on the panel
• many built-in themes, more available on Gnome-Look.org
• select if you want it to control all windows or only maximized windows
• automatically hide for non-maximized windows
• change the button order
• hide some of the buttons
• more!

Window Title applet supports the same customizations as the Window Buttons applet, except it's, well, for the window title.

For now, the Window Applets pack only works with the classic GNOME 3 session (GNOME Panel), but according to its developer, this will change:

The new version has been ported to Gnome 3 classic. It is not yet possible to run it in Gnome Shell or Unity, but this will change!

I'm not sure how it could work with Unity since the top panel is not a GNOME panel and it can't be customized (fork it?), but we'll see. Until then, there is a GNOME Shell extension for this, though it's not as customizable as Window Applets: Get Unity-Like Window Buttons On The Top GNOME Shell Bar

Window Applets video

To see exactly what "Window Applets" is and how it works, here's a video I've recorded (in Ubuntu 11.10):


(direct link to video)

Install Window Applets in Ubuntu 11.10 or 12.04

Firstly, you'll need the GNOME 3 Classic / Fallback session - to install it in Ubuntu 12.04 or 11.10, use the following command:

sudo apt-get install gnome-session-fallback

Just like the GNOME 2 version (still available for Ubuntu Lucid, Maverick and Natty), the latest Window Applets for GNOME 3 is available in the main WebUpd8 PPA so if you're using Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot or 12.04 Precise Pangolin with the classic GNOME session, install it using the commands below:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:nilarimogard/webupd8
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install gnome-window-applets

Once installed, ALT + right click (if that doesn't work, try ALT + SUPER + right click) a GNOME panel, select "Add to panel" and add "Window Buttons" and/or "Window Title".

Note: by default, Window Buttons applet is set to show up on the panel for all windows, but it only controls maximized windows. You can change this and other settings by right clicking the applet and selecting "Preferences".

By the way, to get Indicator Applet for GNOME Classic in Ubuntu 11.10, see THIS post (this is already available in Ubuntu Precise, there's no need for a PPA).

For other Linux distributions, download the Window Applets source code via GNOME Look.

Source