Disable Global Menu in Ubuntu 11.04 & 11.10
Ubuntu Global Menu: Disabling and Re-enabling
Beginning with Ubuntu 11.04, a Global Menu feature was introduced. This provides a unified menu bar accessible across all running applications, as illustrated above.
Traditionally, each application window possessed its own dedicated menu bar. The Global Menu, however, resides on the top panel of the Unity desktop, regardless of an application window’s size or position.
Potential Issues and Disabling the Feature
This centralized menu can initially feel disorienting for users accustomed to individual application menus. If you prefer the conventional menu bar arrangement, the Global Menu can be disabled. The following steps will guide you through the process.
To begin, open a Terminal window by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T. Then, enter the following command and confirm with Enter:
sudo apt-get autoremove appmenu-gtk appmenu-gtk3 appmenu-qt
Note that you can also copy and paste this command into the Terminal. To paste, right-click within the Terminal window and select Paste from the context menu.
The system will analyze the current state and display a message outlining the packages to be removed and the disk space that will be reclaimed. Confirm the removal by typing “Y” and pressing Enter.
Upon completion, three packages will be removed, and you will return to the command prompt. To exit the Terminal, type “exit” and press Enter.
Applying the Changes
A system reboot is generally not required for the changes to take effect. Close all currently open application windows and relaunch them. Each application should now display its menu bar within its own window.
If the menu bars do not reappear, consider logging out and logging back in, or restarting your computer.
Disabling the Global Menu in Firefox
Removing the Global Menu feature does not automatically disable it within Firefox. To address this, the Global Menu Bar integration add-on in Firefox must be disabled.
Access the Add-ons Manager by selecting "Add-ons" from the Firefox Tools menu.
The Add-ons Manager will open on a new tab. Navigate to the "Extensions" tab, identified by the puzzle piece icon, to view the installed extensions.
Locate the "Global Menu Bar integration" extension and click the "Disable" button.
A restart of Firefox is required for the change to take effect. Click the "Restart now" link.
After restarting, the Firefox menu bar will be restored to its standard position within the Firefox window, below the title bar.
Re-enabling the Global Menu
Should you wish to reinstate the Global Menu, you can re-enable it using the following command in a Terminal window, mirroring the process used for disabling it:
sudo apt-get install appmenu-gtk appmenu-gtk3 appmenu-qt
Disabling the Global Menu is one step towards restoring a more traditional desktop experience in Ubuntu. Further customization options include installing the Classic Gnome Desktop, implementing the Classic Gnome Menu on the Unity desktop, and repositioning window buttons to the right side.