How to Fix the Double Title Bar Issue in Nautilus on Ubuntu Unity 22.04

• The article explains why Nautilus has a double title bar on Ubuntu Unity 22.04 and how to fix it by disabling CSD for Nautilus or replacing it with another file manager.
• The article provides step-by-step instructions for both methods, as well as screenshots and commands to illustrate the process.

If you are using Ubuntu Unity 22.04, you may have noticed that some applications, such as Nautilus, have a double title bar. This means that there are two bars at the top of the window, one with the application name and menu, and another with the window controls and title. This can look redundant and waste some screen space.

In this article, we will explain why this happens and how to fix it. We will also answer some frequently asked questions related to this topic.

Why does Nautilus have a double title bar on Ubuntu Unity 22.04?

The reason why Nautilus has a double title bar on Ubuntu Unity 22.04 is that it uses a feature called client-side decorations (CSD). CSD is a way of drawing the window border and title bar by the application itself, instead of relying on the window manager. This allows applications to have more control over their appearance and functionality, such as adding buttons or widgets to the title bar.

However, CSD is not compatible with Unity, which is the desktop environment used by Ubuntu Unity 22.04. Unity expects applications to use server-side decorations (SSD), which are drawn by the window manager. SSD allows Unity to provide a consistent look and feel across applications, as well as a global menu and a head-up display (HUD) for searching and accessing commands.

Therefore, when an application that uses CSD runs on Unity, it creates a conflict with the window manager, resulting in a double title bar. This is not a bug, but a design choice made by the developers of both CSD and Unity.

How to fix the double title bar issue in Nautilus on Ubuntu Unity 22.04?

There are two possible ways to fix the double title bar issue in Nautilus on Ubuntu Unity 22.04:

• Disable CSD for Nautilus
• Replace Nautilus with another file manager

Disable CSD for Nautilus

One way to fix the double title bar issue in Nautilus is to disable CSD for this application only. This will make Nautilus use SSD instead of CSD, and thus avoid the conflict with Unity.

To disable CSD for Nautilus, you need to edit a configuration file called org.gnome.nautilus.desktop using a text editor or a graphical tool like dconf-editor. You can find this file in /usr/share/glib-2.0/schemas/ or /usr/local/share/glib-2.0/schemas/, depending on your installation.

To edit this file using a text editor, open a terminal and type:

sudo nano /usr/share/glib-2.0/schemas/org.gnome.nautilus.desktop

Alternatively, you can use dconf-editor to edit this file graphically. To install dconf-editor, open a terminal and type:

sudo apt install dconf-editor

Then, launch dconf-editor from the Applications launcher or from the terminal:

dconf-editor

In either case, you need to find the line that says:

<key name='disable-csd' type='b'>

and change its value from false to true. The line should look like this:

<key name='disable-csd' type='b'>
  <default>true</default>
</key>

Save the file and close the editor. Then, you need to compile the schema file using the following command in the terminal:

sudo glib-compile-schemas /usr/share/glib-2.0/schemas/

Finally, restart Nautilus by typing:

nautilus -q

or by logging out and logging back in.

You should now see that Nautilus has only one title bar, drawn by Unity.

Replace Nautilus with another file manager

Another way to fix the double title bar issue in Nautilus is to replace it with another file manager that does not use CSD. There are many alternatives available for Ubuntu, such as Nemo, Thunar, Dolphin, PCManFM, etc.

For example, if you want to use Nemo as your default file manager instead of Nautilus, you can install it by typing:

sudo apt install nemo

Then, you need to set Nemo as your default file manager by typing:

xdg-mime default nemo.desktop inode/directory application/x-gnome-saved-search

You also need to disable Nautilus from handling your desktop icons by typing:

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.background show-desktop-icons false

and enable Nemo to handle them by typing:

gsettings set org.nemo.desktop show-desktop-icons true

Finally, restart Nemo by typing:

nemo -q

or by logging out and logging back in.

You should now see that Nemo has only one title bar, drawn by Unity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some common questions and answers related to the double title bar issue in Nautilus on Ubuntu Unity 22.04.

Question: Will disabling CSD for Nautilus affect other applications that use CSD?

Answer: No, disabling CSD for Nautilus will only affect this application. Other applications that use CSD will still have their own title bars, unless you disable CSD for them individually.

Question: Will replacing Nautilus with another file manager affect other features of Unity?

Answer: No, replacing Nautilus with another file manager will not affect other features of Unity, such as the global menu, the HUD, the launcher, etc. However, some file managers may have different options and functionalities than Nautilus, so you may need to adjust your preferences and habits accordingly.

Question: Can I use both Nautilus and another file manager on Ubuntu Unity 22.04?

Answer: Yes, you can use both Nautilus and another file manager on Ubuntu Unity 22.04, as long as you set one of them as your default file manager. You can still launch the other one from the Applications launcher or from the terminal.

Question: Can I revert the changes I made to fix the double title bar issue in Nautilus?

Answer: Yes, you can revert the changes you made to fix the double title bar issue in Nautilus by following the opposite steps of what you did. For example, if you disabled CSD for Nautilus, you can enable it again by changing the value of disable-csd from true to false in the org.gnome.nautilus.desktop file and recompiling the schema file. If you replaced Nautilus with another file manager, you can set Nautilus as your default file manager again by using the xdg-mime command with nautilus.desktop instead of the other file manager’s desktop file.

Conclusion

In this article, we have explained why Nautilus has a double title bar on Ubuntu Unity 22.04 and how to fix it by disabling CSD for Nautilus or replacing it with another file manager. We hope this article has helped you solve this issue and enjoy your Ubuntu Unity experience. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice or guidance. The author and the publisher of this article are not responsible for any errors, omissions, or consequences that may arise from the use of the information contained herein. The user is advised to exercise caution and discretion before applying any of the solutions or suggestions mentioned in this article. The user is solely responsible for any damage or loss that may occur as a result of following the instructions or recommendations in this article. The user should also consult the official documentation and support channels of Ubuntu, Unity, Nautilus, and any other software or hardware involved in this article.