How do I move the window buttons back to the right for all users?

I know I can edit gconf to move the [Minimize,Maximize,Close] buttons back to the right-hand side, but is there a way to do this for all users?

Ideally at install time so I don't have to explain this to every user every time I set up a new machine.

Solution 1:

gconf-editor has an option to do this. Just right-click on a value you want to set for all users, and click "Set Default". PolicyKit will open and ask you for your password. After that every new user will have that value.

Solution 2:

I don't know about install time, but when new users are created, the files from /etc/skel are copied to the new home directory. You could add a file

/etc/skel/.gconf/apps/metacity/general/%gconf.xml

with the contents

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<gconf>
<entry name="button_layout" mtime="1273173410" type="string">
    <stringvalue>:minimize,maximize,close</stringvalue>
</entry>
</gconf>

to /etc/skel.

Or you could create the perfect user-setup (let's name him perfectuser) on a new account, and replace

SKEL=/etc/skel

with

SKEL=/home/perfectuser

in /etc/adduser.conf.

That way, each new user you create would have the same configuration as perfectuser.

Maybe the install CD could also be modified in a similar way?

To change the setting for all users, you could write a script that adds

<entry name="button_layout" mtime="1273173410" type="string">
    <stringvalue>:minimize,maximize,close</stringvalue>
</entry>

to all /home/[user]/apps/metacity/general/%gconf.xml.