Changing dialog buttons layout

[fifonik]

I'm long time windows user, new with linux GUI/desktops (used *nix in terminal only).

Recently installed Linux Mint Cinnamon 20.3 and using it alongside with Windows (dual boot). So trying to make both systems to befahe alike.

Could you advise, is it possible to change dialog buttons layout, so "Yes/OK/Save" button would be on the left and "No/Cancel" on the right?
Like explained here:
https://superuser.com/questions/1221225 ... s-or-linux

In "Qt5 settings" I see an option "Dialog button layout", but it does nothing.

In some other linux distributions I've tried I've seen that in dialogs OK button is on the left and Cancel -- on the right.

Thanks.

[michael-hi]

Hi fifonik. Have you actually tried the method suggested in the link you posted? In other words, open your home folder and then the .config folder, and then the gtk-3.0 folder. Check in that to see if there is a text file named settings.ini within it. If not, create one and just add the text:

Code: Select all

[Settings]
gtk-alternative-button-order = 1

Note that files and folders beginning with a dot (like .config) are hidden and only visible in the file manager if "Show Hidden Files" is selected in the View menu. Or toggle their visibility with Ctrl-H.

Rather frustratingly, you'll probably find it works in some apps but not others.

PS. The Qt5 settings you mention won't work because the default apps in Mint are GTK not Qt. I think those settings only apply if a user installs some Qt-based software like nomacs or VLC.

[spamegg]

Some apps on Linux use Qt (like VLC, Virtualbox, any KDE-based app), and some apps (most on Mint) use GTK. So you would have to try to change them separately.

It's possible you changed Qt settings but you didn't see any change because you were trying to see changes in GTK apps.

In the link you gave above, they describe a way to change GTK apps, give that a try, I'm not sure if it works or not. Be prepared for breaking things on your system.

Even if you manage to do it, some apps might override it and use their own layout. Some dialog boxes are common between apps but some of them are app-specific.

Personally I would not bother with this, and accept that Windows and Linux are fundamentally different, and live with that

(in fact even apps within Windows are so different from each other, and apps on Linux are all different, and it's usually impossible to get complete consistency except on some distros like elementary, Zorin, deepin.)

[fifonik]

Hi fifonik. Have you actually tried the method suggested in the link you posted? In other words, open your home folder and then the .config folder, and then the gtk-3.0 folder. Check in that to see if there is a text file named settings.ini within it. If not, create one and just add the text:

Well... Yes, I tried it.
I did not have file settings.ini mentioned in the post so I created it in existed ~/.config/gtk-3.0 folder
Then restarted Cinnamon (F2, "r").
No changes.
Well, I only checked the dialog in LibreOffice Writer.

It is possible that the Writer is on the list that did not use it.
Thanks for the information. I will double check with dialogs in other apps.

[smurphos]

You would need a full log out and log back in for that tweak to take effect.

[fifonik]

Double checked file and its content -- everything as in the post.
Restarted the box.
Checked in Nemo (delete non-empty folder), Xed ("Save As"), Trash ("Empty trash"), GIMP and LibreOffice Writer ("Save As" and close apps with unsaved content).
Buttons as without the file.

I've tried to add the option into existing /etc/gtk-3.0/settings.ini file and restarted the box (copy/pasted option name from https://docs.gtk.org/gtk3/property.Sett ... order.html )
No changes.

[smurphos]

https://docs.gtk.org/gtk3/method.Dialog ... order.html suggests it's a deprecated feature....

[michael-hi]

It works in Firefox - but maybe that's all.