Written by baldurpet the 14 Feb 09 at 18:11.

When you make the panel transparent (Properties > Background > Solid colour, and then making the "style" transparent) the little things at each end of the panel don't become transparent (when the panel isn't expanded), nor does the background of the Workspace switcher).

A simple solution would just be to make the things at the end and the workspace switcher transparent as well.

When you make the panel transparent (Properties > Background > Solid colour, and then making the "style" transparent) the little things at each end of the panel don't become transparent (when the panel isn't expanded), nor does the background of the Workspace switcher). A simple solution would just be to make the things at the end and the workspace switcher transparent as well.

Written by baldurpet the 14 Feb 09 at 18:28.

Why isn't there a simple option to "round the edges" of the panel?

There shouldn't be that hard adding a small option into the properties where it could include something like:

Round edges
Radius: 20

Why isn't there a simple option to "round the edges" of the panel? There shouldn't be that hard adding a small option into the properties where it could include something like: Round edges Radius: 20

Written by baldurpet the 14 Feb 09 at 18:35.

Adding a small gloss feature to the panel?
An effect like this would be too resource heavy, and could really add some 'bling' I guess. Just something as simple as this; a really classy ivory white panel.

Again, this would be something you could enable and disable from the properties window.

Edit: I noticed something really cool by accident. I looked at my lower panel, saw and thought "wow, gnome has that effect?" (I'm talking about the real subtle glow on the top), but then I saw that it was just the watermark of my wallpaper (the screenshot of my desktop also shows the problem in solution one). I don't see why this couldn't be added without making GNOME bloated.

Adding a small gloss feature to the panel? An effect like this would be too resource heavy, and could really add some 'bling' I guess. Just something as simple as <a href="http://www.gnome-look.org/content/show.php/Murrina+Panel+Background?content=56905">this</a>; a really classy ivory white panel. Again, this would be something you could enable and disable from the properties window. Edit: I noticed something really cool by accident. I looked at my lower panel, saw <img src="http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/9479/screenshotzo8.png" border="0" alt="this"/> and thought "wow, gnome has that effect?" (I'm talking about the real subtle glow on the top), but then I saw that it was just the <a href="http://img27.imageshack.us/my.php?image=screenshot1tq7.png">watermark of my wallpaper</a> (the screenshot of my desktop also shows the problem in solution one). I don't see why this couldn't be added without making GNOME bloated.

Written by baldurpet the 15 Feb 09 at 05:21.

I think the panel looks (and especially) feels way too boxy. It's like in bad animations, you don't expect the animation to become flashy because it doesn't give you a reason to. When ever I think of the GNOME panel I think of a monotonous box, because quite frankly that's what it is.

You can change between themes in the appearance preferences, well why isn't there an option like that for the panel? Themes could include something like this, this, akin to the KDE kicker (something like a less childish version of this) or even this (yaya Vista, I dislike the company Microsoft for a lot of reasons, and I think Vista looks way too gaudy in general but I do like the way the panel looks).

I think the panel looks (and especially) feels way too boxy. It's like in bad animations, you don't expect the animation to become flashy because it doesn't give you a reason to. When ever I think of the GNOME panel I think of a monotonous box, because quite frankly that's what it is. You can change between themes in the appearance preferences, well why isn't there an option like that for the panel? Themes could include something like <a href="http://www.gnome-look.org/content/show.php/GummyJAR+Panel?content=93481">this</a>, <a href="http://www.gnome-look.org/content/show.php/Clear+Night+(Desktop+Panel+Settings)?content=91130">this</a>, akin to the <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/KDE_4.png">KDE kicker</a> (something like a less childish version of <a href="http://liquidat.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/panel1.png">this</a>) or even <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/68/Taskbar_Vista.png">this</a> (yaya Vista, I dislike the company Microsoft for a lot of reasons, and I think Vista looks way too gaudy in general but I do like the way the panel looks).

Written by baldurpet the 15 Feb 09 at 05:32.

Seriously, I don't know why changing something as simple as the picture of the menu button isn't possible (well, of course it's possible- but John Doe can't do neither do it easily nor from the panel's properties screen).

What I was thinking about would be to both allow a simple change of the picture in the menu button, and also to add ways to change it's look (again like Vista, and both these and this one look particularly sleek).

Also something like this, damn that looks good.

Seriously, I don't know why changing something as simple as the picture of the menu button isn't possible (well, of course it's possible- but John Doe can't do neither do it easily nor from the panel's properties screen). What I was thinking about would be to both allow a simple change of the picture in the menu button, and also to add ways to change it's look (again like <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/68/Taskbar_Vista.png">Vista</a>, and both <a href="http://www.gnome-look.org/content/show.php/gpanel?content=53540">these</a> and <a href="http://www.gnome-look.org/content/show.php/ByProzac+Panel+Dark+1.0?content=87582">this one</a> look particularly sleek). Also something like <a href="http://www.gnome-look.org/content/show.php/rits+panel+bar?content=78321">this</a>, damn that looks good.

Written by baldurpet the 15 Feb 09 at 05:58.

I'm sorry for posting so many solutions, only each time I'm thinking about a problem I keep thinking about new things which could be implemented.

I was just thinking about something straight forward like being able to save the settings for your panel (they could even be included in the appearance preferences?

I'm maybe thinking about if you want to change your computer's theme to "winter-snow white" then you would want your panel to be white, and glossy- maybe with round edges. And then when you want to try the snow panel again you could just select it from a list with pictures.

I'm sorry for posting so many solutions, only each time I'm thinking about a problem I keep thinking about new things which could be implemented. I was just thinking about something straight forward like being able to save the settings for your panel (they could even be included in the <a href="http://tuxicity.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/screenshot-appearance-preferences.png">appearance preferences</a>? I'm maybe thinking about if you want to change your computer's theme to "winter-snow white" then you would want your panel to be white, and glossy- maybe with round edges. And then when you want to try the snow panel again you could just select it from a list with pictures.

Written by yzarc the 15 Feb 09 at 19:12.

Gnome-do is not ready yet. But I believe that is more interesting to spend time finishing it than putting lip stick in the gnome-panel.
News features of gnome-do need compositing but improving gnome-panel without compositing is useless too.

Gnome-do is not ready yet. But I believe that is more interesting to spend time finishing it than putting lip stick in the gnome-panel. News features of gnome-do need compositing but improving gnome-panel without compositing is useless too.

Written by Psycho_zs the 18 Feb 09 at 11:34.

Right now keyboard shortcuts in GNOME are being processed by gnome-panel. Move this function to a separate daemon, so removing gnome-panel wouldn't disable the use of keyboard shortcuts.

Right now keyboard shortcuts in GNOME are being processed by gnome-panel. Move this function to a separate daemon, so removing gnome-panel wouldn't disable the use of keyboard shortcuts.

Written by erikkll the 18 Feb 09 at 11:41.

Right now, if you resize the panel to let's say 48px, the icons grow too.

It would be useful to have an option to keep them the same (small) size, thus making it possible to group them together (make rows/columns) so that instead of having 4 icons next to each other, you can have a group of four icons in a 2x2 group.

Right now, if you resize the panel to let's say 48px, the icons grow too. It would be useful to have an option to keep them the same (small) size, thus making it possible to group them together (make rows/columns) so that instead of having 4 icons next to each other, you can have a group of four icons in a 2x2 group.

Written by Psycho_zs the 18 Feb 09 at 11:42.

If desktop is switched to resolution insufficient to hold all items in panel, when resolution is restored, items arrangement becomes a mess. Either right away or after another start of DE.
The solution would be: scroll panel on low resolutions, so items would be in their places when resolution is restored.

If desktop is switched to resolution insufficient to hold all items in panel, when resolution is restored, items arrangement becomes a mess. Either right away or after another start of DE. The solution would be: scroll panel on low resolutions, so items would be in their places when resolution is restored.

Written by sambaloelek the 18 Feb 09 at 13:40.

Some people may not want the panel to be above the windows, so if you only use it for notifications or whatever.
There should be given a possibility to keep it below other windows.

Some people may not want the panel to be above the windows, so if you only use it for notifications or whatever. There should be given a possibility to keep it below other windows.

Written by justy the 21 Feb 09 at 10:03.

Make the background a nice gradient and enlarge the icon on the active program, like this:
http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/6992/down.png

Make the background a nice gradient and enlarge the icon on the active program, like this: http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/6992/down.png

Written by manishmahabir the 21 Feb 09 at 18:19.

Currently to hide the panel completely, I have to set it from gconf-editor. It should hide completely by default.

Currently to hide the panel completely, I have to set it from gconf-editor. It should hide completely by default.

Written by codeslicer the 21 Feb 09 at 22:27.

Sometimes the tooltips that show over the window list when Window Previews are enabled, or that "Click to view your appointments and tasks" tooltip is annoying.

We should have an option to disable some of these tooltips if we don't want them.

Sometimes the tooltips that show over the window list when Window Previews are enabled, or that "Click to view your appointments and tasks" tooltip is annoying. We should have an option to disable some of these tooltips if we don't want them.

Written by 311005901 the 22 Feb 09 at 14:04.

Whenever I show my friends how cool Ubuntu is, the first thing they want to see is the themes. Then, they see such gems as "Aging Gorilla," "Crux," and "High Contrast."

Delete the ugly ones, make "High Contrast" available in an Accessibility package.

Whenever I show my friends how cool Ubuntu is, the first thing they want to see is the themes. Then, they see such gems as "Aging Gorilla," "Crux," and "High Contrast." Delete the ugly ones, make "High Contrast" available in an Accessibility package.

Written by wouter215 the 21 Feb 09 at 14:56.

Add an animated colored background to the panel.
Like smooth slow moving ribbon like color themes.

Add an animated colored background to the panel. Like smooth slow moving ribbon like color themes.

Written by twocool the 21 Feb 09 at 13:05.

I agree that Ubuntu should have a better default panel background, but it should be diferent from the windows and mac os toolbars

I agree that Ubuntu should have a better default panel background, but it should be diferent from the windows and mac os toolbars

Written by you-buntu the 20 Feb 09 at 22:36.

like mac or windows

like mac or windows

Written by stetzen the 1 Mar 09 at 01:21.

At the moment, panel applets can be placed only in one row (with extremely rare exceptions, like window list applet), so that changing the size of the panel changes only the size of the applet (if doing anything at all). It will be great to add possibility of putting applets in more than one row.

Possible way of doing in is to create an applet called container, which has customizable size and can be divided in a few lines. Other applets can be added to these lines like they are added to the regular panel.

At the moment, panel applets can be placed only in one row (with extremely rare exceptions, like window list applet), so that changing the size of the panel changes only the size of the applet (if doing anything at all). It will be great to add possibility of putting applets in more than one row. Possible way of doing in is to create an applet called container, which has customizable size and can be divided in a few lines. Other applets can be added to these lines like they are added to the regular panel.

Written by coder543 the 3 Mar 09 at 01:01.

When you login the System Tray Applet takes a long time to load... until then, the whole panel is frozen (along with basically everything else.)

When you login the System Tray Applet takes a long time to load... until then, the whole panel is frozen (along with basically everything else.)

Written by slsolaris the 12 Mar 09 at 02:56.

When we have a lot of icons in the notification area they should automatically be hidden, like in windows and KDE, with an arrow as you can see in the screen shot:
http://cybernetnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/SystemTrayCalendar.jpg

When we have a lot of icons in the notification area they should automatically be hidden, like in windows and KDE, with an arrow as you can see in the screen shot: http://cybernetnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/SystemTrayCalendar.jpg

Written by Shady3D the 28 Mar 09 at 08:42.

i want to be able to specify some applets to be in the middle of the panel and some in the left and some in the right but the problem is that some time when applet expands some empty spaces appear and it requires reorganizing.

i want to be able to specify some applets to be in the middle of the panel and some in the left and some in the right but the problem is that some time when applet expands some empty spaces appear and it requires reorganizing.

Written by Shady3D the 28 Mar 09 at 08:48.

i like to put panels one one the top and the other underneath it but what i restart panels or computer sometimes the lower panel becomes up so i have to switch them and i can't put the lower panel to the bottom as i have gnome-do dock.

i like to put panels one one the top and the other underneath it but what i restart panels or computer sometimes the lower panel becomes up so i have to switch them and i can't put the lower panel to the bottom as i have gnome-do dock.

Written by chappell101 the 28 Mar 09 at 23:42.

The mock up shown below is from Hylke's Home Blog and shows how just by perfectly sorting the spacing of the applet icons to match a grid and using a more typographic date/time a more professional appearance can be achieved. The icons spacing dynamically increases as the taskbar is increased in size to match visually! The subtle colour pallet grid also helps separate the content for legibility!



http://www.bomahy.nl/hylke/blog/ugly-notification-area-in-gnome/

The mock up shown below is from Hylke's Home Blog and shows how just by perfectly sorting the spacing of the applet icons to match a grid and using a more typographic date/time a more professional appearance can be achieved. The icons spacing dynamically increases as the taskbar is increased in size to match visually! The subtle colour pallet grid also helps separate the content for legibility! <img src="http://fc06.deviantart.com/fs30/f/2008/046/d/a/Tray_example_by_hbons.png" /> http://www.bomahy.nl/hylke/blog/ugly-notification-area-in-gnome/

Written by snooooopy8 the 8 May 09 at 08:47.

When you change background (color or image ) and you make a black panel you can't read the text anymore because it is black too.
If you want to change the font color... you have to create file in home or download special programs.

Why not add some customization option in the properties option like "font color"?

When you change background (color or image ) and you make a black panel you can't read the text anymore because it is black too. If you want to change the font color... you have to create file in home or download special programs. Why not add some customization option in the properties option like "font color"?

Written by phoenix the 21 May 09 at 10:21.

When I want to rearrange the applets on the panel, I find myself having to unlock each applet (including separators), move things around and then lock everything again.

With a default of 5-7 applets on the standard panel this is a bit cumbersome.

It would be convenient to right-click on any empty space on the panel and get an option to "Unlock All Applets" / "Lock All Applets".

When I want to rearrange the applets on the panel, I find myself having to unlock each applet (including separators), move things around and then lock everything again. With a default of 5-7 applets on the standard panel this is a bit cumbersome. It would be convenient to right-click on any empty space on the panel and get an option to "Unlock All Applets" / "Lock All Applets".

Written by yzarc the 10 Jun 09 at 15:05.

The only reason for I still need a panel fixed on my desktop is because i need put gnome applets there. There are some applet that I need to have always on my view (clock, system monitor, notification area, launchers, network, etc).

I'm suggest to a totally new behavior for gnome applet, they should be tread as gadgets that can be fix on a panel, on the desktop and ON THE BOARDS.

In the fist case they will work like they already work today. in the second case, they should work like gadgets. But in the last case they should work in an innovative way. Due my English limitation I will try to explain by mockups.

once on board is used to store an applet, one tine space of that board is reserved to show the miniaturization of that applet. As shown the mini-applet should be composed by only icons in such way that the user can get some information just look at it. the reserved space should be customizable.


here some idea of how the clock and system monitor could look like in the mini form.

The only reason for I still need a panel fixed on my desktop is because i need put gnome applets there. There are some applet that I need to have always on my view (clock, system monitor, notification area, launchers, network, etc). I'm suggest to a totally new behavior for gnome applet, they should be tread as gadgets that can be fix on a panel, on the desktop and ON THE BOARDS. In the fist case they will work like they already work today. in the second case, they should work like gadgets. But in the last case they should work in an innovative way. Due my English limitation I will try to explain by mockups. once on board is used to store an applet, one tine space of that board is reserved to show the miniaturization of that applet. As shown the mini-applet should be composed by only icons in such way that the user can get some information just look at it. the reserved space should be customizable. <img src="http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u8/spideryzarc/ubuntu/moc1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> here some idea of how the clock and system monitor could look like in the mini form. <img src="http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u8/spideryzarc/ubuntu/moc2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> on mouse hover or click the get the expanded form. the dimensions could be customized determining the amount of information display for some applet. <img src="http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u8/spideryzarc/ubuntu/moc3.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> Here the system monitor, also the possibility to fix the applet in the expanded form could be gave.

Written by Dragonfly the 22 Jul 09 at 10:13.

Add an option that allows launchers only be placed in the grid.

Add an option that allows launchers only be placed in the grid.

Written by Dragonfly the 25 Jul 09 at 20:58.

Add an option in preferences that allows switching classics launchers to the desktop there is a dock like the one in Mac OS X.

Add an option in preferences that allows switching classics launchers to the desktop there is a dock like the one in Mac OS X.

Written by _khAttAm_ the 21 Dec 09 at 15:41.

Two panels are not good. 2 panels takes up space and the upper panel is truoblesome. I have seen people having hard time with panels who just moved from Windows.

It should look something like this:
http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/7643/mockup.png

Two panels are not good. 2 panels takes up space and the upper panel is truoblesome. I have seen people having hard time with panels who just moved from Windows. It should look something like this: http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/7643/mockup.png

Written by _khAttAm_ the 21 Dec 09 at 15:46.

Gnome-panel should include support for themes. The themes should define how any panels are there and what kind of menus it contains. It should also define how different parts of panels look.

Gnome-panel should include support for themes. The themes should define how any panels are there and what kind of menus it contains. It should also define how different parts of panels look.

Written by jekristiansen the 22 Jan 10 at 23:13.

The panel should really have some option to choose from.
What i have in mind is multiple gradient color with support for tranparency on each one of them.
It should also have support for animations, and how about support for screensavers?
Glass effects would be something too?
This way, anyone can make their choice in how they want to customize the panel, and it could even overcome the KDE panels
Here is a mockup of how it "could" look
http://www.4shared.com/file/206213772/5fde7b97/Ubuntu_Mockup.html

The panel should really have some option to choose from. What i have in mind is multiple gradient color with support for tranparency on each one of them. It should also have support for animations, and how about support for screensavers? Glass effects would be something too? This way, anyone can make their choice in how they want to customize the panel, and it could even overcome the KDE panels Here is a mockup of how it "could" look http://www.4shared.com/file/206213772/5fde7b97/Ubuntu_Mockup.html

Written by etrusco the 4 Feb 10 at 09:50.

Let's stop with the applet positioning madness. Just do what the XFCE launcher do!
Or at least add the option to do so...

Let's stop with the applet positioning madness. Just do what the XFCE launcher do! Or at least add the option to do so...

Written by joehms22 the 6 Feb 10 at 16:03.

use a simple background image on the panel.

http://picasaweb.google.com/joehms22/Ubuntu#5435161341042485586

The pictures uses a simple gradient.

use a simple background image on the panel. http://picasaweb.google.com/joehms22/Ubuntu#5435161341042485586 The pictures uses a simple gradient.