How do I autohide the top panel in Unity?

Question

When windows are not maximized, the top panel is basically wasted space for me in Unity.

Is there a way to make it autohide? i.e. make it appear on mouse over.

Solution 1

You can't currently autohide the panel in Unity. It is also not a planned feature.

There are ways you could possibly make the panel autohide:

• Post an idea on Ubuntu Brainstorm to add this option and hope a developer sees it and implements it or creates a for with this feature.
• Report a bug on Launchpad stating that this option should be available and hope a developer sees it and implements it or creates a for with this feature. This will probably get marked as opinion or invalid or at best a wishlist bug.
• Get the code and add this option then merge with trunk or create your own fork.

None of these are immediate or even likely.

Solution 2

You can make it transparent. With ComprizConfig Settings Manager installed and the Unity plugin enabled you can change the panel's opacity to zero under the Experimental tab. With a light background and light coloured text or a dark background and dark coloured the panel will almost disappear but the icons and menu links will still be there.

Comments

[Ciro Santilli OurBigBook.com]

I could not find a launchpad bug, so I've created one: bugs.launchpad.net/unity/+bug/1517733 Let's upvote it until it gets done.

[Chriskin]

and it will still waste space - this doesn't really change anything. Unless the op's question was of a purely aesthetical nature

[Stefan Haustein]

With the global menu gone, this is a giant waste of space, in particular on modern 21:9 screens.

[Drachenfels]

And what is more will not help at all while gaming. Windowed full screen games are snapped to top task bar, so your game in full screen more will end up behind edges of the screen. Well done Unity. :D

[Jean Jordaan]

Glaringly obvious waste of space.

[Ciro Santilli OurBigBook.com]

I've created a launchpad bug: askubuntu.com/a/699885/52975

[Stephen Niedzielski]

@CiroSantilli六四事件法轮功包卓轩 Santilli Bug is here :) bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/unity/+bug/1517733

[Ciro Santilli OurBigBook.com]

@StephenNiedzielski thanks! Work should lead to rep. Sigh ~~