# Can I move the top bar to the second display?

**URL:** <https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/can-i-move-the-top-bar-to-the-second-display/2582>\
**Category:** Budgie Desktop\
**Created:** [October 23, 2019, 7:00am UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/can-i-move-the-top-bar-to-the-second-display/2582 "2019-10-23T07:00:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 12\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ubuntuaddict](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/ubuntuaddict/32/1683_2.png) [@ubuntuaddict](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/ubuntuaddict)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2019, 7:00am UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/can-i-move-the-top-bar-to-the-second-display/2582/1 "2019-10-23T07:00:35Z")

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Hi there !

I’m a long time Windows and Linux user, but I keep Windows on my main computer so I can use Lightroom for editing photos (professional) and playing Counter Strike. Still, I’m trying Ubuntu Budgie on a Live USB to see how it works on my main PC cause it looks clean and very fun.

But I wonder if I can switch the top bar to the second display. It seems that it won’t be possible as the display settings manager tells me that the Primary Display contains top bar and activities, but maybe there’s a way to change that (it seems strange to me that a DE does not allow that).

Thank you for your help.

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**Author:** ![fossfreedom](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/fossfreedom/32/1405_2.png) [@fossfreedom](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/fossfreedom)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2019, 7:31am UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/can-i-move-the-top-bar-to-the-second-display/2582/2 "2019-10-23T07:31:15Z")

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For the moment you need to use Settings - Displays to switch the position of your monitors - just drag the monitor position around.

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**Author:** ![ubuntuaddict](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/ubuntuaddict/32/1683_2.png) [@ubuntuaddict](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/ubuntuaddict)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2019, 7:47am UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/can-i-move-the-top-bar-to-the-second-display/2582/3 "2019-10-23T07:47:52Z")

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It won’t change the fact that the primary display will have the top bar on it. I want the top bar to be on the second display.

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**Author:** ![fossfreedom](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/fossfreedom/32/1405_2.png) [@fossfreedom](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/fossfreedom)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2019, 8:15am UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/can-i-move-the-top-bar-to-the-second-display/2582/4 "2019-10-23T08:15:11Z")

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Its been a long while since I played in this area but I seem to remember there is a black bar above the primary display - you need to drag that to the display that is to be the primary.

This is an old picture I found that should be hopefully reflective of the current capabilities

 ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/uploads/ubuntubudgie/original/2X/8/842ebce3647103befc7e55f0ffc602ba4f87bd78.jpeg)

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**Author:** ![ubuntuaddict](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/ubuntuaddict/32/1683_2.png) [@ubuntuaddict](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/ubuntuaddict)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2019, 11:42am UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/can-i-move-the-top-bar-to-the-second-display/2582/5 "2019-10-30T11:42:54Z")

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This work for Gnome but this is not a Budgie feature. The top bar can’t move from the primary screen.

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**Author:** ![fossfreedom](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/fossfreedom/32/1405_2.png) [@fossfreedom](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/fossfreedom)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2019, 9:01am UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/can-i-move-the-top-bar-to-the-second-display/2582/6 "2019-10-31T09:01:36Z")

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ok - when you have two or more displays you can switch which display is the primary display. If you do that then the panel etc will switch to the new primary display (Settings - Display)

budgie only supports a primary display - so you cannot have a primary display and move that panel to a secondary display.

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**Author:** ![BFG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@BFG](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/BFG)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2020, 11:20am UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/can-i-move-the-top-bar-to-the-second-display/2582/7 "2020-05-02T11:20:08Z")

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Definitely a top requirement for dual display workers to use the entire real estate.  
Use case is not a “secondary” display such as for projectors etc. It’s more of a permanent 3840x1080 display, and being able to put desktop controls anywhere is a powerful addition 🙂

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**Author:** ![fossfreedom](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/fossfreedom/32/1405_2.png) [@fossfreedom](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/fossfreedom)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2020, 12:11pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/can-i-move-the-top-bar-to-the-second-display/2582/8 "2020-05-02T12:11:20Z")

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There is a patch to budgie desktop that someone developed but never submitted to upstream that apparently allows for multi screen panels.

No idea how good it is but should really be investigated.

It’s currently sitting in one of the forks of budgie-desktop in github developed about a year ago from memory

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**Author:** ![fossfreedom](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/fossfreedom/32/1405_2.png) [@fossfreedom](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/fossfreedom)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2020, 12:39pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/can-i-move-the-top-bar-to-the-second-display/2582/9 "2020-05-02T12:39:17Z")

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2 posts were merged into an existing topic: [Icon Task List or other dock alternative - With app names?](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/icon-task-list-or-other-dock-alternative-with-app-names/3482/3)

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**Author:** ![Wyrlin](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/wyrlin/32/3342_2.png) [@Wyrlin](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/Wyrlin)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2021, 5:57am UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/can-i-move-the-top-bar-to-the-second-display/2582/10 "2021-05-12T05:57:11Z")

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The line showing “Primary Display 1 Built-in display” in fossfreedoms picture above, is - in Ubuntu 18.04 at least - clickable, and will let you select which screen is the primary one.

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**Author:** ![evc](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/evc/32/4932_2.png) [@evc](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/evc)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2024, 4:40pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/can-i-move-the-top-bar-to-the-second-display/2582/11 "2024-11-11T16:40:19Z")

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Just nudging this in 2024? Is this feature available? I’m trying LTS 24.04.1 and loving it but wish the top bar and dock could show up on all 3 monitors.

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**Author:** ![fossfreedom](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/fossfreedom/32/1405_2.png) [@fossfreedom](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/fossfreedom)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2024, 5:29pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/can-i-move-the-top-bar-to-the-second-display/2582/12 "2024-11-11T17:29:07Z")

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I did produce a patch todo this a while back but it needed refining. I havent had the time to revist this

> <https://github.com/BuddiesOfBudgie/budgie-desktop/pull/97>
>
> \## Description
> This is for iterating on only - i.e. not ready in any shape or f…orm - feel free to take run/hide/reimplement/whatever. 
> 
> The purpose of this is to show the areas of change if we want to implement multiple panels across multiple monitors
> 
> Current implementation has significant issues - so be aware how you adjust your monitor setup in budgie-control-center
> 
> 1. we cannot have two panels in the same position i.e. two top panels on different monitors
> 2. the set\_struts routine needs reworking to understand that panels can exist on different monitors and struts need to be per monitor
> 3. disconnecting a monitor should handle moving panels/not moving panels from the monitor to the primary display - it doesnt at the moment even though I think I have connected to the right display signals
> 
> So what this test code shows is that:
> 
> 1. when no monitors are connected (i.e. just a laptop screen) budgie-desktop-settings panel settings should just look normal
> 2. when a monitor is attached (logout and login I think) - panel settings should have a new option to set the display for the panel - the dropdown will have the monitor names
> 4. set - for example, one top panel on the laptop screen, set a second panel - right panel on the monitor screen.
> 5. add applets on each of the panels
> 6. logout and login - panels should be displayed as you left them - i.e. laptop top panel, monitor right panel.