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Alternative Toobar is a plugin that enhances the Rhythmbox play controls and interface, including optional headerbars for GNOME-based desktops.

Rhythmbox Alternative Toolbar
Rhythmbox with Alternative Toobar 0.17.1 with the new dark theme option enabled (using Adwaita theme / headerbars / GNOME Shell)

The plugin was updated to version 0.17.1 recently, which brings the following changes:
  • added an option to use a dark theme (this works with themes that include a dark theme, like Adwaita);
  • added an option to display the categories horizontally of vertically;
  • fixed displaying the app-menu in Budgie Desktop;
  • added an option (only available via gsettings / Dconf Editor) to force the display of the app-menu (GNOME menu) if required;
  • correctly toggle the search button using Ctrl + F (when using headerbar only).

Here's Rhythmbox Alternative Toolbar under Unity, using classic window borders and vertical categories:

Rhythmbox Alternative Toolbar


And another screenshot under Unity (Ubuntu 16.04), with the "Modern" (headerbar) option enabled in the Rhythmbox Alternative Toolbar preferences:

Rhythmbox Alternative Toolbar

While Rhythmbox Alternative toolbar was initially started as a simple plugin to change some parts of the Rhythmbox toolbar, it has evolved and the plugin can now change the sidebar, enable client-side decorations (headerbars), use a compact style toolbar and much more.

Here's a list of Rhythmbox Alternative Toolbar features:

  • allows toggling between headerbars ("Modern" option in plugin settings) and classic window decorations
  • use compact controls for the Rhythmbox toolbar;
  • redesigned sidebar;
  • redesigned plugin window, about box and plugin preferences window;
  • allows moving columns (title, artist, etc.) using drang'n'drop;
  • Source Toolbars can be toggled (CTRL + T or from the menu: View > Show Source Toolbar);
  • option to display album/genre/year for playing song;
  • volume Control can be switched on or off for all toolbars;
  • seek forward (fast-forward) through a track (ALT + Right Arrow) and backward (ALT + Left Arrow);
  • repeat button can switch between repeat tracks and repeat-one-song mode;
  • and of course, the recently added features mentioned above.


Install Rhythmbox Alternative Toolbar in Ubuntu or Linux Mint


Rhythmbox Alternative Toolbar is available in the Ubuntu 16.04 and 16.10 repositories (however, the latest 0.17.1 version is only available in the Ubuntu 16.10 Yakkety Yak repositories) as wells Debian (version 0.17.1 in sid and 0.16.3 in stretch). To install it, simply use the following command:
sudo apt install rhythmbox-alternative-toolbar

To install the latest Rhythmbox Alternative Toolbar in Ubuntu 16.04, 15.10 or 14.04 / Linux Mint 18 or 17.x, you can use a PPA. 

To add the PPA and install the plugin, use the following commands:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:fossfreedom/rhythmbox-plugins
sudo apt update
sudo apt install rhythmbox-plugin-alternative-toolbar

For source, installation instructions for other Linux distributions, bug reports and more information about Rhythmbox Alternative Toolbar, see its GitHub page.

update via xpressubuntu