Moving a panel to the top of the screen in Linux Mint’s Cinnamon desktop shifts workflow focus and creates a cleaner workspace. Right-clicking on the panel and selecting Panel edit mode enables panel movement. Drag the panel to the top or select the top position from the panel settings for immediate effect. This adjustment is especially useful for users who prefer a macOS- or GNOME-like layout, allowing essential applets and launchers to remain easily accessible while freeing up screen space below.

Configuring Panel Properties and Appearance

Step 1: Right-click on any empty section of the panel and select Panel Settings. The settings dialog provides granular control over the panel’s size, position, and visibility. Adjust the panel height for better icon scaling, choose auto-hide behavior to maximize usable screen area, and set the panel to span the full width or only a portion of the screen. These options allow users to tailor the panel for single or multi-monitor setups.

Step 2: Navigate to the Appearance tab within the panel settings. Here, you can refine the panel’s color, transparency, and shadow effects. Toggling custom panel themes and adjusting text color creates a visually distinct interface. Transparency settings, in particular, can help the panel blend with custom wallpapers or accentuate selected themes.

Adding and Organizing Panels

Step 1: To introduce a new panel, open Panel Settings and click the + button. Position the new panel on any screen edge—top, bottom, left, or right. This flexibility supports workflows that benefit from multiple panels, such as separating application launchers from system indicators.

Step 2: Use the up and down arrows in the panel settings to change the order of panels when more than one is present. Assign different auto-hide or visibility behaviors to each panel, allowing for a combination of always-on and on-demand panels. For example, a left-side panel can house favorite applications, while a top panel manages system notifications and workspace controls.

Adding and Customizing Applets

Step 1: Right-click on the desired panel and choose Add applets to panel. Cinnamon organizes applets into categories such as system tools, desktop components, and status indicators. Select applets relevant to your workflow—common choices include the menu launcher, window list, calendar, sound, and network manager.

Step 2: To arrange applets, enable Panel edit mode by right-clicking the panel. Drag applets to new positions or right-click an applet and select Move for precise placement. Applets can be organized into three panel zones: left (launchers and menus), center (task lists), and right (system indicators and clock). This structure helps maintain an intuitive and efficient layout.

Step 3: For users who want different sets of launchers or custom launch commands, Cinnamon’s Panel Launcher applet supports multiple instances. Add several launcher applets to different panel zones or panels, each with its own set of application shortcuts. This method is particularly effective for grouping launchers by category or usage frequency.

Restoring or Creating Custom Applets

Standard applets that go missing after configuration changes or system resets can typically be restored through the Add applets to panel dialog. If an applet is unavailable, updating system packages or clearing the applet cache may resolve the issue. For applets that group launchers together and restrict movement, adding multiple instances of the launcher applet allows for more granular organization. Each instance can be placed independently, providing flexibility that grouped launchers do not.

For advanced customization, users can create their own applets or modify existing ones by exploring Cinnamon’s applet development documentation. However, for most users, leveraging multiple launcher applets and configuring their icons and commands directly from the panel interface is the most streamlined approach.

Applying Advanced Visual Tweaks with CSS

Visual characteristics such as rounded corners, floating panels, and transparency can be achieved by editing the Cinnamon theme’s cinnamon.css file. For example, to create a floating top panel with rounded corners and a translucent background, add the following CSS at the end of the theme’s cinnamon.css file:


.panel-top {
    font-weight: bold;
    background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.65);
    border-radius: 19px;
    margin-left: 3px;
    margin-right: 3px;
    padding-left: 12px;
    padding-right: 12px;
}

Set the panel height to 40px in the panel settings for optimal appearance. For a dock-style bottom panel, additional CSS can be applied to the .panel-bottom and .panel-bottom .panelCenter classes. This technique allows for floating, semi-transparent docks and custom shapes, although some limitations exist regarding window overlap and edge detection. CSS changes take effect immediately after saving and reloading the theme or restarting Cinnamon.

Users seeking even more control over hidden or advanced panel settings can install dconf-editor and navigate to org/cinnamon/panels to adjust animation timing, rendering options, and behavior triggers not exposed in the standard GUI.

Integrating Docks and External Tools

For those who prefer a macOS-style dock or want to supplement the Cinnamon panel, installing Plank provides a dedicated dock that can be themed and positioned independently. Use the following command to install Plank:


sudo apt install plank

After installation, download or create a custom Plank theme and copy it to /usr/share/plank/themes/. Select the new theme in Plank’s preferences and configure icon size, alignment, and auto-hide behavior for a streamlined launcher experience. Plank can be set to start automatically by adding it to the system’s startup applications.

Combining Cinnamon panels with Plank offers a flexible environment where the panel handles system indicators and workspace management, while the dock provides quick access to favorite applications.

Panel Maintenance and Troubleshooting

Occasionally, panels may become unresponsive or applets may disappear. Resetting the panel configuration, restarting Cinnamon, or checking for conflicting applets typically resolves these issues. Regularly update applets and remove unused ones to optimize performance. Back up panel and applet settings before making extensive changes, especially when editing theme files or system directories. If the panel layout resets unexpectedly, check file permissions on configuration files and verify system stability after updates or theme changes.

Customizing panel layouts and applets in Mint’s Cinnamon desktop transforms the user experience by streamlining access to applications and system information. Experiment with different configurations, CSS tweaks, and external docks to find the setup that best matches your workflow and visual preferences.