Ubuntu – Can global application menu be made to behave better with GIMP

You can have global menu integration for any Java based application that implements a JMenubar by installing Jayatana:

• Copy this script
• Save it in your Desktop or Home directory .
• Open a terminal, type cd ~/
• Type again: bash path_to_the_newly_saved_script

• Follow instructions (You need an internet connection).

  #!/bin/bash

  # ----------------------------------------------
  # Author: hanynowsky@gmail.com
  # Before executing this script make sure 
  # you're in your home directory `cd $HOME`
  #--------------------------------------------------
  
  # -------------------------------------NOTICE------------
  # APPLICABLE ONLY IN UBUNTU UNITY 
  # This script installs Jayatana for your JDKs 
  # It supposes you already have set your JAVA_HOME in ~/.bashrc
  # You will be prompted to choose which JDK to set as Default 
  # (choose the corresponding index).
  # In case you already installed jayatana and want to re-install, 
  # please uninstall then install again.
  # ------------------------------------------------------
  
  # -------------------------------------LICENSE--------------------
  #Licensed under the GNU LGPL, Version 3.0 (the "License");
  # you may not use this file except in compliance with the License
  # ----------------------------------------------------------------
  
  #JDKPATH=`echo $JAVA_HOME | sed -e 's/bash://g' | sed -e 's/Is a directory//g'`
  #JDKPATH=eval "echo $JAVA_HOME"
  JDKPATH=`echo $JAVA_HOME | grep [^*]`
  USERHOME=`echo $HOME`
  JAYATANADD="http://java-swing-ayatana.googlecode.com/svn/tags/1.2.4/jayatana"
  
  # INSTALL 
  INSTALLCOM () {
  sudo apt-get -y install openjdk-7-jdk libunity-dev libxt-dev gcc make ant subversion 
  sudo update-java-alternatives -s java-1.7.0-openjdk-amd64 
  svn checkout $JAYATANADD 
  sudo ant install -buildfile $USERHOME/jayatana/build.xml -v
  sudo ant config -v 
  sudo update-alternatives --config java 
  sudo update-alternatives --config javac
  sudo ant install -Djava.home.7=/usr/lib/jvm/java-7-openjdk-amd64 -f $USERHOME/jayatana/build.xml -v -l $USERHOME/Desktop/jayatana-stall.log
  sudo ant config -Djava.home.7=$JDKPATH -f ~/jayatana/build.xml -v -l $USERHOME/Desktop/jayatana-stall.log
  }
  
  # UNINSTALL
  UNINSTALLCOM (){
  sudo ant deinstall -buildfile $USERHOME/jayatana/build.xml -v
  sudo ant deconfig -buildfile $USERHOME/jayatana/build.xml -v
  sudo ant deconfig -Djava.home.7=$JDKPATH -f $USERHOME/jayatana/build.xml -v -l $USERHOME/Desktop/jayatana-stall.log
  }
  
  # DELETE Jayatana Folder created by subversion checkout
  UNDIR() {
  read -p "Delete Jayatana Folder too? Enter ( y ) to delete or ( n ) otherwise : " choice
  if [ "$choice" = "y" ]; then mv $HOME/jayatana $HOME/.local/share/Trash/files/
  elif [ "$option" = "n" ]; then echo"Jayatana Folder is kept by $USER";
  echo "you can delete it later : ~/jayatana";
  else echo "Jayatana Folder is kept by $USER , you can delete it later : ~/jayatana";
  fi
  }
  
  # COMMON
  COMMON() {
  echo "$JDKPATH : is your default JDK. Version: " 
  echo `java -version`
  }
  eval COMMON;
  read -p "Enter ( i ) to install or ( u ) to uninstall : " option
  if [ "$option" = "i" ]; then eval INSTALLCOM
  elif [ "$option" = "u" ]; then eval UNINSTALLCOM;eval UNDIR;
  else echo "Aborted by $USER";
  fi
  exit 0;
  

You can see detailed information in this post: Ubuntu Global Menu Support for Java Applications

For ECLIPSE, this is different. The package ECLIPSE is blacklisted in the library libappmenu.so because its integration with Global Menu is somehow broken (menus are sometimes dupmlicated and disordered). Same goes for EMACS23 (Dynamic menus do not appear when using global menu). So they're blacklisted, until developers provide a global fix.

This has been fixed in Ubuntu 11.04 which will be released later in April. The full application title shows up except when you mouseover the title which reveals the File, Edit, View menu instead.