Ubuntu – How to resize a window when the edge is hidden by overlay scrollbars

overlay-scrollbarsunity

I'd like to resize a window inside an application but the edge I need to grab is hidden by overlay scrollbars. I don't want to completely disable overlay scrollbars, that's been asked and answered.

Here is a visual example illustrating the problem. The edge with the tiny markings indicating it can be grabbed and resized are hidden by the overlay scrollbars each time I move the mouse to it:

overlay-scrollbar-preventing-window-resize

Best Answer

It works for me to position the mouse pointer just a little outside the border of the window (above the scrollbar), then move it a little up or down (in a straight line, until it is outside the scrollbar), then the resize icon appears.

Alternatively, you can wait a few seconds while keeping the mouse above the overlay scrollbar, the overlay scrollbar will disappear (fade away), the resize icon will appear.

Edit

Toggling between scroll modes with a shortcut key combination

Since you mentioned in a comment that toggling between scroll modes would be helpful, you can simply toggle the scrollbar mode to "normal" and back to "overlay" by putting the script below under a convenient key combination. It recognizes the current scrollbar mode, and switches between "normal" and "overlay-auto".

How to use

  1. Copy the script below into an empty file, save it as toggle_scrollbar.py

  2. Test the script by running it from a terminal window with the command:

     python3 /path/to/toggle_scrollbar.py

  3. If all works fine, make it available under a shortcut key combination: System Settings > "Keyboard" > "Shortcuts" > "Custom Shortcuts". Click the "+" and add the command.

The script:

#!/usr/bin/env python3
import subprocess

get = lambda cmd: subprocess.check_output(["/bin/bash", "-c", cmd]).decode("utf-8").strip()
def set_value(cmd):
    subprocess.Popen(["/bin/bash", "-c", cmd])

if get("gsettings get com.canonical.desktop.interface scrollbar-mode") != "'normal'":
    cmd = "gsettings set com.canonical.desktop.interface scrollbar-mode 'normal'"
else:
    cmd = "gsettings set com.canonical.desktop.interface scrollbar-mode 'overlay-auto'"

set_value(cmd)
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