I want to be able to minimize my programs on the panel that has Applications, Places, and System.

Simple, just delete the task switcher applet from the bottom bar and add one to the top bar.

I'm sorry, did you mean the Workspace Switcher?

No, I mean the task switcher. That may not be the real word, I last used Gnome a year or so ago, but there is an applet that has the function you mean. It may help to do a right click on the existing applet to find out its name or to have a look at the descriptions of the applets.

Edit: It may be named Tasklist.

It will be called "windows list".

You can also move the entire bottom panel to the top.

Thank You, and, not being able to see it in the panel reminds me that I can see things that I ordinarily couldn't by changing the color of the desktop. I just forgot how to do it!

Is this in relation to the panel?

No matter the color of the desktop you should be able to see things on the panel unless you have too much transparency on the panel. Panel color and transparency are controlled by "preferences" in the right click menu when clicked on the panel.

Color for the desktop is controlled in the Appearance>Background tool. I have to think about this because I no longer use Gnome although I do have it on my secure business OS. I only use that occasionally.

The reason is Xfce4.8. You may want to keep that in mind if you decide you do not like Unity or Gnome Shell.

I also quit using Ubuntu but do have Xubuntu 12.04-testing on here out of habit I guess as a long time Ubuntu tester. It has Xfce4.8 and looks like a pretty nice release coming up on the midway point (roughly) in development.

I prefer Xfce4.8 quite a bit to the Gnome2 panel system. I like my panel(s) on the top and can do as much in 1 panel that took 2 panels in Gnome.

Yup, just a promotional message.

The window list is really hard to see, it's just a set of three horizontal lines. So, how I fixed this is to change the desktop theme by right clicking on the desktop and choosing change background, then theme tab. all else that has to be done is to drag three of those lines to the left, the other three stay by the system clock.

Do you know how to change the close, maximize, and minimize buttons to the right of a window?

If I had the thing in front of me I could do it in my sleep.

Can't remember exactly where it is with out going to it though.

It is in gconf-editor though. Could be under metacity.

There is a "key" there that currently lists the buttons and their current order with a : at one end of the line. Move it to the other and rearrange the buttons as you like.

I found it at gconf-editor, apps > metacity > general, button_layout, and changed into

Glad you found it.

Hope it all looks the way you want now.