Customizing the appearance of your Ubuntu top bar can help you streamline your workspace and focus on what matters most. One useful tweak is showing or hiding the week day in the top bar clock. This allows you to have quick access to the day of the week, which can be handy for scheduling or planning. Whether you prefer a cleaner look or need the extra information, this guide will walk you through the process of controlling the display of the week day in Ubuntu’s top bar. Before you start, ensure your system is up to date and you have access to a terminal or GNOME Tweaks, as some steps involve command-line or configuration file edits.
What You’ll Need
- Ubuntu system with GNOME desktop environment (default in recent Ubuntu versions)
- Access to terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T)
- Optional: GNOME Tweaks tool installed for easier customization
Step-by-Step
- Open the terminal by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T or searching for “Terminal” in the application menu.
- Check your current clock settings by running the command:
-
gsettings get org.gnome.desktop.interface clock-show-weekday
- This command returns either true or false, indicating if the week day is currently shown. To show the week day, run:
-
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface clock-show-weekday true
- To hide the week day, run:
-
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface clock-show-weekday false
- After executing the command, check the top bar clock to confirm the change. If the week day still doesn’t appear or disappear, try restarting GNOME Shell by pressing Alt+F2, typing ‘r’, and pressing Enter (this works in Xorg sessions).
- If you prefer a graphical way, install GNOME Tweaks if you haven’t already:
-
sudo apt update && sudo apt install gnome-tweaks
- Open GNOME Tweaks from the application menu, navigate to the “Top Bar” section, and toggle the “Show Weekday” option if available.
- Alternatively, if your Ubuntu version doesn’t support direct toggle in Tweaks, stick to the command-line method described above.
Common Mistakes
- Trying to change the setting without using the correct schema or key, which results in no change.
- Forgetting to restart GNOME Shell after making changes, especially if the clock does not update immediately.
- Using an unsupported Ubuntu or GNOME version that doesn’t recognize the ‘clock-show-weekday’ setting.
- Editing configuration files manually without backing up original files, risking misconfiguration.
Tips
- Always back up your dconf database before making manual edits:
-
dconf dump / > ~/dconf-backup.txt
- Use the command line for quick toggling, but prefer GUI tools like GNOME Tweaks for more visual control.
- If you want to customize the date format further, you can modify the ‘clock-format’ setting in dconf.
- Keep your system updated to ensure compatibility with GNOME settings and features.
Troubleshooting
- If the week day does not show or hide after executing the commands, try restarting GNOME Shell with Alt+F2, then typing ‘r’ and pressing Enter. Note: this shortcut works only in Xorg sessions, not Wayland.
- In case the setting reverts after a reboot, create a startup script that applies your preferred setting automatically.
- If the commands produce errors, verify your GNOME version and ensure the ‘org.gnome.desktop.interface’ schema supports ‘clock-show-weekday’.
- Use the command:
-
gsettings list-recursively org.gnome.desktop.interface
to see all available keys and confirm ‘clock-show-weekday’ exists.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I show the week day only on specific days?
No, the setting is binary—either it shows the week day all the time or not at all. To customize display per day, you’d need a more complex script or third-party extension.
Will changing this setting affect other GNOME components?
Generally, no. It only affects the top bar clock display.
Is there a way to customize how the week day appears?
Yes, by modifying the ‘clock-format’ setting, you can include or exclude the weekday in the overall date/time format.
Does this work on Wayland sessions too?
Some GNOME settings behave differently under Wayland; however, the ‘gsettings’ commands usually work, but the shell restart method (‘r’) does not apply. You may need to log out and log back in to see changes.
How can I revert to default settings if something goes wrong?
Run
gsettings reset org.gnome.desktop.interface clock-show-weekday
to restore the default behavior.
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