For some reason, with each new major version, Ubuntu keeps changing the location of the minimize maximize and close buttons on the window decorations. Its really annoying because as soon as you get used to one way, they put it back the other way. Once and for all I wanted to fix this problem and have my buttons where they should be, where they have always been (for me this was on the right having come from windows)
gconftool-2 --set /apps/metacity/general/button_layout --type string ":minimize,maximize,close"
Now at least I can get used to them in the right place!
EDIT: For ubuntu 13.04 you need to do this:
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.wm.preferences button-layout ':minimize,maximize,close'
Giles Bathgate 