How to Fix Missing Menu Bar in Cursor Editor on Ubuntu

To Nha Notes | Oct. 29, 2025, 4:23 p.m.

Problem

If you're using Cursor AI code editor on Ubuntu and the menu bar (File, Edit, View, etc.) is not visible, even after changing the menu bar visibility settings, you're not alone. This is a common issue related to how Cursor handles window decorations on Linux systems.

Quick Solution

The fix requires setting two configuration options together:

1. Open Command Palette with Ctrl+Shift+P
2. Type: Preferences: Open User Settings (JSON)
3. Add these two lines to your settings:

{
  "window.menuBarVisibility": "classic",
  "window.titleBarStyle": "custom"
}

4. Save the file (Ctrl+S)
5. Reload the window: Ctrl+Shift+P → "Developer: Reload Window"

Why This Works

The key is the combination of both settings:

• window.menuBarVisibility: "classic" - Ensures the menu bar is always visible
• window.titleBarStyle: "custom" - Uses Cursor's custom title bar instead of the system's native one

On Ubuntu (especially with GNOME), the native title bar can conflict with the application menu rendering. Setting a custom title bar style resolves this conflict and allows the menu bar to display properly.

Alternative Quick Access

If you need quick access to the menu while troubleshooting:

• Press Alt key - This temporarily shows the menu bar (if set to "toggle" mode)
• Use Ctrl+Shift+P - Opens Command Palette for accessing any command