If you set extended state to MAXIMAZED_BOTH before showing frame
it will be shown in normal state on Linux (the same program works
well on Windows). The test fails with 1.4.2 and later (have not tried earlier
versions)
import java.awt.Frame;

public class ext_state_test {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Frame f = new Frame("");
        f.setExtendedState(Frame.MAXIMIZED_BOTH); // interchange with following line
        f.setVisible(true);
    }
}