All of the dockapps below are available in the standard Ubuntu repositories. Most of these, and many additional dockapps, can be found at Dockapps.org. Also, as hinted in the opening paragraph, most of these are designed with Windowmaker in mind, which is why so many start with the letters wm.

wmsmpmon

CPU monitor focusing on multi-core processors. It will show you graphs indicating the workload of each core. The example screenshot here is demonstrating that one core of a 2-core chip is very busy while the other is mostly idle.

Notes: Clicking on the main graph will toggle different graph mode options. If you have a preferred mode, you can specify it at the command line with

wmsmpmon -g # 1, 2, or 3

mixer.app

A simple and clean volume adjustment dockapp. The controls can be set to handle different sound sources, so it’s simple to customize. Details on specifying a sound source can be found in mixer.app’s man page.

Notes: While the package is mixer.app, the executable is capitalized as Mixer.app, and that’s what you’ll need to launch it.

wmauda

A remote control dockapp for Audacious. Can be used to launch the program and control playback. Includes things like start, stop, and next, but no volume control. Because of that, it combines well with mixer.app.

Notes: Inactive icon and launch command can be set from the command line when starting wmauda.

wmdiskmon

With this dockapp, you can monitor multiple drives and partitions for use. Each drive can be specified from the command line. For example, the command used to launch the instance shown in the screen shot was

wmdiskmon -p /dev/sdb1 -p /dev/sdb2 -p /dev/sda1

wmforkplop

This uses pulses of glowing light in the background to show forking activity, and more detailed text information showing the top processes in the foreground. It’s a clever way to add a piece of useful eye candy on top of already valuable information.

Notes: You can pass the --no-top or --no-fork options at the command line to show only forking or process information.

wmhdplop

Similar to wmforkplop, this dockapp shows you bright spots during times of high activity. If you’re looking for something with a lot of precision, wmhdplop may not be for you. The bursts of light just give a general idea of activity as opposed to a specific percentage.

Notes: During times of high disk activity, wmhdplop can show an indicator at the top of the box indicating the current data rate.

wmmemload

A memory and swap notification app. Backlight can be toggled by clicking pretty much anywhere inside the box.

Notes: Some find this app more useful if you pass it the -b and -c options on startup to avoid counting buffers and cache.

wmmisc

A very multifunctional litle dockapp, wmmisc shows you the current user count, total process count, running process count, uptime and load average. In other words, some of the most useful information not provided by the previously mentioned apps.

Notes: Unfortunately, there are essentially no config options for wmmisc and you can’t change the information it displays.

If you’ve got any other favorite dockapps, make sure to drop a comment below.

8 Of The Best Linux Dockapps originally published on Make Tech Easier (RSS)

1. Control + F3

Press Control + F3 (If you are on a laptop you’ll need to hold the Fn key as well) to highlight the Dock. You can then use the arrow keys to navigate to the Window you want to un-minimize and press Enter. This is the best free and native solution, but it is a little clumsy (especially on laptops) and potentially involves a lot of keystrokes if you have a large Dock.

2. Spotlight

Press Command + Space to bring up Spotlight. Type the name of the Application you want to bring back from the dock and highlight the name of the app under the “Applications” header and press Enter (often it will also be the “Top Hit”). Note that this only seems to work consistently with Apple Apps (iTunes, Mail, etc.). Third-party app support for this method is inconsistent- for example with Firefox it will only un-minimize the last window you minimized.

3.Command + Tab

Press Command + Tab to bring up the application-switch box. Command-Tab to the application you want, and before you release the Command button, hold Option. Release both keys. This method will only open the last window you minimized, and support for third-party apps is inconsistent.

4. Quicksilver

Download Quicksilver (free) from Blacktree Software.

The default for entering a command is Control + Space, after which you type in the name of the Application you want to un-minimize. Again this has its limitations- there is no option to choose which window you want to open and it only un-minimizes the last window you minimized.

5. Witch

The best solution is unfortunately not freeware, but if you really want to put this issue to rest, Witch from ManyTricks (the same developers that brought you Name Mangler) is by far the best solution. Witch is like Command-Tab but for windows instead of applications, and can cycle between all the windows you might have minimized at a given time regardless of what Application they belong to. While we don’t usually recommend non-freeware programs, the $16 cost is well worth it if you use a lot of windows and don’t like to leave your keyboard.

Do you have any other ways of un-minimizing a window once it’s trapped in the Dock? Leave a comment!

5 Ways to Un-Minimize Finder Windows in OS X originally published on Make Tech Easier (RSS)

One thing is different though, Gnome-Do Docky is intuitive and can automatically add items to your dock based on your search pattern.

To install (or upgrade to) the latest version of Gnome-Do, you need to add the repository to your sources.list.

gksu gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

Add the following lines to the end of the file. Save and close the file.

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/do-core/ppa/ubuntu intrepid main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/do-core/ppa/ubuntu intrepid main

Update the repository

sudo apt-get update

If you have already installed Gnome-Do, type

sudo apt-get upgrade

to upgrade to the latest version.

For a new install, type

sudo apt-get install gnome-do

To make sure that the Docky works properly, you will need to have a compositing manager in your Desktop. If your computer supports Compiz, you can proceed on to launch Gnome-Do. If not, you will have to turn on the metacity compositing manager.

Turn on metacity compositing manager (only if Compiz does not work in your computer)

In the terminal, type

gconf-editor

Navigate to Apps->Metacity->General. On the right, scroll down till you see the compositing manager option. Put a check in the box beside it.

Close the window.

Activate Gnome Do (Applications->Accessories->Gnome Do)

On the window that shows up on the centre of the screen, click on the arrow button on the top right corner and select Preferences. Click on the Appearance tab. Under the theme dropdown bar, select Docky.

You should now see the dock appear at the bottom of your desktop.

There are several features found in the Docky that are worthy mentioning:

• Drag and Drop items onto or remove from the Dock (files, folders, and applications from the menu)
• Drag and Drop items into folders on the dock, as well as the trash can.
• Image previews of items which support it
• True parabolic zoom (can be disabled)
• Click animations
• Intuitive resizing by dragging on the dock separator
• Adding and removing “Statistical Items” (items which Do considers relevant to you) from the dock by dragging the left and right edges
• Window indicators (supports advanced window indicators)
• Advanced window management features via the Window Manager plugin for GNOME Do
• The ability to make Docky Automatically Hide when not being hovered.
• A full frontend to GNOME Do
• Add items to docky from GNOME Do searches

Using Gnome-Do within the Docky is no different from its past version. You just need to press Win + Space (some call it Super + Space) button to activate the Gnome-Do, follow by typing your command/search phrase. However, instead of Gnome-Do appearing at the centre of screen, the search bar now appears at the bottom of the screen, where the Docky is situated.

Adding/removing items to the docky is as simple as dragging and dropping your application to the dock. There is another way though. When you perform a search on Gnome-Do, you can add the search result to the dock by clicking on the + button at the left corner.

If you have activated the Window manager plugin within the Plugins section, you will be able to perform actions on your Docky via the context menu (mouse right-click).  The context menu interaction with the application is intuitive and changes according to the app. This is somewhat similar to the AeroPeek feature in Windows 7, but in a different form.

Other changes to Gnome-Do

Other than the dock, this latest version of Gnome-Do also comes with more plugins and fixed a large number of bugs. New plugins include create tinyurl from Gnome-Do, accessing various Google services, such as Docs, Gmail contact, Calendar, search, Gcalculate etc, and many more.

All in all, there is a great improvement over the previous version. If you have not download/install/use it, then you better grab it now.

You can read more about the Docky at its wiki page. What is the best features that you like about the latest version of Gnome-Do? Will the Docky replace your default dock?

Image credit: Docky wiki

Gnome-Do Docky: A New Dock On The Block originally published on Make Tech Easier (RSS)

Cairo dock is a Mac OSX dock-like application that you can install in your Linux machine. One of the advantage that it has over other docks is that it does not require any compositing window manager to work. Even on a low-end PC, it will still work fine. This is not possible for docks like Avant Window Navigator which depends on compositing manager (such as Compiz) to function.

If you are using a PC that does not support any compositing manager, or you wanted to try out alternative dock for your Ubuntu machine, follow this tutorial to install and configure Cairo Dock on your Ubuntu Intrepid.

Installing Cairo dock

Adding the repository

In your terminal,

gksu gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

Add the following line to the end of the file. Save and close.

deb http://repository.cairo-dock.org/ubuntu intrepid cairo-dock

Add the signed GPG key:

wget -q http://repository.cairo-dock.org/ubuntu/cairo-dock.gpg -O- | sudo apt-key add -

Install the application:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install cairo-dock cairo-dock-plugins

Loading the Cairo dock

Go to Applications-> System Tools -> Cairo-Dock.

Before the Cairo dock loads up, it will first prompt you to select the theme of the dock. Choose your favorite theme from the dropdown bar. There is a preview panel at the side so you can see the design before finalizing your theme. Each theme comes with its own set of icons and configuration. If you want to use the new theme’s behavior and launcher everytime you change a theme, check the two boxes below the preview pane. This might overwrite all configuration that you have previously made (if you have make any).

You should see the dock appearing at the bottom of the screen and a few desklets lying around in the desktop. The good thing about Cairo dock is that any icons/applications on the dock can be detached and used as a desklets.

Adding/removing applications to the Cairo dock

As I mentioned earlier, each theme comes with its own set of icons and launchers. There might be some applications that you have no use for, or missing applications that you want them to be on the dock. To remove any application on the dock, simply right-click at the particular icon and select Remove this launcher. To add applications to the dock, on the main menu at the top panel, navigate to your favorite app. Drag to the dock and release it. That’s it. You should see your favorite application on the dock now.

Adding a Sub-dock

Cairo dock also allows you to add sub-dock. This is a good feature for you to arrange similar application into a single category so that the dock won’t be too messy.

Right-click on the dock and select Add a sub-dock.

Enter a name for the new sub-dock.

Your sub-dock does not have to display the same way as the main dock. Under the Extra Parameters field, pick the view that you want your sub-dock to display. Click OK to create the sub-dock.

To add applications into the sub-dock, first add the application to the main dock. Right-click the application icon and select Modify this launcher. Under the name of the container it belongs to, select the name of the sub-dock that you want to add to. Click OK.

Configuring the Cairo dock

To access the configuration menu, simply right-click the mouse at the dock and select Cario-Dock –> Configure. The default menu is the simple mode and have only few configuration options. On the left bottom of the menu, click on the Advanced button to go into Advanced mode. You should now see more options/tabs appear on the sidebar.

I will leave it to you to explore the configuration options and customize the dock to your own liking. However here are some tweaks that you might want to use if your dock is running very slowly.

• In the System tab, under the Label section, make sure that the “Show label of the currently pointed icon only” is checked.
• Reduce the number of icons into your dock. If you really want to have so many icons on your dock, then make sure you:
  - arrange them in sub-docks.
  - configure the dock to show only on current desktop (configurable in the Taskbar tab).
• If you are using applets that required to be refreshed regularly (such as the clock, RAM meter etc), reduce the refreshing rate of the app.
• Use a 2D view rather than a 3D view.
• Turn off all animations. In the System tab, untick the option to drawn reflects in real time, and decrease the refresh frequency (don’t go under 20Hz, it might have the opposite effect).

Autostart Cairo dock when logged in

To autostart Cairo dock everytime you logged in to your computer, go to System -> Preferences -> Sessions.

Click Add. Enter the information as shown in the image below.

That’s it. Enjoy the dock and all the customization.

Reference: Cairo dock

How To Install And Configure Cairo Dock In Ubuntu Intrepid originally published on Make Tech Easier (RSS)

Without a doubt, the dock is the most used application in Mac. It is the first thing you see when you login to your Mac, and also the first place you head to when you want to launch an application. Despite that, there are very few options for you to customize the dock to your liking in the System Preferences. If you are looking for ways to enhance and customize your dock, here are 8 great applications that you can use.

1) Docker

Docker provides you with an array of configuration options for your dock. From styles, colors, stack settings to dock icons, there are plenty of options you can choose to customize the dock to your liking.

2) Dock Library

So you don’t like the default design of the dock? Well, now you can easily change it with Dock Library. This is an application that changes the theme of Leopard’s dock with a simple click. Download your favorite themes from leoparddocks.com and leoparddocks.net and use the Dock Library to import and activate the theme. Your new dock theme will be up and running in less than a minute.

3) SuperDocker

SuperDocker is one great tool that actually go beyond tweaking your dock. Some other settings that you can configure include Finder, Dashboard, Safari and System. For more detail, read the review here.

4) Dock Spaces

What if you don’t like your dock and want to change it completely? With Dock Spaces, you can configure up to 5 different docks and swap it anytime you want. There is also an option to integrate with Spaces such that you can change the dock whenever you change work space.

5) Dock Dodger

Whenever you launch an application, its icon will be placed in the dock until you quit the application completely. If you open too many applications at one time, you will find that your dock is filled with plenty of icons that you don’t want and it can easily become a messy sight. Dock Dodger helps you to fix up this problem. For any applications that you don’t want the icon to appear on the dock, drag it into Dock Dodger and let it disable the dock setting. When you relaunch the application, you will find that the dock icon is no longer there.

To reactivate the application dock icon, simply drag the same application to Dock Dodger again. This will enable its dock setting.

6) DockDrop

For those who always share files with your friends, Dockdrop is just the app for you. When you installed Dockdrop, it will place an icon in the dock. Drag any file or folder you want to share onto the Dockdrop dock icon and then choose how you want to upload/send it. There are various ways to upload your files: FTP, WebDAV, Flickr and so on. Once configured, Dockdrop will handle the upload automatically and put the URL of the file on the clipboard, ready for pasting into an Email, chat program or website.

Dockdrop also integrates with the Finder, iPhoto or iTunes so you can assign a hotkey to trigger an upload of the selected item.

7) Dockables

Dockables makes it easy for you to manage your Mac. Once you have installed Dockables, you will find a collection of system events such as Sleep, Screen capture, Log out, Close Apps, Shut down etc. Simply drag the icons to the dock and you will able to perform your regular task with a single mouse click.

8) xMod

xMod uncovers some of the hidden features in Mac and allows you to tweak stuffs that you can’t do it with the default interface. In the Dock option, you can configure whether to show 2D or 3D dock and whether to enable translucent hidden application icons.

8 Great Tools to Enhance Your Dock originally published on Make Tech Easier (RSS)