The State of Linux Docks
Yes. This is Linux.
Brief history of Docks: NeXTstep was first to introduce the idea of “docks” in an operating system back in 1989 when neXTstep 1.0 was first released. Later as most of Nextstep’s codebase was used on OpenStep and then on OS X, “dock” was one of the few original and the most prominent features that stayed with OS X. Looking Glass was a free open source dock written in Java, developed by a Sun Microsystem employee in his spare time on a Linux laptop. It was first demonstrated publicly in 2003. There is an argument among fanboys that Apple stole took the idea of 3D look and feel from the Project Looking Glass, to give apple docks its present look; however there is no question that Apple, which bought NeXTstep (founded by Steve Jobs), was the original developer of the concept of “docks”. As of October 8, 2008 Apple was awarded patent for Mac OS X Dock after waiting for almost nine years.
[ NeXTstep is a fascinating OS, based on Unix Kernel and BSD codebase, was to many an operating system way ahead of its time. The first web browser, basic HTML layout, Doom game, interface for Mathematica and Lotus Improv all owe its existence in some way to NextStep. Read more about NeXTstep ]
Linux Docks: Almost every linux docks, one way or another, exists to mimic the functions of Mac OS X docks. The Linux purists dislike docks because of its similarities with OS X the same way some of them dislike KDE3 and earlier KDE versions, for its similarities to Windows OS. What most of them fail to understand is that the beauty of Linux lies in user’s ability to customize it do things the way they want. gOS and ZenWalk are two of the few Linux distributions that has docks by default. Let’s look at some of the mainstream Linux docks out there:
AWN
Cairo-Dock
Engage
SimDock
kiba-dock
Loading ...
There is also wbar, which is great and light weight.
http://code.google.com/p/wbar/
Oz
“Yes. This is Linux.” <— NO this is not all linux
@noober
Yes that is Linux. It’s just a common distro (probably Ubuntu or Fedora) skinned to look like OSX. You can get a lot of themes and icons that are designed for this very purpose. There’s even a theme pack called Mac4Lin that a lot of people have used that transforms your Linux desktop into a Leopard lookalike.
Check out gnome-look.org and kde-look.org for pretty much the source of the most popular GUI customizations.
You forgot about the Windowmaker Dock !!!!!
@Oz
The only thing that really gives it away as linux is the desktop switcher just to the right of the system menus.
I prefer adding a gnome panel in the bottom and make it fit its icons content its just like a tiger dock, and you dont need compiz or any other, i dont like to have compiz on.
@mike
I believe that is the system monitor applet/graph ;-)
I believe the new version of gOS (gOS 3 Gadgets) now uses wbar instead of engage.
Another great article.
This site is pumping out a lot of good content and has been hitting the Digg homepage again and again recently. Keep up the momentum!
@snoguy986: i think that @nobeer was pointing out the fact that Linux is “just” the kernel of the system, so this is GNU/Linux with a lot of other things… :-!
Does Apple buying neXTstep 8 years after neXTstep had ‘invented’ the dock really mean that Apple “was the original developer of the concept of ‘docks’”? I think not. I think it means that Apple bought the company that invented the dock. It may even give them some cover on the idea that they should own a patent on it, but in no way does it mean that they were the inventors of the concept.
Keep publishing top notch articles like this and I might need to start advertising here. ;-)
Dugg, Stumbled and Twittered.
Look, I have no problem with people skinning and theming to their hearts content. That’s why I use KDE…I make the screen look like I want it to but whether i use KDE, Gnome, XFCE or Windows I have one rule:
NO bars at the top or at the bottom.
Whatever the way it is done, once I start working I want all the screen real estate and everything else to disappear or autohide.
When you look at my Linux box and my windows partition, they look the same. Picture of the kids as a wallpaper and no top or bottom taskbar. You cant tell what im using.
So it is in that spirit that I say bollocks to the retarded docks and cheesy cartoonish graphics. Utter and total crap that looks like it was made by and for 10 years olds.
But hey, people like crap so skin away.
The beauty of KDE is that I can skin it to look like Windows to ease ithe transition of family to Linux OR in a way that is totally different than anyone else or make it as concealed as possible.
Its called choice and we have it in spades compared to OSX and Windows. Our desktop interfaces are always evolving and moving forwards and the only thing I dont like about the docks is that this application launcher is a flavour du jour which is as olld and dated as Windows XP blue bar.
Its like the pathetic kid who tries to dress like the cool kids to gain acceptance.
And if see reflections again in graphics I will puke.
Enough.
Interesting point of view. Would you not agree experimentation plays the driving role?
KXDocker is another.
@jag
NeXTstep didn’t really invent the dock idea anyway. I’m pretty sure Arthur(Later RISC OS) used docks in 1987, two years prior.
Here’s a great article that talk about the history of the dock… agreeing with Cattista… the dock came about *before* NeXTstep
http://www4.osnews.com/story/18941/Common-Usability-Terms-pt.-VI-the-Dock
Great article. It makes me want to start using a dock in FVWM :)
Wbar rocks.
Cairo-dock does not actually require a composite engine. It even has an option for fake transparency for those who are not running a composite engine, so there’s no black background. Truly a fantastic project. The main dev is very receptive to advice and bug reports.
Umm, site incorrectly states that docks went from nextstep to OS X, but the reality is
quite a few window managers used docks - Afterstep, Windowmaker to name a few.
I think it would be more correctly stated that OS X came out with the first dock that
really showed some eye candy - and this again was quickly followed up by linux programmers. In the end - I believe that Linux will be the desktop platform for aesthetics
simply because of the amount of programmers world wide contributing.
““Yes. This is Linux.” <— NO this is not all linux” <– YES, because nobody said it was ALL Linux.