Friday, June 7, 2013

Dock Application for Archlinux (Cairo Dock & Avant Window Navigator)

If you want to get dock like Mac OS X, there are some dock application you can try. You can install Cairo Dock & Avant Window Navigator.

You need install xcompmgr for WM and make it autostart, or enable composite on specific Desktop Environment, to make transparent work.

For installing xcompmgr
$sudo pacman -S xcompmgr
Cairo Dock
Cairo-Dock is a pretty, fast and customizable dock. It as a good alternative/addition to Unity, Gnome-Shell, Xfce-panel, KDE-panel, etc.

For Installation
$sudo pacman -S cairo-dock cairo-dock-plugins
Cairo dock will be installed. Then run it by typing cairo-dock, or select from start menu (on system menu). For the first time you will be ask for using opengl, click yes to use opengl, no if you don't want. By default dock is set to bottom. Here's my cairo-dock.

Dock Application for Archlinux (Cairo Dock & Avant Window Navigator)

Dock Application for Archlinux (Cairo Dock & Avant Window Navigator)


For configuration you, right click on dock then click on configuration, you can customize the behaviour, appearance, dock style and theme.

Dock Application for Archlinux (Cairo Dock & Avant Window Navigator)

For theme, when you connect internet there will be more theme list on there, that you can install directly. (For screenshot above i'm using Tux_n_Tosh).

Dock Application for Archlinux (Cairo Dock & Avant Window Navigator)

After you configure cairo-dock, then set autostart, and make sure your composite is enabled too. Cairo-dock have start menu button, so it can be used as alternative to panel if you use WM like openbox, fluxbox, etc.

Avant Window Navigator
(AWN) is a lightweight dock written in C. It has support for launchers, task lists and third party applets.

For installation:
$sudo pacmab -S avant-window-navigator awn-extras-applets

Then start avant-window-navigator

Here's the AWN:

Dock Application for Archlinux (Cairo Dock & Avant Window Navigator)

For customization, you can change themes, and also add applet on dock.

Dock Application for Archlinux (Cairo Dock & Avant Window Navigator)


Ok that's it you can choose that fit with your style. :D
Enjoy.
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