cairo-dock is a app launcher for Linux operating systems that gives us the appearance of the popular launcher of Mac, with the only and great difference that cairo-dock it is much more configurable and customizable to 100 x 100.
In the following article I am going to show you how to install it in Ubuntu 12.04, as well as its main characteristics and possible configurations.
To install cairo-dock, we will only have to open a new terminal and type the following line:
sudo apt-get install cairo-dock
With this line we will already have installed cairo-dock on our computer, now to run it correctly and we are not disturbed by the original Ubuntu bars, we must restart the system and select the option to cairo-dock from the screen of Login:
Within the options we can see how we can start our system by integrating the new launcher installed, it will also give us the option of using it with effects, without effects or with the Integrated unity panel in it.
I have selected the option with effects and this is the result when logging into Ubuntu:
As you can see in the screenshot above, cairo dock It has been perfectly fitted into the system, changing the lower bar for its own with a total appearance of Mac, and in the upper bar it has been replaced by two separate bars in the corners, the one on the right for connections and notifications and the one on the left for the menu itself. Ubuntu and places.
Cairo-dock properties
By clicking anywhere on the bottom bar with the right mouse button, we can enter launcher settings, and it is in this aspect, where Cairo-dock stands out over other similar launchers, since it offers us endless configuration options.
Among its multiple configuration options We can highlight the following:
- Support for changing the theme as well as saving the current theme.
- Fully configurable bars, both in effects as in forms y colors.
- Option to control the behavior, so we can predefine how the launcher will act, for example when we open a new window.
- Animation and effects of the icons, as well as changing them for ours individually.
- Effects when hiding the launcher.
- Option of keyboard shortcuts.(shortkeys)
- In additional components we will find a good number of applets availables.
With this you will already have cairo-dock correctly installed on your Linux operating system, now it's about experimenting with the different themes and settings to keep it adjusted to the maximum with our tastes and work habits.
More information - How to change unity desktop to gnome-shell
I also like the theme of the top bar. How do I make a similar one?
I really like Cairo Dock, but I can't make it show the options menu of each application like Unity does
hello I would like to know if there is any option to make a backup of my cairo dock configuration.
For small.infernal:… you do the backup when after setting your icons and appearance you give it an aspect; themes tab; save theme and in the last line it asks you if you want to build a theme package, you check it and it makes a compressed file for you to save it and when you reinstall it you can use it as is.
And also do not forget that for KDE there is a plasmoid called Homerun, it's great, try it.
The truth is that I prefer the launcher that comes standard XFCE and not the fagots of Cairo Dock, Docky or others. Sissies that only eat your computer's resources.