Dock-style gnome-panel Applet: Does One Exist?

[aaaantoine]

Because Window List from gnome-panel depends on WnckTasklist to create a standard task list, and because I don't want to mess with any libraries, I've created an independent app.

If you want a dock built into your existing gnome panel, this application will do it.

I've attached two screen shots; one of my current implementation, and one of how the dock would appear on a 48px panel using the Human theme.

This marks my first distributed application, so I expect it to be broken for a lot of people. However, this is pretty much stable on my platform.

Installation instructions:
1. Download the attached tar.gz file.
2. Extract it somewhere in your home folder.
3. Make sure you have libpanelapplet-2.0 and libwnck-1.0 installed, along with their -dev packages.
4. In the terminal, go to the folder and type:

make
sudo make install

Note that ./configure is omitted because I have not yet implemented it.

Things I eventually want to add:
- Handle urgent messages for windows.
- Set icon locations for windows (In other words, add support for minimize, restore, and window preview animations)
- Actually add support for launchers, so that the task "dock" lives up to its name.
- Add smooth icon scaling, if possible.
- Add options for grouping windows.
- Add options for only showing current workspace windows.

Change log (will provide last 2-3 versions in the event of a regression):
0.0.2: (Thanks, Eemil!)
- Now brings hidden windows to front when clicking the icon, and only minimizes shown windows.
- Switches to the workspace a window resides in when you click to unminimize / activate a window.

0.0.1: Initial release. Lists windows from all workspaces, without grouping, on the gnome panel.

Original post:

Basically, I want a panel applet that behaves like AWN. Does such an application exist?

If not, which idea do you think is better?

1. Write a fork of the Window List applet that is specialized to behave like AWN.
2. Write and submit patches to the Window List applet to add AWN behavior options for the user.

Actually I would probably do a combination of the two if I went forward with this project. But first, I need to find that source code...

Edit: I use AWN currently. My reasons for wanting to replace it are as follows.
1. It's buggy.
2. It requires compositing, which won't be a problem for me when DRI2 makes it to Ubuntu, but in the mean time...
3. I want to integrate it into my existing gnome panel to save resources.

[aaaantoine]

So I found the source code in gnome-panel.

But I'm having a hard time trying to find the widgets for the window list applet itself.

window-list.c seems to apply to the preferences window more than anything else.

...This thread should probably move to the Programming forum.

[Therion]

Do you mean something like Gnome Do?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7361736...337246/detail/

[aaaantoine]

No. Gnome Do is great, but a window list it is not.

[hanzomon4]

That would be cool.. An applet that turns the panel into a dock right?

[Bölvaður]

if I understand correctly, you are trying to make "Window List 2.24.1" behave the same or similarly to awn?

If Im not going to spain over christmas I would love to participate.

[added]
Send me pm about this when you begin.

[PCessna]

You can make one.

Make new panel, Uncheck expand, choose your size, place on screen, check hide buttons, auto-hide if you want, add applets and shortcuts you want and presto!, You got yourself a nice homemade dock from GNOME's Panel.

[meg23]

thanks I have been looking for something like this.

[aschwerin.moses]

okay.. i've installed it.. but not sure what to do next.. can any one please guide me

[Giant Speck]

okay.. i've installed it.. but not sure what to do next.. can any one please guide me

Right click on a panel and click "add to panel" it will be listed as "Task Dock"