Submit Hint Search The Forums LinksStatsPollsHeadlinesRSS
14,000 hints and counting!


Click here to return to the 'How to work in OS X without using the Dock' hint
The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
How to work in OS X without using the Dock
Authored by: eldenf on Mar 19, '04 12:31:47PM

I've found a number of tools that would allow me to avoid using the dock. Like you, I prefer LaunchBar. However, what you don't say in your hint... is how to turn off the dock. I would have to assume you are just turning on dock hiding and avoiding it. But is there actually a way to disable it altogether without suffering adverse effects?

---
-=Elden=-
http://www.eldenf.com



[ Reply to This | # ]
A few steps
Authored by: VRic on Mar 19, '04 01:06:34PM

To disable the dock (at least in 10.2):

- move Dock.app out of System:Library:CoreServices:
(or else it will auto-respawn when you try to quit it)

- keep it anywhere you like and add it to every user's login items
(the desktop will misbehave if the dock doesn't launch after login)

- make a basic AppleScript applet that quits the Dock and add it to every user's login items after Dock.app (so that the Dock will launch then quit) - just don't add the "quit dock" applet to users who want to keep the Dock active

This allowed me to replace Apple's Dock with A-Dock, but since A-Dock X is inferior to its OS 9 version and Apple's Dock is needed for the "minimize window" feature to work and is sometimes usefull for feedback, I now try to ignore Apple's dock but keep it there (almost empty) in case I need those features, LaunchBar and Exposé make any dock obsolete as launcher/switcher.



[ Reply to This | # ]
How to work in OS X without using the Dock
Authored by: Basilisk on Mar 19, '04 04:19:05PM

You can't completely kill the Dock and maintain full functionality. Expose, for example, requires the Dock. Hiding it is really the best solution.

Bas



[ Reply to This | # ]
How to work in OS X without using the Dock
Authored by: wgzn on Apr 13, '04 12:34:24AM

ive tried ALL the options to disable the dock.

the easiest is writing a short applescript that quits the dock and then making that a startup item - the big problem with that is that the dock is part of the finder so desktop images, shutting down, logging-out (and other key features) are also disabled.

the next best solution seems to be the one that reduces it to 1 pixel and crams it in the upper corner... nice, but still feels a bit hackish.

and ive found that ALL the quasi-commercial haxies are not any more effective.

ive pretty much decided that there is NO clean WAY to remove the dock without effecting something else. so...

i wish to God that apple would listen to all of us core users who HATE the F**king dock and get rid of the damn thing. that would then make "expose" (what a joke!) useless and we could get back to the apple menu and window shading. which were two key elements to the wonderfully efficient and distinctive apple OS experience.

does anyone else out there argree with me that the whole of the panther user experience is just way to damned much of a novelty?



[ Reply to This | # ]
Getting Rid Of The Dock
Authored by: GuyToronto on Mar 22, '04 07:28:29AM

I wanted to get rid of the Dock too, but found it necessary for things like changing the desktop picture. The best solution is to alter the Dock so that it's positioned at the TOP of the screen, then pin it to the RIGHT.

That way the only way to actually have it pop-up is if you hover the cursor just below the menu bar. Details on how to set up this functionality are here:

http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20030617042055170

Then I opened the dock.plist file, and changed the dock size to 1 (the minimum Apple lets you set it is 16). Save it, relaunch the dock, and done! Then if you do accidently rigger the dock, it, only shows as a small tab in the upper right hand corner under the menu bar. I can live with that!



[ Reply to This | # ]
How to hide the Dock
Authored by: Gnarlodious on Mar 29, '04 12:16:52AM
You can't disable the Dock since it is integral with Finder, but you can reduce it to 1 pixel by editing the com.apple.dock.plist file:

Go to ~username/Library/Preferences folder for the file. Copy it just in case.
Drop the file on your text editor icon to open it or edit the properties with Properties Editor, which is included in Xcode.

Add this to the file in the appropriate place:


<key>tilesize</key> 
<real>1</real> 
which makes each Dock item (theoretically) 1 pixel in size.
Add the following to pin the Dock to the left-hand corner:

<key>pinning</key> 
<string>start</string> 
Save the file and relogin.
If your mouse now hits the bottom of the screen, the Dock will appear about a 5 millimeter MicroDock in the bottom when your pointer hits the bottom, so you won't notice it.
Set the now MicroDock to "Minimise using scale effect" and deselect "Animate opening applications" to conserve processor power.
Even though the Dock is now invisible it is still possible to activate and grab and drag it to a huge size!
Of course this would be an accident, but if it happens you can't reduce it to its miniscule size, the smallest it will now go is the minimum Prefpanel size. To make matters worse, the next time you logout it will overwrite your invisible prefs!
However, when the file is locked next time you login or restart Finder the Dock is once again invisible, so lock the file now for insurance!

Remember if anything goes wrong you have the original backuped file to replace the whacked one with, but I have been using this method to hide the Dock since October 2002 with no problems.

Here's hoping a future version of Finder will not require the Dock for its existence (Dock optional). This would free up the processor power the Dock uses even when invisible. This mod works wonderfully with Windowshade, which allows you to disable the blasted "Minimise to Dock" misfeature and further conserve processor power. DragThing makes an excellent replacement for the Dock.

Enjoy a Dockless desktop!

-- Gnarlodious

[ Reply to This | # ]