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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

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