I swore I didn’t need a dock. I had hotkeys. I had muscle memory. Then I tried Docky again, and well… now it sits at the bottom of my screen like a stubborn cat. Cute, helpful, and sometimes in the way.
If you're curious about other classic Linux tools and workflows, check out the community stories over at Freedom Penguin for more deep dives.
Want the quick technical low-down on what Docky can do? LinuxLinks has a solid overview of its launchers, docklets, and configuration options.
My setup (so you know where I’m coming from)
- ThinkPad T480, Intel graphics
- Ubuntu 20.04 first, then Pop!_OS 22.04
- Two monitors: a 24-inch main, and a smaller side screen
- Docky at the bottom, in 2D mode, with intellihide
If you’re hunting for hardware that plays nicely with Linux, I broke down the laptops I actually use with Kali Linux and why they made the cut.
I pinned Firefox, VS Code, Files, Terminal, and Spotify. I also added a few docklets: Trash, Mounter, Battery, and Weather. Yes, I like little toys on my taskbar. Who doesn’t?
What clicked right away
Drag. Drop. Done. I could pull an app from the menu and stick it on Docky. Reorder with a quick swipe. No fuss. That part feels very Mac-like, in a good way.
Intellihide worked fine for me. When a window hit the bottom edge, the dock slid out of view. When I hit the bottom with my mouse, it popped back up. Smooth enough. Not magic, but smooth.
The docklets are simple, and they saved me time:
- Trash: I dragged a photo in, changed my mind, and pulled it back out. Easy.
- Mounter: Plugged a USB drive. Saw it in Docky. Clicked once, got my files. No hunting through settings.
- Battery: Helped on a long train ride. I could glance down and see I had 22% left. That little icon made me plan better.
- Weather: Cute, but touchy. It showed my city most days. Then one morning it refused to load. I removed it, added it back, and it behaved again. Classic.
Real moments where Docky helped
On Monday, I had a meeting and three things open: Firefox, Slack, and my notes. I pinned Slack to Docky and used the little dot to see it needed me. One click, back to the thread. I didn’t miss questions that way.
On Wednesday, I compiled a small tool in VS Code. The CPU Monitor docklet spiked like a little heartbeat. It’s nerdy, but I liked watching it. It told me when the build was done, even before the ding.
On Friday night, I edited holiday photos. I dumped a folder by mistake. The Trash docklet saved me from panic. I dragged the folder out and exhaled. That alone paid rent.
Things that bugged me (and how I worked around them)
Docky uses Mono. If that word means nothing to you, here’s the simple bit: it uses a helper that eats more memory than a tiny panel. On my laptop, Docky hovered around 80–110 MB of RAM. Not huge, not tiny. Plank feels lighter. But Plank has fewer toys. That heavier footprint is partly a legacy of its history—Docky was originally a sub-project of GNOME Do before it split off as its own application, a move highlighted in an old OMG! Ubuntu write-up.
Multi-monitor got weird once. I dragged a window to the second screen, and Docky tried to stay on top when I didn’t ask. I switched to “Window Dodge” (intellihide is the friendlier name) and set Docky to the main display only. That fixed it.
The Gmail docklet… oof. It feels stuck in time. It wants older sign-in tricks that I don’t love. I dropped it. I just use the web tab now.
Also, themes. There are some nice looks, but they can flicker with newer GNOME updates. I stuck to 2D mode and the default theme. Stable is cute too.
A tiny detour about Plank and Cairo Dock
I tried Plank on the same machine. It’s lean. It looks neat. But I missed the handy docklets. Cairo Dock is the other big name. It’s wild and super flexible. But it felt busy to me, like a Swiss Army knife with too many blades. Docky sits in a sweet spot—simple with a few tricks.
Small tips that saved me clicks
- Use 2D mode. It’s calmer and uses less juice.
- Turn on intellihide. Your windows get more space, and the dock stays friendly.
- Keep docklets basic: Trash, Mounter, Battery. Weather if you’re patient.
- Right-click on icons. There are quick actions. VS Code got “New Window,” which I use a lot.
- Save a launcher: I dragged a custom script to the dock, made it executable, and now it’s a one-tap tool.
If you’re more into web shortcuts than scripts, Docky can still help. You can drag a URL straight from your browser into the dock and turn it into a one-click bookmark—handy for everything from project dashboards to a bit of after-hours socialising. For example, this detailed Dirty Roulette review explains how the random video chat site works, what privacy controls it offers, and whether it’s worth pinning as a quick distraction on your dock. For something less random and more location-specific, check out **Backpage El Centro**—the guide walks you through today’s classifieds scene in El Centro, offers practical safety advice, and shows how to navigate modern alternatives now that the original Backpage is gone.
Performance and little numbers
On my T480, Docky felt smooth. No choppy mouse. CPU stayed quiet unless I went hard on builds. Memory, as I said, sat near 100 MB. For me, it’s fine. For a tiny netbook? Maybe not. When network hiccups crept in, having a launcher for MTR on Linux meant a single click to trace routes right from the terminal.
It also needs desktop effects turned on. If your system turns off compositing, Docky won’t look right. On Ubuntu and Pop!_OS, I didn’t need to tweak anything.
Who should use Docky?
- New Linux users who want a dock that “just works”
- Folks who like icons more than menus
- People who want simple extras like Trash and Mounter
- Anyone who misses the feel of a Mac dock, but lives on GNOME or Cinnamon
Who should skip it?
- If you want super low memory use: try Plank
- If you want deep theming and complex widgets: try Cairo Dock
- If you hate Mono or older packages: skip Docky
One hiccup I didn’t expect
I said I don’t need another dock. Yet I kept it. Why? Because small things add up. That Trash pull-back. That USB one-click mount. Those tiny dots under running apps. It sounds small. It didn’t feel small.
The verdict
Docky is old, sure. But it’s still friendly. It made my week a little easier. It’s not perfect. It can be fussy with weather, and it’s a bit heavier than Plank. Still, it’s warm software. You know what? I like warm.
I’m keeping it on my main screen. At least for now. And if it bugs me again, I’ll flip back to Plank in a minute. That’s Linux. We get to pick our toys and change our minds.
—Kayla Sox