Member Avatar for lewashby

I prefer gnome to KDE but I don't know what this is but I thought I might give it a try. If anyone knows what this is and where to get it, please let me know, thanks.


  • 4 Contributors
  • 4 Replies
  • 220 Views
  • 1 Month Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by neilnicky017

Dani AI

Generated

Short answer: the screenshot is very likely using Avant Window Navigator (thanks to for spotting it) or one of the dock apps Jason hinted at ( — Docky / Cairo‑Dock). Below are practical, no‑nonsense steps and tips to reproduce that look on a classic GNOME desktop and avoid the common gotchas.

Install and start a dock

  • Use your distribution’s package manager or Software Center and search for “Avant Window Navigator” (or “Docky” / “Cairo‑Dock”). After installation, run the dock from the menus or start it manually with the dock command (for example avant-window-navigator).
  • Add the chosen dock to Startup Applications so it launches automatically each session.

Tweak panels and dock settings

  • Hide the stock GNOME top/bottom panels (right‑click the panel → Properties → enable show/hide buttons, then click the button to slide the panel off). This eliminates the double‑bar look.
  • In the dock’s configuration (AWN Manager, Docky settings, or Cairo‑Dock config) enable the Task/Window applet instead of the GNOME Window List so you get one unified task area. Adjust icon size, position, and autohide to match the screenshot.

Troubleshooting & cautions

  • If effects don’t show (transparency, blur), enable compositing (Compiz or metacity compositing).
  • Don’t run multiple docks at once — pick one and disable autostart for the others. If icons are missing or the dock won’t start, run it from a terminal to view error messages and check that any optional extra‑applets package is installed.
  • If you’re on modern Ubuntu (Unity or GNOME Shell), docks integrate differently; look for the dock package/version built for your desktop.

These steps reproduce the classic AWN-style setup while avoiding duplicate window lists and common compositing problems.

Recommended Answers

All 4 Replies

Member Avatar for JasonHippy

I prefer gnome to KDE but I don't know what this is but I thought I might give it a try. If anyone knows what this is and where to get it, please let me know, thanks.


I think it's either Docky or CairoDock that's been used to replace the standard desktop bars in Gnome. I'm quite happy with the default Gnome look, so I've never tried using either of them myself. Consequently I don't really know much about them.

Your best bet is probably to do a bit of googling about Docky and/or Cairo Dock, then install one of them and have a play!

I don't think you can have both installed at the same time, I think it's a case of having one or the other. But I could be wrong!

Cheers for now,
Jas.

Member Avatar for mooreted

I prefer gnome to KDE but I don't know what this is but I thought I might give it a try. If anyone knows what this is and where to get it, please let me know, thanks.


That's actually Avant Window Navigator. It's in the repos. Very nice dock.

Member Avatar for JasonHippy

That's actually Avant Window Navigator. It's in the repos. Very nice dock.

:
Ah, I'd never heard of that one before....Nice!

@OP:
I also noticed from the screenshots you linked to that the standard Gnome top and bottom bars are actually still on the screen, they've just been hidden. This can be done by right clicking on each bar individually (i.e. one at a time) and selecting properties. From here you can check the 'show hide buttons' tab which puts buttons at each end of the bar. Clicking one of the buttons will cause the bar to slide off to that side of the screen, leaving only one button visible. Clicking this will slide the bar back onto the screen!

Member Avatar for neilnicky017

I prefer gnome to KDE but I don't know what this is but I thought I might give it a try. If anyone knows what this is and where to get it, please let me know, thanks.


- Just joined the forum today. Was looking for this information since quite some time.

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.