Need help with panel customization

[Zead]

Hey, So I've been playing today a little with my Linux Lite



and I wanted to know, how to make the panel icons minimazable, or how else to say it.

What I want is. I want the panel icons work the same as the whisker menu works, I don't want any tabs (like the FireFox one in the picture), so the icons will be highlighted if the window is opened or minimized (as the whisker menu in the picture). Click the icon to open and minimize window. First click will open the new window. Right click > new window to open second window.

Something like Unity's left panel. And its pinned icons.

I know it's possible, but it will be hard to do probably. Docky is not exactly what I want.

Thanks.

[avj]

Right click on the panel highlight "Panel" on the bottom of the list then click panel preferences, untick "Lock Panel" and change the mode to vertical and you can move it to the left side. If you want you can create a new panel and make it the vertical one instead, move it to where you want it and start adding the "items" that you want from the items tab.

[Zead]

That's not what I want...

I don't want left panel, I just want it to work the same way. Dragging items will create launchers and every click will make a new tabs. I want a new click to minimize the window under the same icon. You know, like Windows 7 for example, or Chrome OS too I think. Or Unity like I said. I can disable button labels and just have Icons, but still it is creating a new tabs and when I close them, they disappear. Imagine how the whisker menu works, You click the whisker menu icon, it will open, you click it again, it will close / minimize. I want the pinned icons to work as tabs at the same time (like docky works). But docky is not exactly what I want, I want all the stuff in the panel, with the grey icons I have. (If I click one of the grey icons, it will open a new colorful tab, but I want it open under the grey pinned icon.

I hope you understand now. Just to make it work like a docky works.

[Zead]

So it would look like this (with a Firefox window minimized, instead it creates colorful new icon/tab, and every new click = new icon/tab).


(I just hovered a mouse over it, that's why it is highlighted).

[gold_finger]

Right-click panel and choose:  Panel -> Panel Preferences -> Items (tab).

Look for and highlight "Windows Buttons" under Icons tab.

Click "Edit the currently selected item" (to the right) to edit the Windows Buttons item.

Under "Appearance", uncheck "Show button labels".


Now whenever you open a program you'll only see a new icon for it in the panel bar instead of a descriptive tab.  Clicking it will minimize/maximize it, but there is no way that I know of to launch a new instance of the program from that icon.  To do that you'll probably need to install a dock of some sort.  Plank Dock is one that works well with the Xfce desktop -- it's basically a streamlined version of Docky.  (If I remember right, I think Plank is actually the basis for the more full-featured Docky.)

Pretty sure that Plank is in the repository and can be installed from either Synaptic or from a terminal with this command:

Code:

sudo apt-get install plank

If not, you can add the PPA to your system and then install from Synaptic or terminal after that.

After initial installation, it will be found under Menu -> Accessories where you can launch it and add whatever you want to it.  New instances of a launched program can be done by middle-clicking the icon on the dock.

If you want the dock to auto-start on startup you need to add that to the "Application Autostart" section under Menu -> Settings -> Session and Startup.  Just click "Add" near bottom of window and enter a Name for it (Plank Dock), Description (Auto-start the Plank Dock), Command (plank).

Here's a page with common questions/answers for its usage.

[riser]

You can also use DockBarX.  It behaves like the Windows 7 menu bar, where application icons are grouped and status is shown through highlights.


See my desktop here

[Zead]

Right-click panel and choose:  Panel -> Panel Preferences -> Items (tab).

Look for and highlight "Windows Buttons" under Icons tab.

Click "Edit the currently selected item" (to the right) to edit the Windows Buttons item.

Under "Appearance", uncheck "Show button labels".


Now whenever you open a program you'll only see a new icon for it in the panel bar instead of a descriptive tab.  Clicking it will minimize/maximize it, but there is no way that I know of to launch a new instance of the program from that icon.  To do that you'll probably need to install a dock of some sort.  Plank Dock is one that works well with the Xfce desktop -- it's basically a streamlined version of Docky.  (If I remember right, I think Plank is actually the basis for the more full-featured Docky.)

Pretty sure that Plank is in the repository and can be installed from either Synaptic or from a terminal with this command:

Code:

sudo apt-get install plank

If not, you can add the PPA to your system and then install from Synaptic or terminal after that.

After initial installation, it will be found under Menu -> Accessories where you can launch it and add whatever you want to it.  New instances of a launched program can be done by middle-clicking the icon on the dock.

If you want the dock to auto-start on startup you need to add that to the "Application Autostart" section under Menu -> Settings -> Session and Startup.  Just click "Add" near bottom of window and enter a Name for it (Plank Dock), Description (Auto-start the Plank Dock), Command (plank).

Here's a page with common questions/answers for its usage.

I already did the first before, but like we said,it still creates new icons.
I saw on the internet somewhere, where guy did it the way I want without installing anything, he did some weird commands, but I'm not comfortable with typing random commands, when I don't know what they do...
I wanna know what I'm doing to my system.

Thanks, I'll try plank then.
By the way, I could delete "Window Buttons" from the panel and add "Window Menu", but it's not very practical.

You can also use DockBarX.  It behaves like the Windows 7 menu bar, where application icons are grouped and status is shown through highlights.


See my desktop here

Thanks, I'll try that too, I hope I can make the squares invisible (like my panel).
I also hope I can use that grey icons I have, I love them xD.

[greenisland]

FWIW I installed Dockbarx and finally got it working, but decided that it degraded my system performance and deleted it.  I had previously posted this question but resolved that issue when I changed the background type to a solid color.  Sorry for taking up the bandwidth....

FORGET THIS:    [RISER, Could you explain how you installed DockbarX and got it working?  I followed instructions from HERE http://www.webupd8.org/2013/03/dockbarx-...lugin.html but I don't see it appearing on my panel after installation. It's listed in the panel customization window as being there, but it doesn't appear.]