Replace Left Panel with Mac OS Style Dock Launcher in Ubuntu 18.04

Last updated: January 26, 2019

gnome shell

For those who want to change the look and feel of the left panel “Ubuntu Dock” in Ubuntu 18.04, Dash to Dock is a Gnome extension that replaces left panel with Mac OS style Dock application launcher.

Dash to Dock is a popular Gnome extension that Ubuntu Dock (the default left panel) is forked from. With it, you can get Ubuntu 18.04 desktop looks like:

1. First time to install a Gnome extension? Then you need to install an add-on for your web browser:

click install add-on for Google Chrome, Chromium, Vivaldi

click install add-on for Firefox

click install add-on for Opera

Then open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command to install native connector get the add-ons to work.

sudo apt-get install chrome-gnome-shell

2. Then go to Dash to Dock extension page in your browser, and turn on the toggle to install it.

The left panel changes to dock launcher once you installed the extension.

To change its appearance, right-click on Show Applications icon or use Gnome Tweak Tool to go to the settings.

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I'm a freelance blogger who started using Ubuntu in 2007 and wishes to share my experiences and some useful tips with Ubuntu beginners and lovers. Please comment to let me know if the tutorial is outdated! And, notify me if you find any typo/grammar/language mistakes. English is not my native language. Contact me via ubuntuhandbook1@gmail.com Buy me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/ubuntuhandbook1 |

9 responses to Replace Left Panel with Mac OS Style Dock Launcher in Ubuntu 18.04

  1. Hello!, Thanks a lot, coz it really works out

  2. Does it work with 18.10?

  3. Gracias!!!

  4. hey i cant seem to install dash to dock the switch just goes off when i reload my page

  5. Thanks for this. Is there a way I could install it for all users who start a new desktop?

  6. Nice :)
    But how did you adjust the size of the bar (making it smaller, only showing the pined and not the hole dock)?