Docking
Extensible Linux dock in Python
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Hi HN,I’ve been having a lot of fun building Docking, an open-source dock for Linux written in Python with GTK 3 and Cairo. It includes an extensible applet system, 38 built-in applets, 12 themes, multi-monitor support, auto-hide, and works across several Linux/X11 desktop environments.It also has prebuilt releases for x64 and arm64 across multiple package formats: AppImage, .deb, RPM, Flatpak, Snap, Arch, and Nix outputs.GitHub: https://github.com/edumucelli/dockingFeedback is very welcome!
HN · launched Apr 4, 2026 · 26 upvotes (top 22%) · 1 view
Niche: desktop environment and customization software · 283 launches, 13 in the last 7 days ▼ -43% · Explore this niche →
Category and tags
- Horizontal
- Dev tools
- Prosumer
- Not AI
- Hobby / open-source project
Visit website ↗ Source listing ↗
More like this: all 283 launches in desktop environment and customization software →
Could you build this?
Partial A basic GTK/Cairo UI dock can be vibe-coded, but robust multi-desktop Linux integration requires handling intricate low-level X11/Wayland protocol extensions and compositor-specific IPC.
What it would actually take: The architecture uses Python, GTK 3, and Cairo, interfacing with desktop window managers via X11 atoms and Wayland protocols (wlr-layer-shell, KWin scripts, GNOME Shell extensions). The hardest part is maintaining seamless behavior (struts, auto-hide, window tracking, multi-monitor geometry) across fragmented desktop environments and Wayland compositors that intentionally restrict dock privileges. This requires deep familiarity with Linux desktop specifications (EWMH) and compositor protocols.
Discussion
18 comments analyzed.
Competitors mentioned: quickshell, gnome, kde, polybar, macOS dock
Concerns raised: XWayland compatibility issues with some applets, Window preview feature not working on Wayland, xkill-based window killer applet incompatible, Python 3.10 dependency breaks with Python 3.12, X11 only, no Wayland support
Feature requests: Dock following mouse across multiple monitors, Wayland support, Window preview functionality
Competitors
Other products that read as similar to this one : 180 launches clear the similarity bar, closest 8 shown.
Attention rank: #55 of 181 (itself plus its competitors, highest first, normalized so YC and Product Hunt are compared fairly).
Launched 142 days after the earliest competitor.
- PejavaDock · ph · 2026-10-15 · 2 upvotes · similarity 0.51
- ExtraDock 4.0 · hn · 2025-11-18 · 5 upvotes · similarity 0.51
- Pygantry · hn · 2026-02-05 · 5 upvotes · similarity 0.49
- MacDock · github · 2026-11-06 · 91 upvotes · similarity 0.48
- macOSDocker · ph · 2026-11-11 · 2 upvotes · similarity 0.47
- Range · hn · 2026-09-30 · 5 upvotes · similarity 0.46
- I've built a nice home server OS · hn · 2026-04-24 · 194 upvotes · similarity 0.45
- ContainerDesk · ph · 2026-11-02 · 1 upvotes · similarity 0.45
The niche, labels, vibe code rating and competitor comparison on this page are analysis by Nicheloom. If you use them, please credit nicheloom.com. How you may use our data.