Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Cairo-Dock VS tint2

Compare Cairo-Dock VS tint2 and see what are their differences

Cairo-Dock logo Cairo-Dock

Cairo-Dock / GLX-Dock 3. 4 is now available. Cairo-Dock 3. 4 is finally released! One year after the 3.

tint2 logo tint2

git clone https://gitlab. com/o9000/tint2. git cd tint2 git checkout 16. 1 mkdir build cd build cmake ..
  • Cairo-Dock Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-29
  • tint2 Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-27

Cairo-Dock features and specs

  • Customization
    Cairo-Dock offers extensive customization options, allowing users to modify the appearance and behavior of the dock to suit their preferences.
  • Plugins and Applets
    The dock includes a range of plugins and applets that enhance its functionality, such as weather forecasts, system monitoring, and quick access to frequently used applications.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    Cairo-Dock has an intuitive and visually pleasing user interface that makes it easy for users to navigate and access their applications.
  • Lightweight
    The dock is relatively lightweight and doesn't consume significant system resources, making it suitable for use on older hardware.
  • Multi-Platform Support
    Cairo-Dock is available on multiple operating systems, including Linux distributions and BSD, broadening its user base.

Possible disadvantages of Cairo-Dock

  • Stability Issues
    Some users have reported stability issues and crashes, which can impact the overall user experience.
  • Learning Curve
    While the interface is user-friendly, the plethora of customization options may be overwhelming for new users, leading to a steeper learning curve.
  • Compatibility
    Cairo-Dock may face compatibility issues with certain desktop environments or configurations, necessitating additional troubleshooting.
  • Documentation
    The available documentation and support resources may be insufficient for some users, potentially causing difficulties in resolving issues or maximizing the dock’s potential.
  • Dependency on 3D Compositing
    Although the dock can run without 3D compositing, its full range of graphical effects and features requires a 3D compositing window manager, limiting its functionality on systems without it.

tint2 features and specs

  • Lightweight
    Tint2 is designed to be a lightweight panel and taskbar for Linux systems. It consumes minimal system resources, making it an excellent choice for older hardware or systems where resource efficiency is a priority.
  • Highly Customizable
    The panel's configuration is versatile, allowing users to adjust its appearance and behavior extensively through a configuration file. Users can customize elements like colors, fonts, clock settings, and more.
  • Minimalistic Design
    Tint2 offers a clean and minimalistic design, providing just enough features without being overly complex. This simplicity caters to users who prefer a straightforward and distraction-free interface.
  • Multi-desktop Support
    It supports multiple desktops, allowing users to efficiently manage tasks across different virtual desktops, which is particularly beneficial for productivity and organization.
  • Systray Support
    Tint2 includes support for a system tray, enabling users to view and manage system notifications and background applications conveniently.

Possible disadvantages of tint2

  • Basic Feature Set
    While its minimalism is advantageous, it also means that Tint2 lacks some of the more advanced features and integrations found in heavier or more complex desktop environments.
  • Manual Configuration
    Customization primarily involves editing configuration files manually, which could be intimidating or inconvenient for users who are not comfortable with text-based configuration or desire a graphical settings manager.
  • Limited Out-of-the-Box Experience
    New users might find the default setup too basic and may need to spend time configuring it to meet their specific needs and preferences, which could be a barrier for those seeking a ready-to-use solution.
  • No Built-in Widget System
    While Tint2 supports system trays and basic applets, it lacks a built-in widget system for enhanced desktop interactivity or information display, which some users may find limiting.

Analysis of Cairo-Dock

Overall verdict

  • Cairo-Dock is considered a good choice for users who desire more control over their desktop appearance and functionality. It caters to those who appreciate both form and function, offering a balance between visual appeal and usability.

Why this product is good

  • Cairo-Dock, also known as GLX-Dock, is a popular desktop interface that provides a visually appealing, highly customizable dock for launching and managing applications on Linux systems. It is known for its sleek aesthetics, numerous themes, and rich set of plugins that extend its capabilities. Users appreciate its ability to enhance productivity while adding a modern touch to the desktop experience.

Recommended for

    Cairo-Dock is recommended for Linux users who prefer customizable desktop environments. It is particularly suitable for users who enjoy tweaking and personalizing their user interfaces. It is also a good choice for those who want to replicate the dock experience found in macOS on their Linux systems.

Cairo-Dock videos

Cairo Dock on Linux Mint Cinnamon

tint2 videos

No tint2 videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Cairo-Dock and tint2)
App Launcher
83 83%
17% 17
Productivity
64 64%
36% 36
Note Taking
59 59%
41% 41
Windows Tools
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, tint2 should be more popular than Cairo-Dock. It has been mentiond 7 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Cairo-Dock mentions (3)

  • With Latte Dock no longer being maintained, what's another good Dock to use for KDE?
    Have you tried Cario-Dock? Its not a native KDE app, but it does support KDE integration. I installed it on KDE Neon after the Latte Dock announcement. No crashes, and it has a lot of features. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Some Skeuomorphic Icons and Themes for Linux Devices
    If you like Macs, the dock program Cairo-Dock has a bunch of built in themes, including one to look like the OSX style dock with the cool reflections: https://glx-dock.org. Source: over 2 years ago
  • How can I get this type of look on a Dock?
    The closest thing you can do this is with cairo dock. It take some time, to customize it to make it look like what you see in the picture. It was a trend a decade ago, but not sure how much the package is maintained right now. For alternative you can check out docky which works pretty well with Gnome and its cousins, and if you are using KDE I better advice you to stick with latte dock. Source: over 3 years ago

tint2 mentions (7)

  • How to make Openbox look good with ease?
    At its Arch wiki article you can find that tint2 is described as a simple, unobtrusive and light panel for Xorg. It can be configured to include a system tray, a task list, a battery monitor and more. Its look is configurable and it only has few dependencies, making it ideal for window managers like Openbox that don’t come with panels to show action icons and/or tasks. It is open source as well and you can find... - Source: dev.to / 12 months ago
  • Im planning to switch to polybar and have some questions
    From what I understand u'r not rly looking for polybar , it just doesn't suit u (as a person who switched from KDE recently) , I think u'r looking for something like `tint2` , it looks horrible but u can customize it , check this and this. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Complete rewrite of the netwmicon-patch: Enables to set _NET_WM\_ICON with a png-image and display an icon for st
    Generally the icon of an application is defined by its desktop-entry. The patch Desktopentry serves this purpose. Unfortunately, some programs like tint2 or Alttab can't make use of the desktop-entry and Rely instead on a hardcoded icon which has to be defined by the application Itself with the window-propery _NET_WM_ICON. Since st doesn't define _NET_WM_ICON this programs can't display the correct icon for st... Source: almost 3 years ago
  • tint2 panel doesn't re-appear after reconfiguring+restarting or quitting+re-running
    The intersection of people using both StumpWM and the tint2 panel/taskbar is probably pretty small, so I've not a lot of hope, but here's the issue: for whatever reason tint2 will run fine the first time it's started on StumpWM, but restarting it or quitting and running it again doesn't work. If I run it from the commandline I can see that it seems to be starting normally, but it won't actually appear. Any ideas... Source: almost 4 years ago
  • Alternatives to polybar
    I know about candybar, lemonbar and tint2, I don't know if they have features like this. But can't you just not launch it on the bspwmrc, and then launch it, and kill it when you want with a keybind? Source: almost 4 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Cairo-Dock and tint2, you can also consider the following products

DockbarX - DockbarX is a standalone dock that groups and launches applications.

RocketDock - RocketDock is a Mac OS X dock clone.

Fences - Keep your desktop organized with Fences. This is a simple software program that allows you to sort the tabs on your desktop and create files that are easily recognizable to you.

Synapse - Synapse is a semantic launcher written in Vala that you can use to start applications as well as find and access relevant documents and files by making use of the Zeitgeist engine.

Gnome-Pie - Gnome-Pie is a circular application launcher for Linux.

Winstep Nexus - The Winstep Nexus Dock is a FREE* professional dock for Windows. With Nexus, your most frequently used applications are only a mouse click away - and Nexus turns working with your computer into a fun and exciting experience.