dash-to-dock

Dash to Dock is a GNOME Shell extension that relocates the dash from the Activities overview onto the desktop, presenting it as a persistent dock. According to the README, this makes launching applications easier and switching between windows and desktops faster, without needing to leave the desktop view. The extension is distributed through extensions.gnome.org, where it can be installed directly. The project also maintains a website with additional installation instructions and information. For users who prefer git or want to test the latest development version, the extension can be installed from source. The repository includes a Makefile, and installation places the extension into the user's home directory. A Shell reload is required afterwards (Alt+F2 then r then Enter under Xorg), while under Wayland a logout and login may be necessary. The extension must then be enabled via gnome-extensions-app or dconf. Building the stylesheet requires a SASS implementation. Dash to Dock supports dart-sass (sass), sassc, and ruby-sass. The README recommends dart-sass or sassc over the deprecated ruby-sass. By default the build attempts to use sassc; this can be changed by setting the SASS environment variable to dart or ruby. If msgfmt is missing, the gettext package must be installed from the distribution's repository. Bug reports are directed to the project's GitHub issue tracker. The extension is distributed under the GNU General Public License, version 2 or later.