Managing the Ubuntu Dock Behaviour
In Ubuntu Linux, the default desktop environment (GNOME) features a launcher dock on the left side of the screen. Many users enable the “Auto-hide” feature to maximise their screen real estate, causing the dock to disappear when an application window touches or overlaps it. However, if you frequently need to switch between applications or launch new tools, waiting for the dock to slide back onto the screen when you move your mouse to the edge can feel sluggish and frustrating.
How to Keep the Ubuntu Dock Visible at All Times
If you prefer having your application shortcuts permanently visible, you can easily disable the auto-hide functionality through the system settings.
1. Open the Activities overview by clicking the top-left corner of the screen or pressing the Super (Windows) key.
2. Type Settings into the search bar and press Enter.
3. In the left-hand sidebar of the Settings window, select Appearance.
4. Scroll down to the Dock section.
5. Locate the toggle switch labelled Auto-hide the Dock.
6. Switch this toggle to the Off position.
Adjusting Dock Icon Size to Save Space
Once you disable the auto-hide feature, the dock will constantly occupy a vertical strip of your screen. If you find that this takes up too much valuable space, particularly on smaller laptop monitors, you can make the dock less intrusive by shrinking the icons.
While still in the Appearance settings menu under the Dock section, look for the Icon size slider. Drag the slider to the left to reduce the pixel size of the launcher icons. This allows the dock to remain permanently visible while giving you back a few extra millimetres of usable workspace for your active applications.