Due to OMG! Ubuntu! mentioning Docky quite often, I decided to give it another try after last trying it back when it still was a somewhat experimental part of Gnome DO. It truly is a great application, especially for all those dockfanatics out there.

Feel like trying it out?

Well go ahead and use your favourite distribution’s package manager, chances are it is in there. In this post however, I will dig deeper into why I use the development PPA of it (Ubuntu). Or even more importantly, why that is so great!

First off, adding a development PPA is at your own risk, there is always a chance of more bugs slipping through. After all, you are basically watching over the developer’s shoulder. Don’t feel like risking it? Stop here and go install the Stable PPA.

Now then, to install the development PPA, issue the following commands in a terminal:

add-apt-repository ppa:docky-core/ppa
apt-get update
apt-get install docky

Now what is so great about using this risky development PPA? Well the answer is simple and requires you to play a part too. Is that not what Open Source is all about? Everyone working together to achieve a goal?

The beauty of it is that when you come across something that seems broken, you can quickly mention it to the developers using bug reporting. Assuming it is an easy fix, it will be fixed by the next release. It does not end there however, you can also use that platform to give suggestions about existing features, ideas for new features, … Go try it out and be part of the Open Source experience! Hey, you can even write patches yourself ;)