How do you hide running app icons from the dock leaving just minimised windows? Pics

[mattoligy]

I am relatively new to OS X and I want my dock to only contain running app windows! This is how far I have got so far...

I worked out how to remove the Finder icon and the Trash icon and make the background translucent but after four hours of googling, looking at various scripts and advanced things like that I have not been able to find a global solution to hide the running app icons!

There is a hack way to remove them on a per app basis put it messes lots of things up such as the menubar :/ I just can't believe there is not an option for this in the dock preferences or even a third party app...

If there are any super smart OS X users out there I would really appreciate a hand here...

Hope you get what i'm trying to achieve

 

[AlliFlowers]

I'm confused as to why you want to do it. If an app is running and there is no icon...how are you going to return to it?

 

[dyt1983]

edit: To remove personally identifying information not relevant to the thread.

 

[mattoligy]

I'm confused as to why you want to do it. If an app is running and there is no icon...how are you going to return to it?

If an app in running in the background (minimised) it will show as a thumbnail window in the dock and if it is running in the foreground or maximised on the desktop while you're in a fullscreen app etc it will show on Mission Control!

I want the dock to just be "running app windows" area!

Have you tried Dock Dodger?

That app is based off the hacky way of doing it that causes lots of problems, or so i've read...

 

[dyt1983]

edit: To remove personally identifying information not relevant to the thread.

 

[mattoligy]

The Only Way Is Hacky.

Removing the Finder icon is hacky, too.
Don't knock it until you try it.

1] I don't want to loose apps corresponding menubar

2] I don't want to have to do this for every single app individually

There must be an app that offers this option as a global solution... This is a full desktop os, so far i'm feeling it's not a very powerful one being that it's impossible to achieve something that should be so simple

 

[Ritsuka]

It's a full desktop os meant to work in a very specific way. The behaviour you want is the exact opposite of the way mac os x is meant to work. It's not a surprise the built-in software isn't programmed to do what you want.

 

[capuzino]

If an app in running in the background (minimised) it will show as a thumbnail window in the dock and if it is running in the foreground or maximised on the desktop while you're in a fullscreen app etc it will show on Mission Control!

I want the dock to just be "running app windows" area!

One workaround for this would be to leave the running app-area there instead of the windows area. It would be done just by hiding the running apps (cmd+H) instead of minimizing them. Probably the biggest downside with this is that hiding hides all the windows of specific apps.

 

[mattoligy]

It's a full desktop os meant to work in a very specific way. The behaviour you want is the exact opposite of the way mac os x is meant to work. It's not a surprise the built-in software isn't programmed to do what you want.

So there's not a script or a mod that will achieve this? On Windows you can change everything with one tool or another you can theme the **** out of it! I can't believe OS X is this weak, seriously there has to be a way

 

[dyt1983]

edit: To remove personally identifying information not relevant to the thread.

 

[TETENAL]

There are a lot of ways: The app windows have icons in the dock; you can use ⌘-Tab to switch; Mission Control shows all windows; etc.

Applications can be running without any windows open.

How would you return to iTunes (playing music for example) but without any open windows?

This isn't Windows, and the Dock isn't the task bar.

 

[dyt1983]

edit: To remove personally identifying information not relevant to the thread.

 

[Artimus12]

I'm not entirely sure what effect you're after here, but have you tried cDock? I see an option to "show only active applications"???

 

[mattoligy]

I'm not entirely sure what effect you're after here, but have you tried cDock? I see an option to "show only active applications"???

Tried this already, but thanks for your reply...

If the OS doesn't do what you want, you should look at maybe running a different OS

Probably the best advice I have received so far

Still within my two weeks so...

 

[AlliFlowers]

You should explore your Mac more, you might find workflows that are better for you than what you're using now!

You're right. I'm still a basic Mac novice, although I've been using one for three years now.

 

[adamhenry]

My desktop: