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I know there is a way of doing it in Cairo dock (see this Q&A), but I love the Unity Launcher and would like to keep using that. I've spent so much time working with stacks before that starting to use the dashboard to get to stuff is counterproductive for me. Is there any tweak that allows stacks (NOT QUICKLISTS) in the launcher?

PS Dean Howell suggested using the files lens, and frankly it is sort of what I am looking for, but invoking it takes long enough so that it defeats the purpose of using it in the first place. But this gave me an idea. Is it at all possible to "dock" a lens on the launcher, so that it would show the dash focused on a certain directory?

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  • I'm not familiar with this, but a quick search has revealed MyUnity and Ubuntu Tweak as two viable options. You can try out both, but unfortunately I am unsure whether either involves stacks. You might like gnome-shell, also. Just sayin'.
    – JXPheonix
    Jun 18, 2012 at 14:17
  • You might try using the files lens. It doesn't look the same, but it it provides the same level of reverse abstraction. Jun 18, 2012 at 14:32
  • I used that for a time but essentially it doesn't really fit my needs, the delay between invoking and getting to the file I want is enough to slow down productivity. The reason I love Unity so much over the new Gnome shell is that between all the keyboard shortcuts and the dash it makes my work so much easier. However, is there a possibility of placing a lens in the launcher and tying it to a location? It doesn't necessarily need to show a stack, as long as it would show the dash focused on a certain, predefined folder.
    – boywithaxe
    Jun 19, 2012 at 9:55
  • I've tried what they had to offer, and the results are sluggish at best. Also the new gnome shell is not really something I would like to use (or spend time learning how to, as ignorant as that sounds). Unity is almost perfect for me.
    – boywithaxe
    Jun 19, 2012 at 9:57
  • Have you tried something like this? omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/02/category-unity-quicklists If that works for you, I can make it an answer.
    – jokerdino
    Jun 19, 2012 at 10:05

2 Answers 2

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Check out Drawers: http://launchpad.net/drawers It was written up at: http://www.iloveubuntu.net/drawers-12076-released-persistent-mode-and-configuration-panel

You can put just about anything in a drawer by drag and drop. You can even nest drawers inside one another. See below for a screenshot. It's been submitted to the software center but is awaiting review.

In the meantime, to install run the following in a terminal:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ian-berke/ppa-drawers
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install drawers

Then create your first drawer by opening the dash and typing Drawers. screenshot of Drawers

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  • it would be nice to have it for upcoming versions too.. (16.04) is not available at the moment
    – Dee
    Apr 14, 2016 at 6:18
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+50

You cannot add stacks, no. To add them, you'd have to hack the code to support that feature. The closest thing you will get, will be to add your own custom launchers with quicklists, without diving into the code.

However, you can press Super+F (Windows key+F) I think, to go directly to the files lens in the dash. You can hold the Super key down for a few seconds, and it will show a shortcuts overlay, if that isn't the correct shortcut. There are also shortcuts to go directly to the Apps and other lenses.

Beyond either of those working for what you want to do though, you'll have to start hacking the code.

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  • I figured as much, Thank you for the exhaustive answer. I'm actually working on a way of forcing a feature like that into the Launcher.
    – boywithaxe
    Jun 22, 2012 at 14:50

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