Dash to Panel is a Gnome Shell extension that replaces the separate application dock with an integrated icon taskbar in the main panel.
The extension solves the fragmentation of application access in Gnome by consolidating the dash, application launchers, and system tray into a single unified panel, eliminating the need for a separate dock window. This approach mirrors the taskbar design found in KDE Plasma and Windows, providing a more traditional and space-efficient workspace layout. The panel itself is highly customizable, allowing users to adjust positioning, scaling, colors, and visibility behavior.
Users seeking a traditional taskbar experience on Gnome should consider this extension. It suits anyone who prefers a consolidated panel over Gnome's default separate dock design and wants extensive control over panel appearance and behavior. The tool offers distinctive features including multiple running indicator styles, live window previews on hover, keyboard-based application launching by number, panel intellihide functionality, multi-monitor support, and workspace or monitor-based app isolation. Settings can be exported and imported for easy configuration transfer.
The project maintains active development with regular updates addressing both new features and compatibility with evolving Gnome versions. The codebase shows consistent refinement of existing functionality rather than frequent architectural changes. Community engagement appears steady, with the extension distributed through the official Gnome extensions platform.
