Whether you are breathing new life into an old laptop or customizing a high-performance rig, this guide will walk you through how to install Plank on Ubuntu 24.04, 22.04 LTS, and 20.04.
Important: Plank and Wayland (Read First)
Ubuntu now defaults to the Wayland display server (in versions 21.04 and later). Plank was built for the X11 windowing system and may not launch or function correctly on Wayland sessions.
The Fix: If Plank does not appear, log out of Ubuntu. On the login screen, click the gear icon in the bottom right corner and select “Ubuntu on Xorg” before logging back in.
How to Install Plank Dock on Ubuntu
While older guides suggest using a PPA immediately, Plank is now stable enough that it is available directly in the official Ubuntu Universe repositories. This is the safest and recommended method for most users.
Method 1: The Standard Installation (Recommended)
Open your terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run the following commands to install the stable version of Plank:
sudo apt updatesudo apt install plank
Method 2: The PPA Installation (Advanced)
If you require the absolute latest development builds or are running a derivative distro that requires a specific patch, you can still use the official ricotz PPA. This often houses “bleeding edge” updates that haven’t hit the main repositories yet.
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ricotz/dockysudo apt update && sudo apt install plank
Once installed, open ‘Plank’ from your Application Menu (or Unity Dash). To configure it, simply hold Ctrl + Right Click anywhere on the dock to access the Preferences menu.
Why Use Plank?
Plank Dock is built on the philosophy that a dock should be stupidly simple. It provides the core functionality of a dock (launching apps and switching windows) without the bloat of widgets, excessive animations, or complex settings dialogs found in alternatives like Cairo-Dock or Latte.
It uses the underlying technology of the (now defunct) Docky but strips away the “fancy” features to prioritize speed and resource efficiency.
Plank Feature Breakdown
Here is what you get out of the box. The settings are minimal, but powerful enough to integrate into any workflow.
| Feature Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Behavior | Includes “Intelli-hide” (dodges active windows), Auto-hide, or Always Visible. |
| Theming | Supports transparent, matte, and GTK+ native themes. Easy to add custom CSS themes. |
| Positioning | Can be anchored to the Top, Bottom, Left, or Right of the screen. Supports multi-monitor setups. |
| Docklets | Includes basic utilities like a Trash can, Clipboard manager, and Desktop switcher. |
Plank Dock Screenshots
We are constantly updating our repository of Linux guides. If you are setting up a new machine, check out our list of the best software for Ubuntu or browse our curated list of the best Linux books to read for deeper learning.
Need help with the installation? If you encounter issues with Wayland or dependencies, feel free to drop a comment below or reach out directly via our Contact Us page. We read every message.