Terminal Tips: Add recent applications as a Stack on Dock

Do you find yourself constantly using the Apple menu to find your recently opened applications? This simple Terminal hack will create a custom Stack on the Dock that will show your recently opened applications. Just open Terminal.app (/Applications/Utilities/) and type in the following command:

defaults write com.apple.dock persistent-others -array-add '{ "tile-data" = { "list-type" = 1; }; "tile-type" = "recents-tile"; }'

Once you type in the command, you will need to restart the Dock by typing "killall Dock" and pressing enter. If you decide you don't want the newly created Stack, just drag it off the Dock like any other Stack.

Want more tips and tricks like this? Visit TUAW's Mac 101 and Terminal Tips sections.

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Do you find yourself constantly using the Apple menu to find your recently opened applications? This simple Terminal hack will create a...

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Kodee

thank you.

November 03 2008 at 7:22 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Ron

Like GadgetMan o Sept 17, I tried this and, after the killall dock command, got mssage "command not found". Where to now?
Did anyone ever respond to GadgetMan?

September 24 2008 at 2:15 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to Ron's comment

nando

I had the same issue...yesterday! :(
the Docks for me didnt appear..even after reboot...i got panicky! :(
luckily i make a backup of my mac every once a week...(have timemachine)
basically the issue is that the dock preference list gets corrupted...dont know how?!?!
but what i did was went to
Home/Library/Preferences/
and restore from my earliest working backup via time machine..
and finally enough i got my dock back..

October 30 2008 at 6:22 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Twist

Nice trick but is there a way to change it from Grid view to List view like with a normal Stack?

September 17 2008 at 1:14 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

frank d

Great hint as the App & Doc fans (doh) and stacks are just too big too be practical.

I second others that we do need a hint for an icon makeover.

September 17 2008 at 8:26 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

James

Lovely. Now, any way to change the icon? Not keen on the ol' terminal icon - it frightens me a bit.

September 17 2008 at 2:46 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Sinbad

The same thing can be accomplished using the free TinkerTool and not having to use terminal, just FYI.

September 16 2008 at 8:51 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Andrew

Why don't you just put ALL your applications in a stack. Open Finder, click on your hard drive or OS X partition, then drag the "Applications" folder into the stacks side of your dock. Voila, if you do not have 10 million applications, you will get the grid-type stack when clicking on it.

September 16 2008 at 8:39 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to Andrew's comment

Grant Buell

That's what I did a few weeks ago, I like it.

September 17 2008 at 4:29 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Larry

Is there a way to change the Stack Icon? I'd like just a normal folder icon, not the 10.5.0-applications-on-top-of-each-other view.

September 16 2008 at 5:14 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

julian

I never use the Terminal tips but this is just tooo awesome thanks very much!!!!!

September 16 2008 at 5:04 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

albi