[SpiffyGuyC]

Hey all -

I'm wondering if anyone has figured out a way to stop a running application from showing up in the dock.

Specifically, I'm using EarthDesk for my desktop picture, which doesn't update unless the application is running. I have the application set to launch at startup in the background and really don't need it's icon constantly taking up dock space.

Is there a resource edit or something I can do so that the application still runs, but just doesn't show up in the dock?

Thanks.

-S

[rgoer]

If you add the following lines to the Info.plist inside the contents of an application, you will get the results you seek. Keep in mind that this will make your application into a daemon process; you will not be able to interact with it. I'm not familiar with EarthDesk, but I assume that it is a desktop-background type application? If so, and if you don't ever need to actually interact with this application, then add this into Info.plist:

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1"face="Geneva, Verdana, Arial">code:</font><HR><pre><font size=1 face=courier>
&lt;key&gt;NSBGOnly&lt;/key&gt;
&lt;string&gt;<font color = blue>1</font>&lt;/string&gt;
</font>[/code]

If you ever need to mess with this application again (i.e. you need to adjust some preferences or something), just remove those two lines. Voila.

[SpiffyGuyC]

Can't even seem to get to Info.plist.

[rgoer]

Sorry, man... you are right. I didn't know EarthDesk was a Carbon application; for some reason, I assumed it was Cocoa. No dice, man. Sorry.

[Fotek2001]

You could also try adding this application to your login items (login preferences pane) and then set it to be hidden when it loads by using the hide option.

The only problem with this is that when the application loads at login you won't be able to interact with it to set preferences and so on. If you ever do need to interact with it's settings, all you need to do is unchek the hide option and login again.

[Scrod]

Originally posted by rgoer:
<STRONG>Sorry, man... you are right. I didn't know EarthDesk was a Carbon application; for some reason, I assumed it was Cocoa. No dice, man. Sorry.</STRONG>

You're mistaken; there are dice. He needs to edit the app in Resorcerer or ResEdit and edit the plst resource instead. It's functionally equivalent to the Info.plist file.

[SpiffyGuyC]

Originally posted by Scrod:
<STRONG>

You're mistaken; there are dice. He needs to edit the app in Resorcerer or ResEdit and edit the plst resource instead. It's functionally equivalent to the Info.plist file.</STRONG>

First, thanks a bunch everyone - I appreciate all the help.

Can you tell me where to edit the plst resource, Scrod? I was toying around earlier and thought they might be the same, but there's obviously no "Info.plist" in there - it's all just resource #'s in the editor.

In response to Fotek's comment - I've done just that. But although the application itself is hidden, I essentially have a useless icon sitting in an already-crowded Dock. This application would be so much better if interfaced with System Prefs.

-S

[Scrod]

Originally posted by SpiffyGuyC:
<STRONG>
Can you tell me where to edit the plst resource, Scrod? I was toying around earlier and thought they might be the same, but there's obviously no "Info.plist" in there - it's all just resource #'s in the editor.</STRONG>

There will be only one plst resource. It contains only text. That text happens to be what would normally be contained in the Info.plist file of a cocoa app. And what do you mean by "resource #'s"? Are you talking about hexademical code? If that's what you see then you need to view it as ASCII or open it using a template.