Hiding open apps from dock?

[new001]

I have some menubar applications that when opened, appear also as open applications on the dock. Is there any way to hide open applications from the dock? I want these applications to launch on startup but not display in the dock, only the menubar. Thanks in advance for any response.

[barhar]

Some applications let you do such, via their 'Preferences' windows; others, do not.

How about being very specific, and provide the actual names of the applications / utilities you have - that you want to only appear on the menu bar.

[Mikuro]

You can make any app "invisible" (or at least any Cocoa app) with a little plist editing. Here's how:

1. Find the application you want to change in the Finder, control-click on it, and select "Show Package Contents".
2. Open the "Info.plist" file in the "Contents" folder in any text editor.
3. Insert the following lines after the first "<dict>" (which should be on line 4):

<key>LSUIElement</key>
<string>1</string>

4. Save changes. If it says you don't have permissions, save the file to the desktop, and then replace the original in the Finder, entering your admin password when prompted.
5. Briefly move the application. This is necessary to make the OS notice the change. If it's in the Applications folder, move it to the Desktop and then move it right back.

There. Now when you load the app, it will have no Dock icon. Keep in mind that this can make regular apps very difficult to activate and control. For example, you wouldn't be able to access the app's menu bar.

[new001]

well thanks mikuro, but i think that kind of defeats the purpose of what I'm trying to do. Im trying to specifically limit the applications to the menubar and take them out of the dock, but that code will erase it from both dock and menubar. So I guess theres no other way to keep an app only in the menubar? Im using Tiger and the specific menubar apps I wish to do this for are Xmenu and a countdown app. Xmenu has no preference menu and countdown has one but has nothing about hiding from dock. So my dream isn't possible is it?

[new001]

By the way, when I go to system preference>accounts>login items, why does the checkbox labeled hide not do anything. What is that box supposed to do? hide the apps from the dock or what? because I don't notice it doing anything.

[eric2006]

Originally Posted by new001

By the way, when I go to system preference>accounts>login items, why does the checkbox labeled hide not do anything. What is that box supposed to do? hide the apps from the dock or what? because I don't notice it doing anything.

I think that that will do the same thing as if you pressed Apple-H while running an application.

[new001]

ok so basically it just wont pop up as a window on login, gotcha.

[Mikuro]

For apps that add global items to the menu bar, this will actually work just fine. When I said you wouldn't get the app's menu bar, I meant that if, for example, you made Sherlock invisible, you would never be able to acces Sherlock's Channel menu. You would just see the Finder's menu bar (or whatever other app you were last in). But the app can still add global menu extras, since those are not dependant on the specific app's menu bar. So I think this is exactly what you want.