Customize Unity-2D Launcher

Before you start here is for Ubuntu 11.10

Tis guide will show you how to remove items, rearrange, change background and icon size in Unity 2D Launcher.

Since i started using Unity 2D mounted drive icon started to bug me because it show all drives (NTFS) and not only flash drives and etc. Unity 2D don't follow GTK theme and don't support skins so you get bored if you look same thing :)
Also i don't use Trash so i don't need icon there :) and i like to Workplaces switcher to be at bottom.

GUI Tool

There is a basic GUI tool for configuring basic thing in Unity 2D Mariano Chavero

Download:

For 32-bit
For 64-bit

Remove and Rearrange

So to make this changes you need to edit one file.
First to be safe make a backup:

sudo cp /usr/share/unity-2d/launcher/Launcher.qml /usr/share/unity-2d/launcher/Launcher.qml-backup

when you screw something just:

sudo cp /usr/share/unity-2d/launcher/Launcher.qml-backup /usr/share/unity-2d/launcher/Launcher.qml

Now for removing items from Launcher

sudo gedit /usr/share/unity-2d/launcher/Launcher.qml

scroll down to line 104, there you will see:

   Component.onCompleted: {
        items.appendModel(applications);
        items.appendModel(workspaces);
        items.appendModel(visiblePlaces);
        items.appendModel(devices);
        shelfItems.appendModel(trashes);

items.appendModel(applications); = applications in launcher
items.appendModel(workspaces); = workplaces switcher
items.appendModel(visiblePlaces); = Files & Folders and application button.items.appendModel(devices); = mounted drives (NTFS) + flash drives etc.
shelfitems.appendModel(trashes); = Trash

You can remove this items by deleting text line or you can rearrange items by moving lines up or down.

"Drag&Drop"

Drag & Drop have been implemented, to use it click & hold for ~2sec util it "snaps" and then move it to other position.

Because Drag&Drop still is not implemented you can't rearrange application that you have keeped in launcher.
To rearrange theme go to terminal and type:

gconf-editor

in Configuration Editor navigate to desktop > unity > launcher > favorites right click on favorite_list and click edit Key

There in Values select app and use Up and Down keys to rearrange theme.
Click ok to save.

Launcher background

Also in Launcher.qml file you can change things Launcher background image.

To change background just replacebackground.png in /usr/share/unity-2d/launcher/artwork/
or change image patch in Launcher.qml, line 8

source: "artwork/background.png"

Icon Size

To change icon size in Unity 2D Launcher you need to edit LauncherItem.qml located in /usr/share/unity-2d/launcher/


First make backup

sudo cp /usr/share/unity-2d/launcher/LauncherItem.qml /usr/share/unity-2d/launcher/LauncherItem.qml-backup

Then

sudo gedit /usr/share/unity-2d/launcher/LauncherItem.qml

In line 227 and 228 edit width and height (use max 48x48)

Image {
id: icon
width: 48
height: 48
anchors.horizontalCenter: parent.horizontalCenter

NOTE: This will only change icon size in frame, to change frame you need to change more settings in LauncherItem.qml and Launcher.qml but you will also need to manually change size of frame, glow and etc images...

When you are done with all editing type in terminal:

killall unity-2d-launcher

to take effect.