Why is it SO hard to find a decent dock/desklet?

On Windows, I used Rocket Dock.

http://www.punksoftware.com/rocketdock

Since using Linux, I am finding it impossible to find a decent dock. Rocket dock worked great, installed fine, did exactly what I wanted. I just want a dock, that I can move to different sides of the screen (I prefer top, so I can keep kicker), that I can add icons to that will launch my favorite apps and games. I am incredibly surprised that docks (and widgets/desklets for that matter) are so deficient on Linux! I mean, sure there are some very interesting ideas, such as Kiba-dock. Gravity, physics, etc...

But so far, I have failed to find an acceptable dock that will actually install properly. I have kooldock running, but it only sits on the bottom, and I only keep it to launch K control center easily. I have been trying to install kxdocker, but the package that comes from Adept doesn't seem to work, and I cannot find a download for the new 1.x.x version anywhere, as it seems to have been discontinued because of their new, alpha program that doesn't work yet.

Frankly, I had thought I would have an easier time of finding even better docks or desklets on Linux. What's up? I thought the Linux community would be way ahead! Can anyone suggest a GOOD dock, that will just simply launch apps? Hopefully with a drag 'n drop method of adding new icons.

Maybe someone can suggest good desklets? I am running SuperKaramba, but am not impressed with the selection of Themes. I'm sure I'll get around to writing my own themes sometime, but I would still like to know if anyone knows of any really good ones. I had a hell of a time setting up a few simple ones - just dual core monitor, just ram, just wifi, etc. I don't like nor want those giant 1/4 screen affairs that display everything from the kernel you are running, to a half hour cpu usage, to your grandmother's bowel movements. For example: I have seen, from windows selection in the past, something like a large icon of a Hard Drive, and it displays what it is monitoring (Like my entire Linux partition), and how much space has been used. That's what I need... but I can't seem to find anything so simple, just complex affairs.

Any suggestions or reviews of things that you guys like and use? Maybe we can start a list of everyone's favorite widgets/desklets.

 

I use Avant-Window-Navigator for my dock. Simple drag and drop functionality.

You can check out gdesklets or adesklets for widget thingos. I just use Conky though, it displays everything I need it to.

 

Avant looks interesting.. my question is, why do so many of the docks have dependency upon Beryl/Compiz? I got beryl to work, but it's too buggy to use all the time.

 

Beryl and Compiz add 3D support for drawing the GUI. Since most docks are trying to mimic OS X's dock they need that for the different effects. The reason it's so buggy on your machine is because you have an ATI card. There Linux drivers suck at the moment. Hopefully that will change, but that why I won't buy any ATI cards. Once their drivers are on part with nVidia I might try them again.