MacOS – How to prevent duplicate doc icons when using a manually created .app file for a Unix executable on macOS

applicationsdockhomebrewiconmacos

I installed Pidgin via Homebrew, and I created a .app file for it, so I could launch it like a standard application, rather than via pidgin from Terminal.

I put the code below into Script Editor and saved it as an Application, and that was about it.

to run
    do shell script "/usr/local/Cellar/pidgin/2.11.0/bin/pidgin"
end run

It works fine, although when I run it, there are two doc icons. There's the original one that normally shows when running it via Terminal, with the default "exec" icon, then there's the icon from the .app file I made, with the custom icon I added. Is there any way to make it so that there is only one dock icon?

It should also be noted that clicking the icon that comes from the custom .app I made does not direct focus to Pidgin's windows, but the original icon works fine, and I would like to retain that function.

Best Answer

No, the launched application will always have a separate Dock Tile. This is because the AppleScript app is just a launcher, not the launched application itself.

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Your question is unclear as it seems to ask several things. However the issue re launching from the Dock can be answered.

The Dock does not call a shell. .profile and other startup scripts are only run when Terminal.app or similar starts a shell or you run a shell script via launchd etc.

To change the path used for Apps launched from the Dock, Finder or other GUI then you need to change the path your Workspace uses this is in ~/.MacOSX/environment.plist e.g. mine is

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple Computer//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
  <key>WAFDIR</key>
  <string>/Users/mark/src/third_party/git-svn/waf</string>

  <key>PATH</key>
  <string>/Users/mark/bin:/Users/mark/env/bin:/Users/mark/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/bin:/opt/local/bin:/usr/local/git/bin:/bin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/usr/sbin:/usr/X11R6/bin:/usr/libexec/binutils:</string>
</dict>
</plist>

Also have a look at this question.

Mac – Run x11 app from dock

You should be able to do this using AppleScript, saving the script you create as an application, then dragging it to the dock.

For example, if you start the Apple Script Editor (/Applications/Utilities/Apple Script Editor.app). Then type something like the following, replacing my trivial example of /bin/date with the command you want to run

tell application "Terminal"
    do script "/bin/date"
 end tell

do shell script "/bin/date"

Either script should work, but the first explicitly opens the Terminal - it just depends on the application you want to run and whether it sticks around.

Then save this script as an application (use the dropdown in the save dialog to change the "File Format" to "Application").

enter image description here

You should then be able to drag the .app file you created to the Dock and run it.

Best Answer

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Mac – Run x11 app from dock

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