Can I add Apps to My Dock "Show Apps"? Help!

countrywolf19 · July 25, 2026, 2:23am

I have been trying to find out, this for a while. I don't know if this is possibly. I installed Add to Desktop. Then uninstalled after I didn't need it, I think. Is there a way to add Apps to this? It seems like there are more in the lets say dash at the top now in the Z. Within "All Apps." It seems there are limited apps in this. Then If I want to get more. I need to go to the Z in "All Apps".

I have been in the "Main Menu" I don't know how to use that thing. I thought I could add apps to it, then it would be here in my dock "Show Apps". But like I said I don't know how to use it.

I am doing my best to describe what I want to do. Don't know if it possible. I hope someone out there can follow my train of thoughts?

Forpli · July 25, 2026, 2:51am

Right-click on an app in app grid overview and then select "Add to dock" (I'm not sure what the name in English is, it could also be "pin to dash"). Or you can just drag and drop apps from app grid to the dock.

The number of apps in app grid should be the same as in Zorin menu. You have arrows on the left and/or right side to show all sites of the app grid.
Edit: The last paragraph was wrong. I've never noticed that before. All apps which are pinned to the dash to dock, are no longer shown in the app grid- but in Zorin menu, they are still shown. I'm thankful, that Ponce-De-Leon corrected me.

swarfendor437 · July 25, 2026, 8:18am

Yes it is add to Dash or 'pin to Dash'. When you open an app, the icon appears on the Dash, while the app is open, right-click on the icon and 'pin to Dash'.

Ponce-De-Leon · July 25, 2026, 10:16am

Like the Other's already said: When in the App Grid, make a Right-Click and choose ''Add To Dash'' or ''Pin To Dash''. To offer a Scrreenshot:

I hope, I understand You here right. If not, ignore my Explanation.

When You are in the App Grid and You add a Program to the Dock, the Program goes to the Dock and disappears from the App Grid. That is the Reason why it can look so limited.

I was annoyed of this and found a Gnome Extension to keep pinned Apps on the App Grid:

countrywolf19 · July 25, 2026, 3:15pm

It seems @Ponce-De-Leon. Our minds work alike. I have gotten good intel from you for the extension manager. I would like to thank everybody for helping.

At this time I can not test it. (Keep pinned apps in AppGrid) I have a another problem.

Last night I had my Dock, Desktop Wignets (Desktop Clock) Installed. Had a desktop clock and weather on my desktop. And I also installed Panel World Clock (Lite) to help with time zones. I thought would be a good idea. No problems.

When I logged in many problems. My dock started flickering. I couldn't load Brave. Had trouble. Seemed like everything was freezing, and had some pop ups that I could see through and still frozen. Best way I can explain it. Is a two-way mirror. If that helps.

I thought I read somewhere that the "Desktop Clock" and Dock had "problems". The word conky was brought up in Clock on the desktop. I went into Extension Manager. And disabled my dock. Returned my Dash Bar. Still had loading problems. Went into the Desktop Wignets "Settings" Disabled the Clock Wignet, then Weather Wignet. Then I Disabled the the Extension.

Then my loading and everything else started to clean it self up. I still have the World Panel Clock (Lite) Installed. No problems there.

I miss my Dock. I loved it. I wish I could have the Desktop Clock And Weather Wignets on my desktop. I was really loving how I had my system customized.

On a side note during all of this. I was able to Log in after 30 days in the Microsoft account and close it. Since they let me, they let me with a required 2 emails. Do you believe that. They let me. Then it will still be another 30 days before account closure.

I don't know if this was a problem with all my issues?

I thought of this after re-reading many times. My memory is a 8 GB. Don't know if that might be a problem?

Forpli · July 25, 2026, 3:32pm

No, 8 GiB are enough to run Zorin core. But some gnome extensions conflict with each other and Zorin has many preinstalled extensions. With only zorin taskbar replaced by dash to dock, I think, you shouldn't have that problems. But I've never used myself the other gnome extensions for longer.
The best is only to enable the GNOME extensions that you actually use and need. The more extensions you install, the less stable the system gets. Some make no problems, but others do.
It is a bit trial and error which ones harmonize.
Some extensions, like "Just perfection", are famous for making troubles in Zorin. Also "blur my shell" can be bad with low RAM.

countrywolf19 · July 25, 2026, 5:08pm

I can't load do anything. I disabled the Panel World Clock (Lite) I was in Xorg. Switched to Zorin Desktop. Still having much trouble. Just got back in. That was a feat of it self. My VPN is not connecting. No troubles till this morning. VPN wasn't connecting in the the Browser Extension. But connected on Desktop. Can't even sign in to VPN. I am trying my best before more trouble. Even typing is somewhat unresponsive. Couldn't even get into the forum. I thought a shutdown and let rest would help. Nothing. DId a software updater. I am at a loss here.

Ponce-De-Leon · July 25, 2026, 6:14pm

First: Conky and Gnome Extensions are different Things. The Gnome Extensions Desktop Widgets is at the End a Gnome Extension as an Replacement for a Conky if You want so.

So, if You shouldn't have installed Conky and set there something up, it is fine.

So, all was fine until You have installed Oanel World Clock, yes?

countrywolf19 · July 25, 2026, 7:28pm

You know now that you mention that. I was going good. About Panel World Clock. Overnight, then boot up is when things started to go bad. I did manage to switch from Xorg. I am still having problems. I feel I need to do something in terminal I just don't know. I liked having the different time zones up top. Now I disabled everything. Now when I start Brave. Sometimes duckduckgo starts. I don't even have duckduckgo as a default search engine. These are just the start my pop ups. I seem to get more. Even Extension Manage Is unresponsive like getting into settings.

I still can't log in and connect to my VPN on the Extension. That is a whole weird thing. But I am connected on Desktop. Of course I am in Desktop Version. Still New. I have been doing some reading. Think this is called Wayland? When I was in Xorg. Everything worked better, everything. I can't even do anything there.

Ponce-De-Leon · July 25, 2026, 8:46pm

When Xorg works for You better, use that. That is no Issue when You do that.

countrywolf19 · July 25, 2026, 8:56pm

Normally, Xorg. Works better. But when I am in Xorg. Nothing functions. I am barley getting by in Wayland. At least I can communicate. Somewhat.

swarfendor437 · July 26, 2026, 3:36am

Hi, do you have Timeshift installed? This is where Timeshift can sometimes save the day by going back to a time when everything was working smoothly.

Forpli · July 26, 2026, 3:54am

You recently have repaired the file manager on your own after you got problems when trying to install the nautilus folder color extension from Nourpon.
Perhaps it could help to show us your history list of the last entered commands to see how you have repaired it or what has happened before.

history

swarfendor437 · July 26, 2026, 4:14am

Had another thought in case you have broken packages.

Open a Terminal and copy and paste the following:

sudo dpkg --configure -a

Once it has run, power off and reboot.

In terms of NordVPN I would take a look at these threads:

Remember Zorin is a fork of Ubuntu:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Ubuntu/comments/1tfnq9o/nordvpn_banned_by_ubuntu/?solution=1f5728104623bb5c1f5728104623bb5c&js_challenge=1&token=7afd7253fec22262ff1c52b1703fe9ecc019ecc0dd4cffa91b8dbea70e2c65e8&jsc_orig_r=

Ponce-De-Leon · July 26, 2026, 9:28am

This sounds a bit contradicting. Do You mean with ''Nothing functions'' that the Gnome Extensions don't work or that the whole System doesn't work?

countrywolf19 · July 27, 2026, 2:41am

I wanted to let everybody know. I have been down for days. My system was gone, gone. Was told by a very smart family member. I got my system back up and running now. I will give details later. It is a story.

zabadabadoo · July 27, 2026, 2:46pm

Oh dear, I bet the story begins, "One upon a time..." and one of the characters is the Big Bad Wolf.
Not good to be broken for days, but good you have recovered your system now.
Hopefully your story has advice to prevent others going that route.

countrywolf19 · July 27, 2026, 4:29pm

Here is my story. I will do the best I can. I installed Panel World Clock (Lite) tied to clocks. I had time zones. I thought it was a good idea, since I have helpers overseas. Wanted to know the times. That is where things started to go wrong I think. Xorg. was not functioning at all, Wayland was barley getting me by. But a night or 2 before this happened. I noticed my NordVPN browser extension was not connected. Tried eveything. Didn't think to much about it. Removed the extension Panel World Clock (may have been buggie, don't know) Maybe a day later. I researched NordVPN how to fix the problem. Removed it. Did a log out. That didn't work. So I restarted.

Dell and Zorin logos boot. Then this.
BusyBox v1.36.1 (Ubuntu 1:1.36.1-6ubuntu3.1) built-in shell (ash)
Enter 'help' for a list of built-commands.
(initramfs)

What is that? Typed in 'help' a list of codes. I was at a loss.
I called my brother. And ask "You said Tanner installed 4 Distros?" Brother said yes. Tanner is my nephew. I told him what was going on. This time around my brother was more understanding. As some of you have read comments about my brother. Brother said to look up the BusyBox. I told him it won't boot. I can't get online.

I was going through all kinds of thoughts, as you can image. Then finially brother called. He said Tanner thinks he knows what is wrong. My brother asked more what happened. Tanner confirmed it. I said "so he is really smart." Brother said yeah is a genius. He is just 6 months into being 18. I did not know how smart my nephew was.

Now here is where it gets interesting folks. He came out. I had my computer turned on. He brought his phone, had notes. Oh this. (initramfs) Ok, he told me it has been awhile since he used Linux. I was confused by this. I thought he installed 4 distros. Then I would say it wasn't even 3 minutes before he was in. Did a recovery. Said zorin was there but not there. Your ISO is gone. He told me that when I installed NordVPN through "Snap" that was trouble for me. It didn't take. Then I installed from Zorin Software Packs (Flatpk). That took. Then about 28 days later. The 2 installs started to talk to each other very bad. Then when I rebooted. My entire ISO was wiped out.

Now here's the funny thing. I did not know how smart my nephew was. He proceeded to me. He got tired of Linux, and made his own unhackable off grid OS. Unreachable from Quamton Computers. He went to school in the 10th year of high school. To a trade. That our high school offers. He said he was top of his class. Won state for hacking. Then won with his team 1st place in the nationals and him also winning first place. With Cisco testing students, I guess.

So, Tanner listened to me. Totally different then his dad, my brother. He said "I could put Zorin back on. "What about your files." I told him that they were on my pCloud account. Nephew told me Fedora would fit you "better" I told him I heard some stories about Fedora. He told me it won't be a problem. I (Tanner) would install. Fedora Cosmic Atomic. Nephew had a whole list of distos and eveything on a USB Drive. This would fit you better. I told him ok.

Nephew had my new system installed with Fedora Cosmic Atomic with KDE Plasma. He told me this is unbreakable. Since you are a beginner. I could set it up. So, (me) would not have to deal with the terminal. Just software installs.

Tanner set up my printer/scanner in 10 minutes flat. He installed a new VPN (Mullvad) I was trying to keep up, this guy (kid still in my eyes) was moving at the speed of light. For being 6 months into 18 years old. I was blown away. My brother said nothing of his skills. I don't think my brother even believes the things that, his son can do. This was told to me by my nephew.

We have discused many a time about "Snap". Being a problem. This is a clear example. I read somewhere in the post's. I want to say @Aravisian. Compared Snap to buying bread at the grocery store. Then changing the bread at checkout without telling you. I think that is how it went.

I can not wait for all the comments. I think they will be interesting to read.

Forpli · July 27, 2026, 4:48pm

Do you have left Zorin and now installed Cosmic desktop and Kde Plasma desktop on your system?
That sounds like quite an adventure! Luckily, your nephew was able to help out. Unfortunately, getting started with Linux is often a bit of a bumpy ride, since so much of it is new and unfamiliar.

countrywolf19 · July 27, 2026, 6:38pm

Yes, @Forpli. Left Zorin now on Fedora Cosmic Desktop. Still learning.