show a panel only on desktop?

[Stauricus]

hello everybody.
i'm trying to make a simple dock on my desktop. i did use cairo-dock for a long time, but i think it's overkill...
i want something like this:


the problem is: if i configure this little panel to "act as a dock", it overlaps all other windows:


and if i configure it to not act as a dock, it appears on the top panel as an open application, shows up in the ALT+TAB, can be minimized and everything.
then i tried the autohide function (to 2 pixels), but it doesn't show up when i hover the mouse on it. anyway, i dont want it to show everywhere, just in the desktop.

so, is there any way to change that?
any suggestion is apreciated. thanks in advance

[seppalta]

Since this is in the lxpanel section, I assume you are asking about configuring lxpanel. Lxpanel can be put on any edge and multiple edges. It can be configured to stay below or above open windows. All of this is explained in http://lxlinux.com/#4.

[Stauricus]

yes, i'm trying to configure a new lxpanel. i didn't found in that link how to make it stay below all windows (that's exactly what i want), could you please explain how to do it?

[seppalta]

From http://lxlinux.com/#4: "The Advanced category offers the choice of hiding the panel and/or allowing windows to cover an unhidden panel (uncheck the two boxes in Properties)." So Panel Settings>Advanced and "uncheck the two boxes in Properties" to have open windows ride above the panel - leave them ticked if you want panel on top.

[Stauricus]

sorry, i think i didn't explain me right.
i did uncheck these two boxes, but then the panel is treated as any other program. it shows up in ALT+TAB menu, for example.

take a look at this screenshot:



the left panel shows up in the taskbar of the upper panel (it's the last icon). that's not supposed to happen...

[seppalta]

Can't you just remove it from upper panel by right clicking it and choosing Add/Remove?

[Stauricus]

no, because that is the taskbar. the taskbar from the upper dock treat the left dock as if it were any common application. if i right click it's icon, i get options like "Close" or "Maximize".

[seppalta]

I'm afraid we are not communicating. There are no docks and taskbars with lxpanel. There is a system tray. What exactly do you have installed on the left side and top of your screen? What is your operating system?

[Stauricus]

well, i'm using Lubuntu 13.04
on the top and left of the screen are just two LXPanels... the one at the top is the main, shipped with Lubuntu. i just changed it's original place.
the left was created by me. it just contain an Application Launcher.

would you mind looking at this video? maybe it will show better my issue...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHVC6Q1QVWs

thanks again!

EDIT: i think tags [/youtube] are not working. well, i did put the link instead

[seppalta]

OK, I guess we are communicating. It is just that I have never seen a button for a second lxpanel show up in the first lxpanel. There is nothing mentioned of such in the Debian lxpanel package: http://packages.debian.org/stable/x11/lxpanel. I would guess it is a Lubuntu addition. They like to complicate simple things. Have you looked at the tray plugin part of the configuration files for lxpanels? In most lxde desktops - who knows with regard to Lubuntu - a configuration file for each panel will be in ~/.config/lxpanel/LXDE/panels. Also, you could always remove the stock lxpanel and install the Debian package linked above.