Install dockutil with Homebrew, Nix

Project links

• Homepage
• Upstream docs
• Package manager page

Commands and aliases

• dockutil

Project history

The GitHub repository was created in July 2011, making dockutil one of the older macOS administration tools in this batch. Its README describes a CLI for managing Dock items including applications, folders, stacks, and URLs, with operations that can target the current user, a specified plist, a home directory, or all homes.

The changelog shows a long maintenance path through macOS changes: 1.1 improved path handling and restart behavior; 2.0 changed preference handling; 2.0.3 waited for Apple's first-login Dock setup; 2.0.5 fixed macOS 10.12 Dock restart behavior; 3.0.0 rewrote the tool in Swift for macOS 12.3 compatibility; and 3.1.x kept pace with Sonoma-era behavior.

Adoption history

dockutil has been adopted mostly by Mac admins, imaging workflows, onboarding scripts, labs, and managed-device setups that need repeatable Dock state. Its `--allhomes`, plist targeting, and Default User Template examples are signs of fleet-management rather than casual end-user use.

The Homebrew formula remains active and reported stable version 3.1.3, 349 installs in the previous 30 days, and 3,249 installs in the previous year as of June 30, 2026. That is strong relative usage for a narrow macOS administration utility.

How it is used

Common commands include `dockutil --add /Applications/TextEdit.app`, `dockutil --remove 'System Preferences' --allhomes`, `dockutil --move 'System Preferences' --position 2 --allhomes`, `dockutil --list`, and `dockutil --add '' --type spacer`. Options handle position, replacement, Dock section, folder view/display/sort behavior, `--no-restart`, `--allhomes`, and alternate home locations.

Why package nerds care

dockutil is package-nerd significant because it gives admins a scriptable abstraction over a user-interface preference file that Apple changes over time. Its value is not glamour; it is preserving boring, repeatable Dock state across macOS releases and managed-user contexts.

Timeline

• 2011: GitHub repository created.
• 2016: 2.0.x releases improved macOS compatibility and Dock restart behavior.
• 2022: 3.0.0 rewrote dockutil in Swift for macOS 12.3 compatibility.
• 2024: 3.1.3 fixed Dock restart behavior for macOS 14.4 compatibility.
• 2026: Homebrew formula API reports stable 3.1.3.

Related projects

• dockutil is related to macOS Dock preferences, plist-based administration, first-login setup scripts, and Mac fleet-management tools such as Munki, Jamf, and other MDM/onboarding systems that call command-line helpers.
• It complements Apple's own Dock UI and defaults/plist tooling by exposing Dock-specific operations as stable CLI verbs.

Sources

• https://github.com/kcrawford/dockutil#readme
• https://api.github.com/repos/kcrawford/dockutil
• https://github.com/kcrawford/dockutil/releases/tag/2.0.5
• https://github.com/kcrawford/dockutil/releases/tag/3.0.0
• https://github.com/kcrawford/dockutil/releases/tag/3.1.3
• https://formulae.brew.sh/api/formula/dockutil.json