No "Keep in Dock" option with program X?

This means plank (and bamf) is not able to match the running Calibre-instance with the installed application-file (calibre.desktop/calibre-gui.desktop). Make sure you installed it properly and prefer the version shipped with your distribution.

Using calibre 1.48.0 on ubuntu utopic/14.10 here works fine.

I actually have the same issue but with other applications. Namely Chrome Stable (not Chromium) and Aptik so far. I'm on UbuntuMATE Vivid and using Plank 0.9.1.

I have found that Plank will only read or see programs fully if the .desktop file of any program is in /usr/share/applications. If not, you won't get the option to check keep in dock. Run a file search for programname.desktop then once you find out where it is open your file manager as root and copy the .desktop file over to /usr/share/applications. I delete the .desktop from it's original location after I've placed it in /usr/share/applications. I'm about to do this now with winff on Xubuntu. I installed winff earlier and noticed I had no option to keep in dock. Not a big deal since I know how to handle this now. The change is immediate, no restart or log off/on required. Restart the program you're wanting to keep in dock and now you will have the option to keep in dock.

user-specific/non-system desktop-files should be put in "~/.local/share/applications"

@Rico : The only way I've been able to get the right click option to keep in dock is if the .desktop file of any program I want to keep in dock is in /usr/share/applications. I'm on Xubuntu 16.04

Update : WinFF .desktop file was already in /usr/share/applications, but no keep in dock check mark appeared. I looked through the .desktop file and noticed there were two additional GenericName lines under the first GenericName line. The addition two lines were for different languages, but still written in English, so that wasn't correct. As a start, I deleted the two addition GenericName files, saved the changes to the .desktop file, opened WinFF & right clicked, and then I had the option to keep in dock. Plank seems dependent on not only the .desktop file but also it's configuration. As always a simple fix.

I'm having this issue with two java programs. I have put the desktop files in /usr/share/applications and also under .local/share/applications. Tried to simplify the files, made them executable or not. But Plank will not allow me to add them to the dock. I'm assuming that Rico's first answer in 2014 is the case, but is there any work-around here?

Go to Plank Preferences (Ctrl + Right Click on any icon -> Preferences) -> Behaviour and uncheck "Lock Items".

I have de same problem whit double commnader app.

the solution is the same that is used to cairo-dock.

get the WM_CLASS properties from the program with problems.

You can find out which WM_CLASS your window has got when you type in a terminal:

xprop WM_CLASS

and then click at the window. In my case of the double commander app the output is as follows:

WM_CLASS(STRING) = "doublecmd", "Doublecmd"

put then in .desktop file at the end the following line:

StartupWMClass=doublecmd

save an then you can "keep on dock" in plank.

I tried these suggestions with GeoGebra 5 program under Xfce: Plank doesn't allow keep it in the dock (it doesn't show the option Keep in Dock).

- Jason Byrne: The .desktop file was in the folder /usr/share/applications. I disabled several extra lines GenericName. It doesn't worked.
- Gsus: The clicking at the GeoGebra 5 window displayed a message saying than this window couldn't supply the information about atom.

So I tried a dummy solution: I placed a launcher to the program in the desktop and I dragged it to the dock. This step worked. I could to see the option Keep in the Dock.

I restarted my operating system and the icon is there yet!!!

So, I started to write this post. When I tried to repeat the Gsus method, I got a new message:
WM_CLASS(STRING) = "sun-awt-X11-XFramePeer", "org-geogebra-desktop-GeoGebra3D"

I tried with sun-awt-X11-XFramePeer. However it didn't work. I didn't try with the second output string.

Thanks, boys.

Working from Jhoany - I opened /usr/share/applications in Dolphin, my Minecraft-launcher.desktop was in there - so I dragged it to the plank. Now it has a "Keep in dock" checkbox (which came checked).