The Digi.Wander.Lust blog posts a handy tip for users of Linux application launcher GNOME Do who find its default pop-up at logon a bit annoying. If you're rocking an Ubuntu system, head to the "Sessions" item in your "Preferences" menu, select GNOME Do and hit edit, then add —quiet (use two dashes, as shown in the pic) to the "Command" field (or edit whatever auto-launcher brings up GNOME Do in other distributions). It's a nice way to save a click and ensure a clean logon screen.

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Linux only: We're big fans of application dock and launcher Avant Window Navigator around here, but free utility Cairo-Dock makes a strong showing as well, not least for its highly-configurable and slick appearance, as well as a good range of plug-ins and third-party applets. Changing Cairo-Dock's appearance with transparencies, two-bar-splitting, and other tweaks is a bit easier than with AWN, and, while not offered in as many official repositories, it's easily installed on Ubuntu and Debian-based systems, and not too hard to compile for other distributions as well. Cairo-Dock is a free download for Linux systems only. Hit the via link for help on an Ubuntu installation and configuration.

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Windows only: Free menu and icon launcher Kana Launcher won't be a boon to those who've given Launchy or another app-finder a home on their desktop, but it might just fit the bill for those looking to reduce desktop clutter and stop digging through Start menus. Sitting in the system tray, Kana lets you assign the folders, files, and programs you want to access to a floating tray of icons, a collapsible menu list, or all-in-one system tray icons. You can assign multiple programs to a single "Group Launch" list, and set a delay between opening each app to save your memory the strain. Kana Launchers is a free download for Windows systems only.

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Before I owned my first Mac, Quicksilver was the application that made me wish I did. Luckily, slowly but surely, Windows developers began building apps intended to successfully attain that Quicksilver-for-Windows status. They started as simple application launchers, but recently the Quicksilver-for-Windows battle has exploded with tons of new applications. The question is: Which one deserves a place on your system? Hit the jump for a closer look at your options, including the Quicksilver clone we're most excited about (hint: it's not Launchy).

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Windows only: Open source keyword launcher Launchy grows up a little with a 2.0 release. Most of the changes seem to be in the interface—polished icons, better skinning support, transparency and fade effects, and other visual tweaks. But program options have been condensed into one window, plugins are more customisable, and the launcher seems more configurable overall. It's important to note that any plugins and skins Launchy users currently have won't work with 2.0 (yet), and your configuration file will be wiped away, so you might want to make a few notes before upgrading. Just jumping into Launchy? Check out Adam's screenshot tweaking tour and guide to taking Launchy beyond applications. Launchy is a free download for Windows only. Thanks Troy!

Open source Mac utility Quicksilver isn't just an application launcher—it's a comprehensive keyboard interface. Launching applications and documents is just Quicksilver's gateway drug: The more you get used to doing things with Quicksilver, the more things you want to do with it. Out of the box Quicksilver comes with the barest essentials, but once you add the right plug-ins that interact with menus, apps, documents, and settings, you can accomplish more and more complex tasks from that familiar three-paned prompt. After the jump, check out top 10 favourite Quicksilver plug-ins, and how to set them up.

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