5 ms·

As an enthusiastic XFCE user, do you mind answering a question? How do you usually launch applications? I can appreciate the discoverability provided by a nest

by dmm 4y ago

As an enthusiastic XFCE user, do you mind answering a question? How do you usually launch applications? I can appreciate the discoverability provided by a nested start menu but I've grown very fond of text launchers with autocomplete provided by gnome, mac os, dmenu, etc.

branon 4y ago
Not the parent but I have the Xfce AppFinder bound to the Super (Windows) key. I think I'm somewhat misusing it, but it's fast enough that I can strike Super and then immediately start typing the name of what I want. Dropped keys are rare, but it's not quite as fast as something like dmenu.
pachico 4y ago
I'm also an old hardcore user of xfce (xubuntu) but I can't live without https://ulauncher.io/ https://ulauncher.io/ or similar projects.
coldpie 4y ago
For super common stuff, I have icons in my panel for them and I use the mouse. I open Terminal so often that I gave it its own global keyboard shortcut. For less often used things, I use the xfce program launcher, which I think is what you're looking for. I have it mapped to some keyboard shortcut (the muscle memory is so automatic I don't even remember what the shortcut is and I'm not at my PC at the moment). It automatically focuses the text entry box, so no need for the mouse at all. Here's a screenshot from the linked article: https://alexxcons.github.io/images/blogpost_8/appfinder.png https://alexxcons.github.io/images/blogpost_8/appfinder.png
ufo 4y ago
Here's what I did back when I used XFCE a couple of years ago: The xfce whiskermenu plugin includes a text search feature that looks similar to the one from Windows. On Xubuntu the whiskermenu is the default "start menu" while in some other distros you may need to add it in the panel settings. Finally, in the keyboard shortcuts bind Super to the xfce4-popup-whiskermenu command, to bring up whisker menu for a text search.
- KronisLV 4y ago
  > Finally, in the keyboard shortcuts bind Super to the xfce4-popup-whiskermenu command, to bring up whisker menu for a text search. I've had this trigger the popup menu when there is another shortcut that binds the Super key in combination with something else. Say, if I had something under Super+R, then the menu would also open. Though maybe this has been patched out in the newer versions, I remember that issue being the case in an XFCE desktop from 2020. But other than that, this is indeed a really nice and usable setup!
  - andai 4y ago
    Same, so I rebound whiskermenu to Meta+Space.
  - iza 4y ago
    I worked around this issue using xcape to map my Super key to another key combo: xcape -e "Super_L=Alt_L|F1" Then set the keyboard shortcut for xfce4-popup-whiskermenu to the new combo (Alt+F1 in this case). This allows other Super shortcuts to work without triggering whiskermenu.
  - raisin_churn 4y ago
    ksuperkey[0] addresses this, though it is unfortunately not widely packaged so you likely have to compile it. I haven't used it in a while, but it worked well when last I did. [0] https://github.com/hanschen/ksuperkey https://github.com/hanschen/ksuperkey
jasperry 4y ago
Are you using WhiskerMenu? It should really have replaced the default application launcher by now. It upgrades the launching experience from Windows 98 to at least Windows 7.
bhattisatish 4y ago
Not parent commentator, but in my case I do the following: rofi -show run The above command is mapped to Command-R Similarly Command is mapped `xfce4-popup-whiskermenu` Both land on a search box and you can search to your heart content and select the option that works for you :-)
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- ollien 4y ago
  +1 for Rofi
- aidenn0 4y ago
  I use rofi on pretty much any desktop environment, it's super great. I'm eagerly awaiting its window-search feature getting wayland support (Knowing wayland it will be compositor-specific though...).
aliqot 4y ago
I just right click the desktop and use the menu that pops up
rglullis 4y ago
<super+R> (at least on my settings, don't remember if that is the default) opens "Application Launcher", which gives you a search prompt that finds (AFAICT) by executable name and definitions in .desktop and .service files.
rwmj 4y ago
For browser windows and terminals I have special Launcher buttons on the panel. For the rest, sometimes from the menu, often straight from the command line in a terminal.
apricot 4y ago
Most of the time, I use dmenu_run (bound to super-R) for launching usual applications, and the menu for seldom-used ones.
nor-and-or-not 4y ago
I use XFCE4 together with Albert https://albertlauncher.github.io/ https://albertlauncher.github.io/
eYrKEC2 4y ago
I bind <ctrl> + <esc> to the "Application Finder". This makes it launch with keybindings matching those that launch the Windows start menu. I start typing the program and it narrows down the results until the program is selected. Then, I hit <enter> and it opens the program. * In Applications -> Settings Manager -> Keyboard Shortcuts * + Add * command: xfce4-appfinder * shortcut: Ctrl + Escape ---- My other favorite bindings are to tile a window into a quadrant of the screen. Applications -> Settings Manager -> Window Manger -> Keyboard Search "Tile window to the top-left", et c. I hold ctrl + alt and then one of qwe a d zxc These commands tile the window to <top-left> <top> <top-right> <left> <right> <bot-left> <bot> <bot-right>
gen2brain 4y ago
I use gmrun for many years, in every DE, bind to Alt+F2. I am happy that now there is a new home here https://github.com/wdlkmpx/gmrun https://github.com/wdlkmpx/gmrun. I cannot imagine using something else.
forgotmypw17 4y ago
I usually open a term and run "screen myapp" I don't run that many applications though.
blensor 4y ago
I know my desktop is a mess but I usually have one window with many terminals open. So if I want to start a program without going through the menu Alt Tab to the terminal window, then I start it from the commandline (gimp, code, blender, godot, etc.)
walderf 4y ago
with a few exceptions... keyboard shortcuts! examples: https://github.com/walderf/dotfiles/blob/e9d4e732cd25b248b4ab29100ab1ac4bb5a4a65d/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-keyboard-shortcuts.xml#L52-L73 https://github.com/walderf/dotfiles/blob/e9d4e732cd25b248b4a... or, an image visual: https://i.imgur.com/ANly2SU.png https://i.imgur.com/ANly2SU.png basically super+<key(s)> all the things!

by dmm 4y ago

branon 4y ago

Not the parent but I have the Xfce AppFinder bound to the Super (Windows) key. I think I'm somewhat misusing it, but it's fast enough that I can strike Super and then immediately start typing the name of what I want. Dropped keys are rare, but it's not quite as fast as something like dmenu.

pachico 4y ago

I'm also an old hardcore user of xfce (xubuntu) but I can't live without https://ulauncher.io/ https://ulauncher.io/ or similar projects.

coldpie 4y ago

For super common stuff, I have icons in my panel for them and I use the mouse. I open Terminal so often that I gave it its own global keyboard shortcut. For less often used things, I use the xfce program launcher, which I think is what you're looking for. I have it mapped to some keyboard shortcut (the muscle memory is so automatic I don't even remember what the shortcut is and I'm not at my PC at the moment). It automatically focuses the text entry box, so no need for the mouse at all. Here's a screenshot from the linked article: https://alexxcons.github.io/images/blogpost_8/appfinder.png https://alexxcons.github.io/images/blogpost_8/appfinder.png

ufo 4y ago

Here's what I did back when I used XFCE a couple of years ago: The xfce whiskermenu plugin includes a text search feature that looks similar to the one from Windows. On Xubuntu the whiskermenu is the default "start menu" while in some other distros you may need to add it in the panel settings. Finally, in the keyboard shortcuts bind Super to the xfce4-popup-whiskermenu command, to bring up whisker menu for a text search.

KronisLV 4y ago
> Finally, in the keyboard shortcuts bind Super to the xfce4-popup-whiskermenu command, to bring up whisker menu for a text search. I've had this trigger the popup menu when there is another shortcut that binds the Super key in combination with something else. Say, if I had something under Super+R, then the menu would also open. Though maybe this has been patched out in the newer versions, I remember that issue being the case in an XFCE desktop from 2020. But other than that, this is indeed a really nice and usable setup!
- andai 4y ago
  Same, so I rebound whiskermenu to Meta+Space.
- iza 4y ago
  I worked around this issue using xcape to map my Super key to another key combo: xcape -e "Super_L=Alt_L|F1" Then set the keyboard shortcut for xfce4-popup-whiskermenu to the new combo (Alt+F1 in this case). This allows other Super shortcuts to work without triggering whiskermenu.
- raisin_churn 4y ago
  ksuperkey[0] addresses this, though it is unfortunately not widely packaged so you likely have to compile it. I haven't used it in a while, but it worked well when last I did. [0] https://github.com/hanschen/ksuperkey https://github.com/hanschen/ksuperkey

jasperry 4y ago

Are you using WhiskerMenu? It should really have replaced the default application launcher by now. It upgrades the launching experience from Windows 98 to at least Windows 7.

bhattisatish 4y ago

Not parent commentator, but in my case I do the following: rofi -show run The above command is mapped to Command-R Similarly Command is mapped `xfce4-popup-whiskermenu` Both land on a search box and you can search to your heart content and select the option that works for you :-)

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
ollien 4y ago
+1 for Rofi
aidenn0 4y ago
I use rofi on pretty much any desktop environment, it's super great. I'm eagerly awaiting its window-search feature getting wayland support (Knowing wayland it will be compositor-specific though...).

aliqot 4y ago

I just right click the desktop and use the menu that pops up

rglullis 4y ago

<super+R> (at least on my settings, don't remember if that is the default) opens "Application Launcher", which gives you a search prompt that finds (AFAICT) by executable name and definitions in .desktop and .service files.

rwmj 4y ago

For browser windows and terminals I have special Launcher buttons on the panel. For the rest, sometimes from the menu, often straight from the command line in a terminal.

apricot 4y ago

Most of the time, I use dmenu_run (bound to super-R) for launching usual applications, and the menu for seldom-used ones.

nor-and-or-not 4y ago

I use XFCE4 together with Albert https://albertlauncher.github.io/ https://albertlauncher.github.io/

eYrKEC2 4y ago

I bind <ctrl> + <esc> to the "Application Finder". This makes it launch with keybindings matching those that launch the Windows start menu. I start typing the program and it narrows down the results until the program is selected. Then, I hit <enter> and it opens the program. * In Applications -> Settings Manager -> Keyboard Shortcuts * + Add * command: xfce4-appfinder * shortcut: Ctrl + Escape ---- My other favorite bindings are to tile a window into a quadrant of the screen. Applications -> Settings Manager -> Window Manger -> Keyboard Search "Tile window to the top-left", et c. I hold ctrl + alt and then one of qwe a d zxc These commands tile the window to <top-left> <top> <top-right> <left> <right> <bot-left> <bot> <bot-right>

gen2brain 4y ago

I use gmrun for many years, in every DE, bind to Alt+F2. I am happy that now there is a new home here https://github.com/wdlkmpx/gmrun https://github.com/wdlkmpx/gmrun. I cannot imagine using something else.

forgotmypw17 4y ago

I usually open a term and run "screen myapp" I don't run that many applications though.

blensor 4y ago

I know my desktop is a mess but I usually have one window with many terminals open. So if I want to start a program without going through the menu Alt Tab to the terminal window, then I start it from the commandline (gimp, code, blender, godot, etc.)

walderf 4y ago

with a few exceptions... keyboard shortcuts! examples: https://github.com/walderf/dotfiles/blob/e9d4e732cd25b248b4ab29100ab1ac4bb5a4a65d/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-keyboard-shortcuts.xml#L52-L73 https://github.com/walderf/dotfiles/blob/e9d4e732cd25b248b4a... or, an image visual: https://i.imgur.com/ANly2SU.png https://i.imgur.com/ANly2SU.png basically super+<key(s)> all the things!