Launch Apps on Linux using Ulauncher Linux App Launcher

App launchers are used to launch applications and enable one to find files on your computer easily. They also enable one to browse on the web, perform calculations, translate texts or even run shell scripts. Today there are several launchers for Linux that include; Albert, Kupfer, GNOME Pie, Arc Menu, Synapse, Launchy, Cerebro e.t.c.

Ulauncher is one of the best application launchers available in the market. This free and lightweight Linux launcher uses GTK+ and is written in Python. Its functionality is highly boosted with several extensions. Furthermore you can even create and use your own extensions.

The Ulauncher offers the following features:

• Remembers your last searched application in the same session
• Custom color themes
• Fuzzy search algorithm, which lets you find applications even if you misspell them
• Frequently used apps display (optional)
• Preset color themes that include a dark theme
• Shortcuts for browsing sites like Google, Wikipedia, and Stack Overflow
• Support for extensions to get extra functionality (emoji, weather, speed test, notes, password manager, etc.)
• Shortcut to summon the launcher can be easily customized
• Browse files and directories

By following this guide to the end, you should be able to install and use Ulauncher Linux App Launcher.

Step 1 – Install Ulauncher on Linux

Ulauncher can be installed on any Linux distribution with ease. To install Ulauncher on your Linux distro, use the below commands:

• On Debian/Ubuntu

sudo apt update
sudo apt install lsb-release ca-certificates apt-transport-https software-properties-common -y
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:agornostal/ulauncher
sudo apt update
sudo apt install ulauncher

Alternatively, download and install the Debian package from the Ulauncher downloads page.

sudo apt update && sudo apt install curl wget python3 -y
Ulauncher_VER=$(curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/Ulauncher/Ulauncher/releases/latest|grep browser_download_url|grep deb|cut -d '"' -f 4)
wget $Ulauncher_VER
sudo apt install ./ulauncher_*.deb

• On Fedora

sudo dnf install ulauncher

• On Arch Linux

yay -S ulauncher

With a successful installation, proceed below and use Ulauncher.

Step 2 – Run Ulauncher Applications Launcher on Linux

Once installed, start launcher from the terminal:

ulauncher

If you are using the GDM display manager, disable Wayland as below:

sudo vim /etc/gdm3/daemon.conf
##OR##
sudo vim /etc/gdm/custom.conf

Edit the file as below:

# Uncomment the line below to force the login screen to use Xorg
WaylandEnable=false

Restart GDM

sudo systemctl restart gdm

Ulauncher can also be launched from the App Menu.

Ulauncher starts as below:

Once launched, click on the settings icon, and proceed to preferences

Step 3 – Configure Ulauncher on Linux

Now make several configurations to Ulauncher that include; hotkey, themes, color e.t.c

Hotkey

To configure hotkeys(keyboard shortcuts), tap on the desired text field and change to hotkey to a preferred one.

Enable automatic launch at Login

If you need to enable the launcher to run automatically on system boot and eliminate the tedious task of running the app manually, you need to configure this. In the Preferences tab, check the box below.

You may also need to enable the service.

systemctl --user enable ulauncher

Exclude Directories From Being Indexed

You can as well blacklist a directory and prevent Ulauncher from searching into it. This is achieved by navigating to Ulauncher Preferences->Advanced then adding the path to the directory to be blacklisted under Blacklisted App Dirs

Step 4 – Use Ulauncher Applications Launcher on Linux

Having made desired configurations, you are set to enjoy the awesomeness of this tool. Use Ulauncher in the following ways:

Launch an App

To launch an application, bring up Ulauncher (CTRL+SPACE)and search for the application as below.

Launch the desired application by clicking on it.

Search an Item Online

To be able to browse items over the web,(Google, Wikipedia, and Stack Overflow) prefixes are used. For google enter “g,” followed by your search term. If you want to use Wikipedia use wiki and Stack Overflow use so

For example, searching on Google.

Find a File on Local Storage

With Ulauncher, you can search files/directories on your local storage. Use wildcards for the directory. For example:

With the desired file identified, open it using the provided shortcut key (Alt + y) where y is the number provided.

Step 5 – Customize Ulauncher on Linux

As said earlier, Ulauncher can be customized using extensions. To install and enable extensions, navigate to Ulauncher Preferences-> Extensions. Tap on Discover extensions to find extensions on the web.

Reveal the extension’s URL and copy it. Now on the extensions tab, add the extension by pasting the copied URL as below.

Click add and wait for a few minutes for the installation to occur.

Once installed, the extension will appear as below.

More information can be obtained by clicking on the extension.

For this added extension, Youtube Search, use it with the set keyword (yt) as below:

That is it!

Closing Thoughts.

At this point, we can agree that Ulauncher can be used to streamline your day-to-day Linux operations. You can invoke the Ulauncher search and get feedback to requests immediately. I hope this was significant to you.

Interested in more?