Xfce Forum

orschiro

Member

Registered: 2017-11-30

Posts: 65

How do you launch your applications quickly?

Dear community,

Coming from GNOME, I grew quite attached to pressing Super key and quickly searching for the app I want to launch.

The application finder (Alt + F2) does not get close enough to that.

Do you have any suggestions for me?

Thank you!

Yours

alcornoqui

Member

Registered: 2014-07-28

Posts: 832

Re: How do you launch your applications quickly?

I do two things:

1. Use xcape to regain the one-press Super key to bring the Whisker Menu. Instructions here.

2. Create shortcuts with Super+[initial or hint]:
- Super+w for the web browser
- Super+e for the text editor
- Super+t for the terminal
- Super+f for the file manager (Ctrl+Super+f for alternative folder)
- Super+, to change the wallpaper
- Super+m for the media player
- Super+x to toggle the Xfce panels
- Super+g for Gigolo
- Super+c for Clementine... etc, I have more!

For anything else I call the Whisker Menu with Super.

Works for me, so that would be my suggestion.

ozjd

Member

From: Hawkesbury NSW Australia

Registered: 2012-02-05

Posts: 560

Website

Re: How do you launch your applications quickly?

I do the same as alcornoqui except I also have an extra panel on the side with launchers for my common applications but use the keyboard shortcuts for the most common.

ToZ

Administrator

From: Canada

Registered: 2011-06-02

Posts: 11,485

Re: How do you launch your applications quickly?

xfdashboard? It's kind of like the Gnome app launcher.

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MountainDewManiac

Member

From: Where Mr. Bankruptcy is Prez

Registered: 2013-03-24

Posts: 1,115

Re: How do you launch your applications quickly?

I do the same as alcornoqui except I also have an extra panel on the side with launchers for my common applications but use the keyboard shortcuts for the most common.

I do the side-panel thing. Mine has seven launchers (double-width, because I can't see very well). And, since I set all three of my panels to auto-hide, they don't steal screen real estate.

I also use keyboard shortcuts, but I use CTRL ALT {key} . Just personal taste - you can use most any combination of modifier(s) + key.

And, of course, the search box on the Whisker menu, the Favorites "tab" on the Whisker menu (which is user-configurable), Alt F2, Alt F3...

It's pretty easy to set up ways to quickly run applications in Xfce. I suppose you could even do the old-fashioned "cluttered Windows™ thing" and fill your desktop up with application and/or file icons, too.

Regards,
MDM

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orschiro

Member

Registered: 2017-11-30

Posts: 65

Re: How do you launch your applications quickly?

xfdashboard? It's kind of like the Gnome app launcher.

This looks slick! Going to try that. Thanks for mentioning it.

Yours

orschiro

Member

Registered: 2017-11-30

Posts: 65

Re: How do you launch your applications quickly?

I just installed xfdashboard, mapped it to Super key and what can I say, it's amazing!

Yours

Misko_2083

Member

Registered: 2015-10-13

Posts: 211

Website

Re: How do you launch your applications quickly?

This one is lightweight http://xlunch.org/
It will not work in desktop mode (because it goes to the last place in the window stack, even under xfdesktop) but it's a very cool launcher.

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orschiro

Member

Registered: 2017-11-30

Posts: 65

Re: How do you launch your applications quickly?

This one is lightweight http://xlunch.org/
It will not work in desktop mode (because it goes to the last place in the window stack, even under xfdesktop) but it's a very cool launcher.

What do you mean by "not work in desktop mode"? How do I know which mode I am using?

Yours

Misko_2083

Member

Registered: 2015-10-13

Posts: 211

Website

Re: How do you launch your applications quickly?

This one is lightweight http://xlunch.org/
It will not work in desktop mode (because it goes to the last place in the window stack, even under xfdesktop) but it's a very cool launcher.

What do you mean by "not work in desktop mode"? How do I know which mode I am using?

Yours

Screenshot

One time launher is the default mode

Available Modes

 *   One time launcher mode - this is default mode. There is no need to specify any commandline parameter for this mode. In this mode, xlunch opens as a fullscreen application, and offers a screen with icons to select applications to run, plus commandline which serves as a filter for the icons at the same time. Running any app or command ends the launcher. You can also cancel the launcher (by default) with the Esc key, or click with right mouse button.
  *  Desktop mode - this mode is activated with -d. In this mode, xlunch sends itself to the lowest position in the window stack, so all other windows are above it. Your window manager will not have any control over it, so xlunch does not receive any input or focus and it cannot be raised to front. This emulates desktop with icons. In Desktop mode, applications start using fork (as another process) and don't terminate the launcher. xlunch in this mode cannot be terminated (except by killing it with SIGTERM).

Desktop mode is used for openbox, jwm or i3wm.

Xlunch can be tweaked a lot with the command line options.

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orschiro

Member

Registered: 2017-11-30

Posts: 65

Re: How do you launch your applications quickly?

Thank you! This looks very promising and I would like to test it. However, I couldn't find an easy way to install it on Fedora. Ideally looking for an rpm package. If anyone has one, please let me know.

Yours