We’ve recently expressed our opinion on the Linux desktop scene with Best Linux Desktop Environments: Strong and Stable, and our follow-up article Linux Desktop Environments: Pantheon, Trinity, LXDE. These desktop environments provide good application launchers. But there’s still a place for a different approach, using a standalone application launcher.
Application launchers play an integral part in making the Linux desktop a more productive environment to work and play. They represent small utilities which offers the desktop user a convenient access point for application software and can make a real boost to users’ efficiency.
An application launcher helps to reduce start up times for applications by indexing shortcuts in the menu. Furthermore, this type of software allows users to search for documents and other files quicker by indexing different file formats. This makes them useful for launching almost anything on a computer including multimedia files, games, and the internet. Application launchers often support plug-ins, adding to their versatility.
To provide an insight into the quality of software that is available, we have compiled a list of high quality Linux application launchers. Hopefully, there will be something of interest for anyone who wants to see productivity improvements in their workflow.
Here’s our recommendations:
Now, let’s explore the application launchers at hand. For each title we have compiled its own portal page, providing a screenshot of the software in action, a full description with an in-depth analysis of its features, together with links to relevant resources.
| Application Launchers | |
|---|---|
| Ulauncher | Fast application launcher written in Python |
| Kupfer | Fast and lightweight desktop summoner/launcher |
| Synapse | Semantic graphical launcher written in Vala |
| bashrun2 | Launch applications from interactive bash sessions |
| Gnome-Pie | Circular application launcher made of several pies |
| dmenu | Fast and lightweight dynamic menu |
| Albert | Desktop agnostic launcher, inspired by OSX’ Alfred launcher |
| pmenu | Dynamic terminal-based menu inspired by dmenu |
| rofi | Window switcher, application launcher and dmenu replacement |
| Launchy | Utility designed to help users forget about the application menu |
| Avant Window Navigator | OS X like panel for the GNOME Desktop |
dmenu and pmenu are similar in function to application launchers in that they allow quick launching of programs from a graphical environment using the keyboard.
| Return to our complete collection of Group Tests, identifying the finest free and open source Linux software. |
- Best Free Linux Application Launchers
- moneyGuru – free personal finance management software
- Essential System Tools: Timeshift – Reliable system restore tool for Linux
- DataExplore – free Python based data plotting and analysis software
- Best Free Linux Script Writing Tools (Updated 2018)
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