i3 is great in helping you manage existing windows, but what solution do you fancy to launch new windows?
Now the answer is easy: i3-dmenu-desktop, installed by default since version 4.4. Now I need to create some desktop files to the ugly scripts I use...
There is a native (i.e. much faster) alternative to i3-dmenu-desktop which does the exact same thing: [j4-dmenu-desktop](http://github.com/enkore/j4-dmenu-desktop) . On my machine (which sports a SSD) i3-dmenu-desktop takes about 400 ms, recent versions of j4-d-d take only 20-25 ms.
I still prefer the default:
bindsym $mod+d exec dmenu_run
as it shows a nice top bar with all available commands (applications) within your $PATH. So, you hit your Mod+D and start typing the application name, it will then filter the list until you have your application selected (you can also move in the list with the array keys)...
IMO, what's most handy here is that it works better than the terminal's TAB because its filter works not only from ceiling. For example, you type "term" and you should be able to see "gnome-terminal", "xterm", etc... pretty handy!
If you use zsh, you can benefit of the $commands shell variable: bindsym $Modkey+p exec $(print -lo ${commands:t} | dmenu -p Command)
I just discoved fehlstart. It holds one substantial advantage over the otherwise useful dmenu_run: It is able to launch freedesktop enabled (i.e. .desktop file) applications. So, if you put the proper .desktop files into .local/share/applications it will find and launch them (with autocomplete!). It was the last puzzle piece in my now near perfect i3wm setup.
Hint: Use 'fehlstart --one-way' to avoid it going into "daemon" mode. Comes in handy if you plan on using with the mod4+d shortcut that would otherwise be launching dmenu_run.
*...the last puzzle piece in my now near perfect i3wm setup.* Yeah, I'm obsessed with these ;)
I just tested an application called menutray. Seems to work quite nicely. It uses freedesktop files to generate menu. It's quite simple to use. Just run 'menutray' in your terminal first to get some info about the usage and then edit the config if you like.
http://code.google.com/p/trizen/downl... There just isn't much documentation on the site. :( If you happen to be Arch Linux user, you can install it from AUR. It's called menutray.
There's also ADeskBar, but it didn't work that well on my i3 setup. http://adeskbar.tuxfamily.org/
In conclusion: menutray seems to do what it promises and only it (that's how I like it). It's simple and shold be lightweight. - give it a try
Also: a very different launcher, but for sure lightweight: wbar. I have used it for a long time. It sits on your desktop, so it will be out of sight after you open an application that fills the entire display (like many do in i3 ;).
I hope these options will help you (and others).
dmenu is my solution.
Next to dmenurun, I have in ~.config/i3/config:
bindsym $mod+p exec --no-startup-id ~/bin/launch
With ~/bin/launch:
#!/bin/sh
output=`ls -1 ~/launch`
cmd=`echo "$output" | dmenu -i -nb black -nf red -sb red -sf black -l 10`
sh -c "~/launch/$cmd &
...and in the directory ~/launch a number of executable files. Two examples:
$ cat launch/music
#!/bin/sh
urxvtc -tr -e ncmpc -f ~/.config/ncmpc/config &
For visual entertainment:
$ cat launch/video
#!/bin/sh
smplayer &
I like Synapse, a more "graphic" launcher that can also open files, directly search the web or connect to zeitgeist (if you configure and run zeitgeist, I didn't).
bindsym $mod+F3 exec synapse
When opening applications, it can also search via single letters. I.e. when you type "efo" it can match "Ex Falso".
I liked the Synapse concept... the only problem with the dmenu for me, same in terminal, is that sometimes I need that particular program but I can't remember its name (remote desktop -> vino)... being able to search by what the applications also do is also an important feature... +1
Asked: 2012-06-04 18:49:00 +0000
Seen: 19,933 times
Last updated: Jan 04 '13
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