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I am looking for an app launcher comparable to Quicksilver (which I use on MacOS) for Ubuntu 22.04.2 LTS, but none of the tested work properly.

So far I tried Kupfer, Ulauncher, Albert and Synapse, but all of the mentioned seem to have a problem with the hotkey-setting. On Albert and Ulauncher pressing the hotkey works occasionally and only while using certain programs (for example Firefox). Kupfer does't even let me change the hotkey. Synapse doesn't work either. It seems that there is a conflict with default shortcuts used by some programs for certain actions. Nevertheless when I change the hotkey to a specific combination that is only used by the app launcher there I no reaction either.

Using Quicksilver there never was a comparable problem. Even when a hotkey-setting conflicted with a default shortcut Quicksilver would show up.

Since using an app launcher like Quicksilver is vital for me this is really depressing and I will probably go back to MacOS, if there is no solution to the problem.

Any idea how to fix this?

Thanks!

Ugh...buntu
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1 Answers1

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The issues with the many launchers you tried is likely related to the fact that Ubuntu 22.04 runs on Wayland, a newer display system replacing the classical X11 system.

Wayland does not (yet) support that applications set a global shortcut key. To use these launchers on Wayland, you should instead set a shortcut keys through the system of the desktop, which triggers a command to reveal/hide the launcher - if the launcher provides such command line interface. For example, for Ubuntu desktop in "Settings-Shortcut keys", you then set a shortcut key to the command albert toggle. Minor issues may remain, though, such as the launcher not hiding when it looses focus, etc.

Alternatively, I can recommend you to try an excellent launcher implemented as a Gnome Shell extension: Switcher by dlandau.

Some background.

  • Shortcut keys ("hotkeys") in Linux are either global or application specific. Global means they trigger the same action from within any application, application specific is where they only work within the application. Global shortcuts will take priority, i.e., eventually mask an application specific function assigned to the same shortcut key. Global shortcut keys can be set only once. Subsequent attempts will fail.
  • The main issue is because Wayland implements tight security models. One of the consequences is that global application specific shortcuts are not (yet) possible: a system wide shortcut set by an application therefore is recognized only when you are working in an application that run on Xorg through a Wayland "gateway", XWayland. That is why Albert and Ulauncher work in some programs, others not. With the command wmctrl -l you can tell whether you have applications running on XWayland. Native Wayland programs will not appear in the list.
vanadium
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