APPLICATION LAUNCHER Albert
Version: 0.17.3 Web: https://albertlauncher.github.io
If your idea of customising a Linux distro starts and ends with changing the wallpaper, and you consider switching to a non-default browser the worst form of sacrilege, you should perhaps skip past Albert. This innocently named utility is one of several alternative application launchers that can completely transform your desktop experience.
Application launchers are designed to help you quickly and efficiently track down applications and files on your machine. The idea is to present you with what you’re looking to access with just a few keystrokes, as opposed to dredging through the menu hierarchies trying to track down the app for yourself. Most launchers also include desktop search, so you could use it to find files and folders, without ever messing about with menus and directories in your file manager.
Don’t worry if you can’t find Albert in the software repos of your distro. The project utilises the Open Build Service to provide binaries for various distros such as Debian, Fedora, Ubuntu and others. Download the version suited to your distro and install it. You can now launch Albert from the menu as you would any other app. This opens a Settings dialog box where you can set a hotkey to call Albert into service at any time. Like most launchers, Albert can also be used to run commands, look up search strings on the internet, perform calculations and other tasks thanks to the myriad extensions that you can enable under the Extensions tab. Select Applications if you want to use Albert to launch applications, and Firefox Bookmarks to search through them as well.
You can configure Albert under the General tab, which lets you define the hotkey, default terminal emulator, theme and assorted UX-specific settings.