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The secret KDE application launcher

8 Comments Monday, January 15, 2007   Save Article As PDF

I don't know exactly why I've always preferred the warmth of KDE over Gnome, it happens just like "that". Today while browsing through a plethora of tutorials and hacks on Ubuntu/Kubuntu, I came across something which made me realize why I've loved KDE all along, one word "SLEEK". So, here's the deal (no, Alex..you haven't copyrighted this quote yet), have you ever wished that there was a key combination in Kubuntu (lets revert to the K-word, shall we) that would let you launch any application promptly? Well, that is where 'Katapult' or as I call it, "The Mega K-Thing launcher" comes in; and let me tell you it is one of the sleek-est features I've seen in KDE/Kubuntu since I started using it over a year ago. Here's what to do,

From anywhere in the current KDE/Kubuntu window press "Alt+Space" and 'presto' out pops a rounded box with 'useful' written all over it. Without delay, start typing the name of the application you want to open (in my case it was Gwenview, so I started with 'G' ), and instantly you'll see application icon appear inside the previously opened rounded box with the letters you just typed being highlighted (see screencap below)


Now all you have to do is press "Enter" and the application will start instantly. Now thats innovative!

Thanks How to Geek


8 Responses to “The secret KDE application launcher”

  1. That's really cool!
    For FC6: su -c "yum install katapult"  

    Blogger nikosapi on 1/16/2007

  2. Heh, now thats like a true KDE zealot, niKosapi.. I'm one too :D  

    Blogger Atunu on 1/16/2007

  3. Convenient, yes, innovative, perhaps not. I've seen this functionality on friends' Mac OS X machines (via some shareware) several years ago, I think in 2004.

    Don't get me wrong, I'm a KDE person too and looking forward to 4.0 :)  

    Blogger Ramon on 2/06/2007

  4. Yes, I think this feature (app?) of KDE is fantastic - I hardly ever use the "K" menu any more, searching for apps to launch. Getting things going via the keyboard is so much quicker.  

    Anonymous Anonymous on 2/08/2007

  5. I concur too, umm. Mr Anonymous (would it hurt you so much to leave an initial? Even if it is a faux one :D )  

    Blogger Atunu on 2/08/2007

  6. The first implementation I saw of something like this was Quicksilver for OSX - and I loved it. It drastically changed the way I used my computer.It's just smart - no more menus to troll through, you just type what you want to do and that's it.

    Although I prefer KDE, I've been using Gnome for it's deskbar version of this. The functionality is nearly identical - a shortcut key opens a dialog, you type your command, etc. I just found Katapult today and can finally go back to KDE where I'd really rather be.

    Gnome's deskbar version has some power and features that Katpult's lacking though. It keeps a history, will work just like the run-command dialog, and is smart enough to search application descriptions instead of just their excecutable name. For instance, if I typed "web dev" into Gnome's deskbar applet, it'll show me every executable with a description of "Web Development" regardless of that executable's actual name. It also gives you the option to run your entry as a shell command.

    Katapult is much prettier to look, but I do miss the added power of the Gnome's deskbar applet. I suppose I can just use KDE's run-command for that. We'll see how it works out.  

    Anonymous Decavolt on 2/13/2007

  7. That was a pretty thorough review of your likes and dislikes, decavolt. I don't have a Mac or OSX (ummm, right how can I possibly?), so I can't say how awesome Quicksilver is. But, its quite obvious that it is pretty good. I know Gnome can be much more fluid than KDE, but none the less I'm still in love with the letter "K" ;) . Perhaps, one day the KDE dev team can indeed put some extra juice unto Katapult (like you suggested).  

    Blogger Atunu on 2/13/2007

  8. Awesome! I am right now moving from gnome to KDE. It's been a while since I last used KDE, but it has definitely improved greatly since last I touched it. Version 4.0 shows even more promise.

    I was actually looking for an application or applet to substitute my beloved deskbar. This was one of the reasons I was still missing my gnome. Silly me. I didn't know there was an alternative already built in.

    Thanks for pointing this out! Big help!  

    Anonymous tamgo on 7/03/2007
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    mE
    Ahoy, I'm Naser I Hossain, a student of Mechanical Engineering (from Bangladesh) currently studying in BUET with my fingers crossed. My serenade(!) of life includes DIY projects,hacking random pestilence, taking photographs,occasionally designing websites/pages and playing with Web 2.0 stuff to keep myself aesthetically appeased from time to time. I also listen to Jazz and Blues (like those of Bob Seger and Louis Armstrong) profusely. If my rants interest you in the least detail I'd advice you to stick around . Meanwhile, to stay updated subscribe to my blog feed. For those interested in a part passionate web-designer part freelance hacker, consider taking a look at my incomplete resumé ;)

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