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Sunil Pradhan
Sunil Pradhan

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Ulauncher on Linux Mint: A Beginner's Guide to Installing, Auto-Start, and Customization

#linux #linuxmint

When I switched from Windows to Linux Mint, one thing I missed was having a quick launcher to open applications, search files, or perform simple tasks without navigating menus.

While exploring Linux applications, I came across Ulauncher, a lightweight and fast application launcher. After using it for a while, I can say it's one of those small tools that makes using Linux much more enjoyable.

If you're also new to Linux Mint, this guide will help you install Ulauncher, enable it to start automatically, and customize it for your daily workflow.

What is Ulauncher?

Ulauncher is an application launcher for Linux. Think of it as:

  • Spotlight on macOS
  • PowerToys Run on Windows

Instead of opening the menu and searching for an application, you simply press a keyboard shortcut, type a few letters, and launch the app instantly.

For example:

Ctrl + Space
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Type

fire
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and Firefox appears immediately.

It's simple, fast, and becomes part of your daily workflow very quickly.

Installing Ulauncher

Since Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu, installing Ulauncher is straightforward.

Method 1 (Recommended): Install from the official PPA

Open Terminal and run:

sudo add-apt-repository universe -y
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:agornostal/ulauncher -y
sudo apt update
sudo apt install ulauncher
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This installs Ulauncher and adds its repository so future updates arrive with your normal system updates.

Method 2: Install using the .deb package

You can also download the latest package from the official website.

Go to:

Ulauncher Downloads

Download:

ulauncher_x.x.x_all.deb

Then either:

Option A

Double-click the file.

Linux Mint opens the Software Installer.

Click Install.

Option B

Install from Terminal:

sudo apt install ./ulauncher_x.x.x_all.deb
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The downside is that you'll need to manually install future versions unless you later add the PPA.

After installation, search for Ulauncher from the Linux Mint menu and launch it.

Start Ulauncher Automatically

The first thing I wanted was for Ulauncher to start automatically whenever I logged into Linux Mint.

Fortunately, this is already built in.

Open Ulauncher → Preferences and simply enable: Launch at Login

Ulauncher lunch at start

Now every time you log in, Ulauncher runs quietly in the background and is ready whenever you press its shortcut.

Understanding the Preferences

One thing I noticed is that Ulauncher doesn't have hundreds of settings. The interface is intentionally simple, which makes it easy for beginners.

Let's look at each option.

Hotkey

By default, Ulauncher uses:

Ctrl + Space
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This shortcut opens Ulauncher.

You can change it to any keyboard shortcut you prefer.

Some popular choices are:

  • Ctrl + Space
  • Alt + Space
  • Super + Space

I personally like **Ctrl + Space** because it's easy to reach.

Color Theme
This changes the appearance of Ulauncher.

The default dark theme already looks nice, but there are many community-created themes available if you want to personalize it.

If you like dark desktops, you'll probably enjoy themes like:

Number of Frequent Apps to Show

This setting controls what happens when you open Ulauncher without typing anything.

If the value is:

0

nothing is shown.

If you change it to:

5

Ulauncher may display your most frequently used applications, such as:

  • Firefox
  • VS Code
  • Terminal
  • Files
  • Thunderbird

I found this quite useful because the apps I use every day are only one key press away.

Clear Input on Hide

Suppose you search for:

fire

and then close Ulauncher.

With this option enabled, the next time you open it, the search box is empty.

Most users will want to keep this enabled.

Render On

This option is mainly useful if you use multiple monitors.

When enabled, Ulauncher appears on whichever monitor currently has your mouse pointer.

If you only have one monitor, you don't need to worry about this setting.

Don't Hide After Losing Mouse Focus

Normally, clicking anywhere outside Ulauncher closes it automatically.

Enabling this option keeps it open even after clicking another window.

For most people, leaving this disabled is the better experience.

Creating Custom Search Shortcuts

This became one of my favorite features.

Instead of opening websites and searching manually, Ulauncher can search them directly.

Ulauncher shortcuts tab

For example, the default shortcuts include:

Google

g linux mint
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Wikipedia

wiki linux
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Stack Overflow

so react hooks
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You can create your own shortcuts as well.

Here are a few useful ones.

GitHub

Keyword:

gh
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URL:

https://github.com/search?q=%s
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Usage:

gh react
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YouTube

Keyword:

yt
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URL:

https://youtube.com/results?search_query=%s
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Usage:

yt linux mint
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MDN Documentation

Keyword:

mdn
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URL:

https://developer.mozilla.org/search?q=%s
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Usage:

mdn fetch
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This is especially useful if you're a web developer.

Extensions

While the settings are intentionally simple, Ulauncher becomes much more powerful through extensions.

Extensions add extra functionality without making the interface complicated.

Some popular extensions include:

  • Calculator
  • Emoji Picker
  • Clipboard Manager
  • Currency Converter
  • Unit Converter
  • Weather
  • Password Manager integration

You can browse and install extensions directly from the Extensions section.

As a beginner, I suggest starting with just one or two extensions instead of installing everything at once.

My Beginner-Friendly Configuration

After experimenting with Ulauncher, this is the setup I currently like:

Setting Recommendation
Hotkey Ctrl + Space
Launch at Login Enabled
Frequent Apps 5
Clear Input on Hide Enabled
Render On Monitor with mouse pointer
Don't Hide After Losing Focus Disabled

This keeps Ulauncher clean, simple, and fast.

Final Thoughts

One thing I appreciate about Ulauncher is that it doesn't try to do everything. It focuses on being a fast launcher and does that really well.

As someone who is still new to Linux Mint, I found it very easy to install, configure, and start using within a few minutes. Even if you only use it to launch applications, you'll probably find yourself reaching for it dozens of times a day.

If you're just starting your Linux journey, I definitely recommend giving Ulauncher a try. It's a small application, but it can make navigating your desktop much faster and more enjoyable.

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