KRunner

From ArchWiki

Related articles

This article or section needs language, wiki syntax or style improvements. See Help:Style for reference.

Reason: Need to add permission information. (Discuss in Talk:KRunner)

KRunner is an application built into KDE Plasma to perform functions and run commands quickly, and features a "runner" system to customize functions available for use.

Installation

Install the krunner package.

Usage

To open KRunner in Plasma, you can either right-click the desktop and press "run command", or you can use the default keybindings, Alt+Space or Alt+F2. In some workspaces such as a blank desktop, starting to type will automatically bring up KRunner.

Open KRunner with the Meta key

KRunner can now be bound to the Meta key directly in System Settings > Shortcuts > Krunner.

Change position where KRunner is displayed

By default KRunner is displayed at top of screen. To make it appear centered, run 

$ kwriteconfig6 --file krunnerrc --group General --key FreeFloating true

The change will become effective on next login.

Switch active windows

The factual accuracy of this article or section is disputed.

Reason: Disabling plugins will also affect search in the application launcher (Alt+F1) and the overview mode (Meta+W), which is probably not what users want. If there is no way do disable plugins just for KRunner, the xdotool method may still be preferable (but it obviously does not work in Wayland). (Discuss in Talk:KRunner#Possible ideas for expansion)

In Krunner configuration, there is a plug-in configuration button where you can choose needed search source. See the user manual for detail.

If you want to specify krunner search only by active window titles, just enable window plugin and disable the others.

Full list of windows with search by titles

This approach will require xdotool.

  1. Go to System Settings > Workspace > Shortcuts > Custom Shortcuts.
  2. Create new Global shortcut -> Command/URL (by right click)
  3. Tick the checkbox to the right of the name.
  4. In Trigger tab select the desired key combination.
  5. In Action tab type /usr/local/bin/krunner-search-by-windows.sh
  6. Create file /usr/local/bin/krunner-search-by-windows.sh with the following content: 
    #!/bin/bash
qdbus org.kde.krunner /App querySingleRunner windows "" 
sleep 0.2
xdotool key "ctrl+A"
xdotool type 'window '
xdotool key "shift+BackSpace"
  7. Make file executable and give run permission to all.

Note the space after window.

It is possible to specify the search query directly, but repeated search queries will be selected. To avoid this, use a state file to add a space in front of window. 

#!/bin/bash

if [ -e state_file ]; then
    qdbus org.kde.krunner /App querySingleRunner windows "windows "
    rm state_file
else
    qdbus org.kde.krunner /App querySingleRunner windows " windows "
    touch state_file
fi

Now you are able to get list of opened windows by specified shortcut and search by this list as you type;


Search by titles without full windows list

This approach is more limited but far less ugly.

  1. Go to System Settings > Workspace > Shortcuts > Custom Shortcuts.
  2. Create new Global shortcut -> D-bus Command (by right click)
  3. Tick the checkbox to the right of the name
  4. In Trigger tab select the desired key combination
  5. In Action tab insert the following: 
     - Remote application : org.kde.krunner
 - Remote Object      : /App
 - Function           : querySingleRunner
 - Arguments          : windows ""

See also