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https://github.com/sebastiancarlos/sway-talisman
Sway-Talisman: Terminal Application Launcher in Scratchpad, Minimalist And Native
https://github.com/sebastiancarlos/sway-talisman
application-launcher bash i3 i3wm launcher linux rofi sway sway-config swaywm tiling-window-manager wayland
Last synced: about 2 months ago
JSON representation
Sway-Talisman: Terminal Application Launcher in Scratchpad, Minimalist And Native
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/sebastiancarlos/sway-talisman
- Owner: sebastiancarlos
- License: mit
- Created: 2023-12-05T18:42:59.000Z (6 months ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2023-12-21T10:41:25.000Z (6 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2024-01-27T10:34:11.578Z (5 months ago)
- Topics: application-launcher, bash, i3, i3wm, launcher, linux, rofi, sway, sway-config, swaywm, tiling-window-manager, wayland
- Language: Shell
- Homepage:
- Size: 137 KB
- Stars: 10
- Watchers: 2
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE
Lists
- cli-apps - Sway-Talisman - Terminal application launcher in scratchpad, minimalist and native. (<a name="launcher"></a>Command launchers)
- awesome-cli-apps - Sway-Talisman - Terminal application launcher in scratchpad, minimalist and native. (<a name="launcher"></a>Command launchers)
README
# Sway-Talisman: Sway – Terminal Application Launcher in Scratchpad, Minimalist And Native
Welcome to `sway-talisman`, the ultra-minimalist approach to launching
applications within the **Sway/i3** tiling window managers.
This project leverages the power of terminals and Sway's scratchpad to function
as an **app launcher** with no dependencies.
This is __not__ a TUI launcher; It just makes your terminal even __more__ of a launcher.
## Introduction
GUI application launchers like [rofi](https://github.com/davatorium/rofi) are cool,
but if you're a Sway user, you might be interested in taking your minimalism to
the next level.
It turns out we've had application launchers since the 1960's: Terminals and
shells! Indeed, shells are the only programming languages in which launching a new
process is a first-class citizen.
So, why not embrace a minimalist tiling-window-manager workflow in which your terminal
___is___ your application launcher?
If you go that route, `sway-talisman` might be for you.
Let's look at it from first principles. **Application launchers are:**
1. Floating windows
2. They open in response to a keybinding.
3. They display and autocomplete a list of applications.
4. They close after opening an application.
`sway` provides features **1 through 3** if your workflow consists of having a
single terminal in your scratchpad.
`sway-talisman` is here to help you with **feature 4**, providing the missing UX
piece of closing the scratchpad after launching the app.
Another issue with GUI application launchers is that they can be overwhelming:
They usually show every single GUI application in your system, even those that
came with packages you never intend to open.
`sway-talisman` provides instead an **additive approach**: You are responsible for
defining every app you want to launch. And nothing stops you from
adding extra automation and configuration before and after opening your app.
## Features
- Use the same keybinding for two tasks: Opening your ever-ready scratchpad terminal, and
launching apps. Killer combo!
- Every benefit of your shell (history, tab completion) is still there
in your minimalist app launcher.
- Automatically hides after launch, mimicking dedicated launcher behavior.
- Error handling. Returns exit code if the app failed to launch.
- Configure custom pre-launch, post-launch, and window placement logistics.
Just make a wrapper script and do whatever you want.
- **Technically simple.** Main logic is just [10 lines of code](https://github.com/sebastiancarlos/sway-talisman/blob/main/sway-launch#L159). Everything else is UX and glue code.
- Easily configure in which workspace your app will launch. For example, the
**next empty workspace to the right**.
- Detaches application processes for a clutter-free terminal session. No app logs.
- **Modular design.** Comes with several utility scripts, useful on their own.
- Easy installation method – **It's just a handful of bash scripts!**
- Unlike Sway's `exec`, it **blocks untli a new window opens**. Great
for chaining commands in your initialization!
- **No dependencies** besides Sway.
- Supports both **Sway and i3**.
## Installation
1. Clone the repo and run:
```bash
make
make install # This will install seven bash scripts in your path.
# They can be removed with `make uninstall`
```
2. In your Sway config, replace your bindings to move a window to the
scratchpad and to toggle it.
**Note:** This is needed to add a mark to the scratchpad terminal, so it can be found by `sway-talisman`.
```bash
...
# Move the currently focused window to the scratchpad
# bindsym $mod+Shift+minus move scratchpad
bindsym $mod+Shift+minus exec sway-move-to-scratchpad
...
# Show the next scratchpad window or hide the focused scratchpad window.
# If there are multiple scratchpad windows, this command cycles through them.
# bindsym $mod+minus scratchpad show
bindsym $mod+minus exec sway-scratchpad-toggle
...
```
3. Open a new terminal and move it to your scratchpad. (If you have one already, you'll need to close it and open a new one for the changes to apply.)
4. Create aliases or scripts which call `sway-launch`, and call them from your
regular terminals, from keybindings, or your brand-new
terminal-scratchpad launcher!
Example:
```bash
# in .bashrc
alias firefox='sway-launch --workspace=next-empty -- firefox'
```
Then run:
```bash
- # open scratchpad
firefox # launch firefox, scratchpad is then hidden.
```
For a full list of options and customizations, see the individual script
documentation below.
## Usage
```
Usage: sway-launch [OPTIONS] [--] [arguments...]
sway-launch [OPTIONS] [--] ' [arguments...]'
- Launch a command. Meant to be called from a wrapper script or alias, which in turn
is called from a terminal running in the Sway/i3 scratchpad.
- After running it, the scratchpad is hidden. This is meant to simulate the UX of an
application launcher like rofi, but from a terminal running in the scratchpad.
Options:
-w, --workspace= Launch the command in the given workspace.
- VALUE can be "current" (default), "next", "prev",
"next-empty", or a number.
-n, --no-hide-scratchpad Do not hide the scratchpad after launching the command.
-e, --window-name Used to check for the new window's existence (by app_id
or instance). When the window exists, sway-launch exits.
With no value (default), exit as soon as a new window
is created.
-t, --no-wait Do not wait for a window to open. Exit immediately.
-q, --quiet Do not print any output. (Useful for wrapping scripts
with their own outputs.)
-d, --debug Print debug output.
-h, --help Show this help message.
Example:
# in .bashrc
alias firefox='sway-launch --workspace=next-empty -- firefox'
- # open scratchpad
firefox # launch firefox, scratchpad is then hidden.
```
## Usage of utility scripts
These other bash scripts are used by `sway-launch`, the main entry point. But
they are also yours to use elsewhere.
#### sway-get-workspace
```
Usage: sway-get-workspace
- Print name of current workspace
```
#### sway-get-next-empty-workspace
```
Usage: sway-get-next-empty-workspace
- Print number of the first empty workspace to the right of the
current one (or the current workspace if it is empty).
```
#### sway-workspace
```
Usage: sway-workspace [OPTIONS] [VALUE]
- Go to provided workspace.
- If no value is provided, print the current workspace.
VALUE can be:
- "next", "prev", "next-empty", or a number.
OPTIONS:
-q, --quiet Do not print any output. (Useful for wrapping scripts
with their own outputs.)
-h, --help Show this help message.
```
#### sway-is-scratchpad-focused
```
Usage: sway-is-scratchpad-focused
- If focused, returns 0 and print "true"
- If not, returns 1 and print "false"
```
#### sway-move-to-scratchpad
```
Usage: sway-move-to-scratchpad
- Move the focused window to the scratchpad
- Also add a border and a mark called "scratchpad"
```
#### sway-scratchpad-toggle
```
Usage: sway-scratchpad-toggle [-h|--help] [-q|--quiet]
- "advanced" version of "swaymsg scratchpad show" with one advantage:
It toggles the scratchpad even if it's not currently focused, but only visible
in the current workspace.
- Relies on the scratchpad having the mark "scratchpad".
```
## As featured in
- [Are application launchers overrated?](https://sebastiancarlos.com/are-application-launchers-overrated-e0407e220dc7)
## You might also like
- [sway-launcher-desktop](https://github.com/Biont/sway-launcher-desktop)
- [fzf-nova](https://github.com/gotbletu/fzf-nova)
## License
MIT
## Contributing
We welcome contributions of all kinds. If you have a suggestion or fix, please
feel free to open an issue or pull request.
_Enjoy a lightweight, efficient, and terminal-centric launching experience with
`sway-talisman`!_