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https://github.com/cerebroapp/cerebro

πŸ”΅ Cerebro is an open-source launcher to improve your productivity and efficiency
https://github.com/cerebroapp/cerebro

cerebro electron launcher search

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πŸ”΅ Cerebro is an open-source launcher to improve your productivity and efficiency

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README 

        
# Cerebro



> Cerebro is an open-source launcher to improve your productivity and efficiency






## Usage



You can download the latest version on the [releases](https://github.com/cerebroapp/cerebro/releases) page.



- If there isn't an installer for your OS, check [build instructions](#build-executable-from-source).

- If you are a linux user see [how to install the executable](#install-executable-on-linux)



After the installation, use the default shortcut, `ctrl+space`, to show the app window. You can customize this shortcut by clicking on the icon in the menu bar, and then selecting "Preferences...".



![Cerebro](https://cloud.githubusercontent.com/assets/594298/20180624/858a483a-a75b-11e6-94a1-ef1edc4d95c3.gif)



### Plugins



### Core plugins



- Search the web with your favourite search engine

- Search & launch application, i.e. `spotify`

- Navigate the file system with file previews (i.e. `~/Dropbox/passport.pdf`)

- Calculator

- Smart converter. `15$`, `150 Ρ€ΡƒΠ±Π»Π΅ΠΉ Π² Π΅Π²Ρ€ΠΎ`, `100 eur in gbp`;



### Install plugins



You can manage and install more plugins by typing `plugins ` in the Cerebro search bar.



Discover plugins and more at [Cerebro's Awesome List](https://github.com/lubien/awesome-cerebro).



> If you're interested in creating your own plugin, check the [plugins documentation](https://github.com/cerebroapp/create-cerebro-plugin).



## Shortcuts



Cerebro provides several shortcuts to improve your productivity:



- `ctrl+c`: copy the result from a plugin to the clipboard, if the plugin does not provida a result, the term you introduced will be copied

- `ctrl+1...9`: select directly a result from the list

- `ctrl+[hjkl]`: navigate through the results using vim-like keys (Also `ctrl+o` to select the result)



### Change Theme



Use the shortcut `ctrl+space` to open the app window, and type `Cerebro Settings`. There you will be able to change the Theme.



> Currently Light and Dark Themes are supported out of the box



![change-cerebro-theme](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/24854406/56137765-5880ca00-5fb7-11e9-86d0-e740de1127c2.gif)



### Config file path



You can find the config file in the following path depending on your OS:



*Windows*: `%APPDATA%/Cerebro/config.json`



*Linux*: `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/Cerebro/config.json`  or `~/.config/Cerebro/config.json`



*macOS*: `~/Library/Application Support/Cerebro/config.json`



> ⚠️ A bad configuration file can break Cerebro. If you're not sure what you're doing, don't edit the config file directly.



## Build executable from source



If you'd like to install a version of Cerebro, but the executable hasn't been released, you can follow these instructions to build it from source:



1. Clone the repository

2. Install dependencies with [yarn](https://yarnpkg.com/getting-started/install):



   ```bash

   yarn --force

   ```



3. Build the package:



   ```bash

    yarn package

   ```



> Note: in CI we use `yarn build` as there is an action to package and publish the executables



## Install executable on Linux



If you're a linux user, you might need to grant execution permissions to the executable. To do so, open the terminal and run the following command:



```bash

sudo chmod +x 

```



Then, you can install the executable by running the following command:



- If you're using the AppImage executable:



  ```bash

  ./

  ```



- If you're using the deb executable:



  ```bash

  dpkg -i 

  ```



> On some computers you might need run these commands with elevated privileges (sudo). `sudo ./` or `sudo dpkg -i `



## Contributing



CerebroApp is an open source project and we welcome contributions from the community.

In this document you will find information about how Cerebro works and how to contribute to the project.



> ⚠️ NOTE: This document is for Cerebro developers. If you are looking for how to develop a plugin please check [plugin developers documentation](https://github.com/cerebroapp/create-cerebro-plugin).



### General architecture



Cerebro is based on [Electron](https://electronjs.org/) and [React](https://reactjs.org/).



A basic Electron app is composed of a *main process* and a *renderer process*. The main process is responsible for the app lifecycle, the renderer process is responsible for the UI.



In our case we use:



- [`app/main.development.js`](/app/main.development.js) as the main process

- [`app/main/main.js`](/app/main/main.js) as the main renderer process

- [`app/background/background.js`](/app/background/background.js) as a secondary renderer process



All this files are bundled and transpiled with [Webpack](https://webpack.js.org/) and [Babel](https://babeljs.io/).



The build process is managed by [electron-builder](https://www.electron.build/).



### Two renderer processes



This two-renderer process architecture is used to keep the main renderer process (Cerebro) responsive and to avoid blocking the UI when executing long tasks.



When we need to execute a long task we send a message to the background process, which executes the task asynchronously and sends a message back to the main renderer when the task is completed.



This is the way we implement the plugins system. Their initializeAsync method is executed in the background process.



### Prerequisites



- [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/en/) (>= 16)

- [yarn](https://classic.yarnpkg.com/en/)



### Install Cerebro



First, clone the repo via git:



```bash

git clone https://github.com/cerebroapp/cerebro.git cerebro

```



Open the project



```bash

cd cerebro

```



And then install dependencies:



```bash

yarn

```



### Run in development mode



```bash

yarn run dev

```



> Note: requires a node version >=16.x



### Resolve common issues



1. `AssertionError: Current node version is not supported for development` on npm postinstall.

After `yarn` postinstall script checks node version. If you see this error you have to check node and npm version in `package.json` `devEngines` section and install proper ones.



2. `Uncaught Error: Module version mismatch. Exepcted 50, got ...`

This error means that node modules with native extensions build with wrong node version (your local node version != node version, included to electron). To fix this issue run `yarn --force`



### Conventional Commit Format



The project is using conventional commit specification to keep track of changes. This helps us with the realeases and enforces a consistent style.

You can commit as usually following this style or use the following commands that will help you to commit with the right style:



- `yarn cz`

- `yarn commit`



### Publish a release



CerebroApp is using GH actions to build the app and publish it to a release. To publish a new release follow the steps below:



1. Update the version on both `package.json` and `app/package.json` files.

2. Create a release with from GH and publish it. 🚧 The release **tag** MUST contain the `v` prefix (❌ `0.1.2` β†’ βœ…`v0.1.2`).

3. Complete the name with a name and a description of the release.

4. The GH action is triggered and the release is updated when executables are built.

## License



MIT Β© [Cerebro App](https://github.com/cerebroapp/cerebro/blob/master/LICENSE)