Dmenu
dmenu is a fast, lightweight dynamic menu utility for X Window System. It provides a simple way to launch applications and run commands from a text-based menu accessible via a custom keybinding.
menu
launcher
utility
x11
dmenu: Fast & Lightweight Dynamic Menu Utility
A fast, lightweight dynamic menu utility for X Window System to launch applications and run commands from a text-based menu.
What is Dmenu?
dmenu is a simple, lightweight application launcher and command executor utility for X Window System. It provides a text-based interface that allows users to quickly launch applications or run shell commands by typing a few characters of the name and selecting it from the dynamically populated menu.
Some key features of dmenu include:
- Minimal resource usage - uses very little memory and CPU, making it very fast and lightweight
- Customizable - appearance, colors, fonts, dimensions, and behaviors can be customized
- Keyboard-driven - operated entirely from the keyboard for efficiency
- Fast filtering - menu updates extremely quickly as you type to filter entries
- Standard input/output - great for use with scripts and pipelines
- Xinerama support - works nicely with multiple monitors
dmenu is highly customizable and can be extended via scripts and pipes. Some common uses include binding it to a hotkey for application launching, using it as a programmable command palette, integrating it with window managers and system tools for greater productivity, and leveraging its speed and simplicity to quickly perform all kinds of tasks.
Dmenu Features
Features
- Fast and lightweight
- Dynamic menu utility
- Runs on X Window System
- Provides keybinding to open menu
- Text based menu interface
- Allows launching applications
- Allows running commands
Pricing
- Open Source
Pros
Very fast and responsive
Low memory and CPU usage
Clean and simple interface
Easy to customize and extend
Integrates well with other tools
Cons
Only works in X11 environments
Limited configuration options
No graphical interface
Requires building from source code
Official Links
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