A Full Guide to Installing Ulauncher on Linux Mint 21

An Introduction to Ulauncher

Ulauncher is a fast and lightweight application launcher designed to provide quick and intuitive access to your system‘s files, directories and applications. Unlike traditional application menus that require hovering over different icons and sub-menus, Ulauncher allows you to simply type what you‘re looking for and instantly see relevant results.

Developed completely in Python, this open-source launcher features an interface focused on minimalism and ease-of-use. Once installed, you can simply trigger Ulauncher by hitting your preferred custom hotkey and all your system‘s programs, recent files, browser bookmarks and more will be intelligently surfaced based on what you type.

Some of Ulauncher‘s key capabilities and benefits include:

• Typing-based app launches and searches
• Handy access to recent files, downloads and clipboard history
• Web searches, system commands and calculations without leaving Ulauncher
• Custom themes and plugin extensions
• Cross-platform support across Linux, Windows and macOS
• Keyboard friendly for advanced productivity

For Linux power users looking to streamline their workflow, Ulauncher is an indispensable tool that saves tremendous time and effort once configured. Now let‘s dive into installing Ulauncher on Linux Mint 21.

Prerequisites Before Installing

Before proceeding with Ulauncher‘s installation, please ensure your system meets the following requirements:

• You are running Linux Mint 21 Cinnamon edition (Ulauncher has limited support on other Linux Mint editions)
• Your system is updated with the latest packages and security fixes
• You have administrator access for installing new software
• Python 3 and Python 3 PIP are installed (included by default)

You can verify your Linux Mint version by opening Terminal and running:

cat /etc/os-release

With the prerequisites satisfied, you are ready to install Ulauncher using either the PPA repository method or portable .deb packages. Let‘s explore both options.

Method 1: Installing Ulauncher via PPA Repository

The easiest way to install Ulauncher on Linux Mint is leveraging the developer‘s Personal Package Archive (PPA). Here is a step-by-step guide:

1. Open Terminal and run the following to add Ulauncher‘s stable release PPA:

   sudo add-apt-repository ppa:agornostal/ulauncher
   

2. Once added, refresh your system‘s package index by running:

    
   sudo apt update
   

3. Finally, install Ulauncher using:

   sudo apt install ulauncher
   

You will be prompted to enter your password at various points – go ahead and enter your sudo password when asked.

Within a minute or two, Ulauncher should finish installing seamlessly using this approach. You can verify it is correctly set up by opening Terminal and running:

ulauncher --version

This will print out the version number if properly configured. With that, Ulauncher is ready to launch on Linux Mint 21!

Launching Ulauncher

To trigger Ulauncher‘s interface, simply use the assigned keyboard shortcut which is Ctrl + Space by default. You‘ll then see a nifty Launcher box appear, allowing you to instantly search and open files, apps, settings panes and more.

Try playing around with different search queries and filters to familiarize yourself with Ulauncher‘s capabilities. Once launched, you can also access Ulauncher‘s preferences via the gear icon to customize hotkeys, theme colors, results behavior and extensions.

With the PPA repository method, updates to Ulauncher will automatically be pulled in whenever you refresh your Linux Mint packages. Next, let‘s look at installing Ulauncher using standalone .deb packages.

Method 2: Installing .deb Packages

Advanced Linux users may prefer using Ulauncher‘s .deb packages for a few reasons:

• Avoids adding another PPA source
• Allows downgrading or installing specific versions
• Optional for systems without Internet access

To install Ulauncher using the Debian package approach, follow these instructions:

1. Download the appropriate .deb package for your system architecture (32 bit vs 64 bit) from Ulauncher‘s website. For example:

   ulauncher_5.14.7_all.deb 
   

2. Once downloaded locally, open Terminal and navigate to the downloads folder:

   cd Downloads 
   

3. Install the package with sudo privileges:

     
   sudo apt install ./ulauncher_5.14.7_all.deb
   

Follow any on-screen prompts and Ulauncher will be installed within seconds using this .deb package approach. Remember to repeat this process manually whenever you want to update Ulauncher or switch versions.

With both major installation options covered, you now have Ulauncher running smoothly on your Linux Mint desktop!

Customizing and Configuring Ulauncher

Now that you have Ulauncher installed via either method, I recommend personalizing it to suit your specific needs and workflow.

Theming

By default, Ulauncher has a simple grey theme enabled. To change this aesthetic theme and tweak colors:

1. Launch Ulauncher using your preferred hotkey
2. Click the gear icon to access Settings
3. Navigate to the "Theme" tab
4. Here you can preview and select from various color schemes
5. Additionally, enable "Use desktop theme" to dynamically match system theme

Beyond basic colors, Ulauncher supports third-party themes and styles which can be installed via the "Themes" extension.

Plugins

To augment Ulauncher‘s built-in functionality with handy add-ons like browser bookmarks, Terminal access and Stack Overflow queries, head to the Plugins section within Settings. Here you can enable or disable various extensions.

Make sure to explore each plugin‘s preferences to tailor their specific options and hotkeys.

Keyboard Shortcuts

You can easily reconfigure Ulauncher‘s custom toggle hotkey by clicking Hotkey within Settings. For example, I personally use Alt + Space rather than the default Ctrl + Space shortcut.

Furthermore, individual extensions will also have preset keyboard shortcuts that can likewise be customized to your preferences.

Tweak Ulauncher‘s keyboard integration so it aligns smoothly with your workflow for maximum productivity.

Uninstalling Ulauncher

If you ever wish to uninstall Ulauncher cleanly from your Linux Mint system, follow these simple Terminal commands:

1. First remove the added PPA repo (if installed via that method):

   sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:agornostal/ulauncher  
   

2. Then uninstall the Ulauncher package itself:

    
   sudo apt remove ulauncher
   

This will cleanly remove Ulauncher and all associated dependencies from your system. You can likewise uninstall any specific versions using apt remove and the exact .deb package name.

And with that quick removal process, we have covered the full installation journey of Ulauncher on Linux Mint 21 Cinnamon from start to finish!

Conclusion

Installing Ulauncher application launcher on the latest Linux Mint desktop editions provides an incredibly useful productivity tool for instantly accessing all your system programs, frequent files and handy extensions via an intuitive typing interface.

I highly recommend Linux power users try out Ulauncher as an alternative to traditional application menus and docks. Both the PPA repository method and manual .deb package installation options are straightforward to implement.

Let me know in the comments if you have any issues getting the speedy Ulauncher launcher configured on your Linux Mint system!