Launchy is a simple tool that lets you open any application just by typing its name. A drop-down list shows all the applications that start with or contain the text you enter in the search bar. Launchy lets you launch not only external applications, but also utilities from Apple's operating system. Launchy is a free cross-platform utility designed to help you forget about your start menu, the icons on your desktop, and even your file manager. Launchy indexes the programs in your start menu and can launch your documents, project files, folders, and bookmarks with just a few keystrokes! Launchy free download - Launchy for Linux, Launchy Widget, Launchy Rocket, and many more programs.
| Original author(s) | Josh Karlin |
|---|---|
| Initial release | January 22, 2007 |
| Stable release | |
| Written in | C++ (Qt) |
| Platform | Windows, Mac OS X, FreeBSD, and Linux |
| Type | |
| License | GNU General Public License |
| Website | www.launchy.net |
Launchy is a free and open-sourceapplication launcher for Windows, Mac OS X, FreeBSD and Linux. It indexes shortcuts in the start menu, and files in specific folders, to allow quicker access to programs without opening the start menu or browsing to folders.[1][2][3]
Program usage[edit]
Launchy automatically loads on boot and waits for the user to call it by pressing Alt + Space or a custom hotkey. The user then starts typing the name of the program or file they wish to launch. Launchy automatically searches its list of programs for the closest match as the user types. When it finds the desired program, the user hits Enter and it is automatically launched.[4]
Launchy can add folders and file formats to its catalog for indexing, so it can launch almost anything on a computer, including programs, URLs (also from bookmarks) and documents; as well as run Google, Wikipedia, MSN and Yahoo searches, bringing the results up in the default browser.
Launchy can be extended with plug-ins.[3]
Platform[edit]
Launchy was originally written in C# (ver. 0.5), and in C++ since version 0.6.[5] The latest version, 2.0, has been completely rewritten using Qt. This has resulted in incompatibility with older skins and plugins.[6]
Included plugins[edit]
The following plugins are included with the 2.0 release:
Controly[edit]
- Adds control panel items to the catalog
Weby[edit]
- Allows web search
- Can launch URLs, also from bookmarks
Calcy[edit]
- A simple calculator
Community Plugins[edit]
- Ampy controls Winamp, iTunes and foobar2000.
- gCal Plugin posts events to Google Calendar.
- iTuny controls iTunes.
- Killy terminates tasks by name.
- Launchy# allows loading of plugins written in a .NET language.
- MathyResurrected adds additional mathematical capabilities.
- PuTTY Launchy Plugin launches saved PuTTY sessions.
- PyLaunchy allows loading of plugins written in the Python programming language.
Plugin development[edit]
Launchy Mac Os X
Launchy 2 has a C++ API[7] for developing extension plugins that add new types of objects to the catalog.
Community-developed bindings for other programming languages are provided as plugins:
- PyLaunchy[8] allows developing Python programming language plugins.
- Launchy#[9] allows developing plugins in .NET languages.
Awards[edit]
2007[edit]
- SourceForge.Net Community Choice Awards, Honorable Mention: Best New Project[10]
- PC World 15 Best Downloads of the Year: Powertools[4]
- CNet Download.Com Top Ten Downloads of the Year[1]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ abRosenblatt, Seth (December 22, 2007). 'The 10 best downloads of 2007'. CNet.
- ^Dolcourt, Jessica (December 20, 2007). 'Launchy 2.0 quick-starts apps with class'. CNet.
- ^ abSpector, Lincoln (October 21, 2007). 'Fifteen Great Time Saving Utilities'. PC World.
- ^ abGralla, Preston (December 24, 2007). 'The 15 Best Downloads of the Year'. PC World.
- ^Project Details - Programming Language
- ^'Launchy 2.0'. Neowin. Retrieved 7 August 2017.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^Launchy 2 Plugin API
- ^PyLaunchy: Python plugins for Launchy
- ^Launchy#: .NET plugins for Launchy
- ^'SourceForge.Net Community Choice Awards'. 2007.
External links[edit]
- Launchy on SourceForge.net
If you’ve never heard of Launchy, let me do you a favor by quickly explaining it. Launchy is a simple application launcher for Windows, Mac, and Linux that makes it easy to open any application installed on your computer just by using your keyboard.
After installing Launchy, you’ll basically never have to open your Start menu again. If you want to open Firefox, for example, simply press the customizable Launchy hotkey (I set mine to CTRL + Space, but the default is ALT + Space), type a few letters of the program you’re looking for, then press enter. If the wrong program is shown, use the arrow keys to find it in the list.
One downside to Launchy is that it can’t launch applications installed via the ClickOnce deployment method by default. ClickOnce is popular deployment solution for .NET applications, and is used by applications like MetroTwit and even my own BreakTaker.
Adding support for ClickOnce applications in Launchy is easy, just follow these instructions.
Step 1: Open Launchy by pressing the Launchy hotkey or opening its Program Files entry.
Step 2: Right click Launchy and select Options.
Step 3: Click the Catalog tab. The locations in “Directories” are the areas that Launchy will search for application shortcuts, and the “File Types” specify which types of shortcuts it will look for.
ClickOnce applications don’t use the standard .lnk extension for their shortcuts, they instead use the extension .appref-ms.
Launchy For Mac 2019
For each directory listed, select it and click the plus button (+) under File Types. Type *.appref-ms and press enter, and repeat for each directory.
Launch For Mars
Step 3: After you’ve added *.appref-ms to each directory, click the Rescan Catalog button. Click OK once Launchy has finished looking for new shortcuts.
Launchy For Mac App
That’s it! Launchy should now be able to locate ClickOnce applications stored on your computer.