xstarter is an application launcher for Linux.
It lives in the terminal and works well with tiling window managers (e.g. xmonad, i3 etc).
This is free and open source software.
Key Features
- Clean, simple interface that works on various terminals.
- Search for applications using environment variables (e.g. $PATH) and user-provided list of directories.
- Configure to launch via a key-binding.
- Can open an application in terminal.
- Allows you to provide arguments to applications.
- Remembers previously launched applications allowing to find them more quickly.
- Fuzzy search (parts of the query can be separated with a space).
- Applications can be launched with 1, 2, …, 0 keys, depending on their position in the search results.
- Fast, uses cache by default.
- Easy to configure via a single text file.
- Run an application and detach it from terminal (e.g. xstarter -e firefox).
- Can provide contents of the cache to outside programs (xstarter -P).
Website: github.com/lchsk/xstarter
Support:
Developer: Maciej Lechowski
License: GNU General Public License v3.0

xstarter is written in C. Learn C with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
Related Software
| Terminal-Based Application Launchers | |
|---|---|
| fsel | Fast TUI app launcher and fuzzy finder |
| xstarter | Lives in the terminal and works well with tiling window managers |
| sklauncher | Terminal-based application launcher |
| pmenu | Dynamic terminal-based menu inspired by dmenu |
| ATMIRAL | Accessible text-based menu interface |
| dtsl | Fuzzy search and extensive theming support |
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