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How to Install Synapse Launcher 0.2.10 on Elementary OS

An Alternative To MAC OS X Spotlight for Linux - Most of Linux desktops have their own Menu or Launchers with search option like Elementary with the Slingshot Launcher, Ubuntu Unity with the Dash, Gnome has Activities, KDE and Cinnamon has its own Menu, and so on.

A launcher is used to search installed applications, files easily. It's really  helpful for a user to perform quick operations. If you need a step forward and looking for an alternative for your Linux desktop then Synapse is right choice.

Synapse, Mac OS X Spotlight Alternative

What's Synapse? Synapse is a semantic launcher written in Vala that you can use to start applications as well as find and access relevant documents and files by making use of the Zeitgeist engine.

Install Synapse Launcher 0.2.10 on Elementary OS

It gives a quick access to launch any applications, accessing documents such as pictures / photos / images, audio, video, and places.

For Ubuntu, Linux Mint and relevant Ubuntu derivatives system, there's Albert Spotlight you can try. To install it, you can read at our previous post Macbuntu: Mac OS X Yosmite Theme for Ubuntu 16.04 LTS Xenial Xerus.

Synapse Launcher Features

Below is a list of features that are available :
  • Applications – searches your desktop files
  • Banshee – allows you to play/enqueue music files in Banshee
  • Commands – runs any command (ie. "sudo apt-get update")
  • Devhelp – search documentation using Devhelp
  • Dictionary – find definitions of words
  • Directory search – allows opening of commonly used directories
  • Gnome session – log out, shut down, restart
  • Hybrid search – complete Zeitgeist results by searching for similar files
  • Rhytmbox – play/enqueue music files in Rhythmbox
  • UPower – suspend & hibernate your computer
  • Zeitgeist – search anything logged by Zeitgeist

Installing Synapse 0.2.10 on Elementary OS Freya

Please make sure you have active internet connection, because we will install this utility from PPA. Open the terminal, then run the following commands :

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:synapse-core/ppa
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install synapse

Now you can open Synapse from Accessories -Elementary's menu.

Also on Linuxslaves :

How to Use Synapse?

  1. You can launch Synapse quickly using Ctrl+Space shortcut key. It can be changed easily from Preferences setting.
  2. Left and Right Arrow keys to quick navigate between different categories.
  3. The Arrow Down key used to extend your search.
  4. It also allows you to perform power actions: Shutdown, Restart, and Logout.

Synapse Launcher's Themes

Synapse Launcher comes with 5 skins. They are Virgilio, Doish, Side Dosih, Essential, Default. See the screenshot below :

Mac os x spotlight alternatives for Linux

Watch Synapse 0.2.10 on Elementary OS



So that's all I can write about a tutorial step-by-step installing Synapse Launcher : an alternative to Mac's new spotlight on Elementary OS. Hope you've enjoyed reading this tutorial. Thanks for visiting us!