Execute shell commands from the launcher with history tracking, common shortcuts, and terminal/background execution modes

Command Runner

A DankMaterialShell launcher plugin for executing shell commands directly from the launcher with history tracking and preset shortcuts.

Features

• Execute Commands - Run any shell command in terminal or background
• Command History - Track and reuse recently executed commands
• Common Shortcuts - Quick access to frequently used commands (htop, btop, ncdu, etc.)
• Terminal Support - Auto-detect or configure your preferred terminal emulator
• Background Execution - Run commands silently without opening a terminal
• Clipboard Copy - Copy commands to clipboard before executing
• Configurable Trigger - Default > or set your own trigger

Installation

From Plugin Registry (Recommended)

# Coming soon - will be available via DMS plugin manager

Manual Installation

# Copy plugin to DMS plugins directory
cp -r CommandRunner ~/.config/DankMaterialShell/plugins/

# Enable in DMS
# 1. Open Settings (Ctrl+,)
# 2. Go to Plugins tab
# 3. Click "Scan for Plugins"
# 4. Toggle "Command Runner" to enable
# 5. Configure your terminal emulator in plugin settings

Configuration

Important: Configure your terminal before first use!

1. Open Settings → Plugins → Command Runner
2. Set Terminal: Your terminal emulator (e.g., kitty, alacritty, foot)
3. Set Exec flag: The flag for executing commands (e.g., -e for most terminals)

Common Terminal Configurations

Usage

Execute Commands in Terminal

1. Open launcher (Ctrl+Space)
2. Type > followed by command
3. Examples:
   • > htop - System monitor
   • > btop - Modern resource monitor
   • > ls -la - List files with details
   • > journalctl -f - View live system logs
4. Select "Run: command" and press Enter

Execute Commands in Background

1. Type command as above
2. Select "Run in background: command"
3. Command executes silently without terminal window

Copy Command to Clipboard

1. Type command
2. Select "Copy: command"
3. Command copied to clipboard for use elsewhere

Use Command History

• Recent commands appear automatically in the list
• Click any historical command to re-execute
• History persists across sessions

Common Command Shortcuts

Access pre-configured shortcuts without typing:

• htop - Interactive process viewer
• btop - Resource monitor
• ncdu - Disk usage analyzer
• nmtui - Network manager TUI
• ranger - File manager
• neofetch / fastfetch - System info
• And more!

Settings

• Trigger: Set custom trigger (>, $, !, /run, etc.) or disable for always-on
• Terminal Emulator: Configure which terminal to use
• Exec Flag: Set the command execution flag for your terminal
• Max History Items: Configure history size (1-100 items)
• Clear History: Remove all stored commands

Examples

System Monitoring

> htop              # Interactive process viewer
> btop              # Modern resource monitor
> journalctl -f     # Live system logs
> df -h             # Disk usage
> free -h           # Memory usage

File Operations

> ls -la            # List all files
> ncdu ~            # Analyze disk usage
> ranger            # File manager

Network

> nmtui             # Network manager
> ip addr           # Network interfaces
> ping 8.8.8.8      # Test connectivity

Development

> vim config.txt    # Edit file in vim
> git status        # Check git status
> npm install       # Install packages

Requirements

• DankMaterialShell >= 0.1.0
• Terminal emulator (kitty, alacritty, foot, etc.)
• wl-copy (for clipboard support)
• Wayland compositor

Compatibility

• Compositors: Niri and Hyprland
• Distros: Universal - works on any Linux distribution
• Terminals: Supports all major terminal emulators

Technical Details

• Type: Launcher plugin
• Trigger: > (configurable)
• Language: QML (Qt Modeling Language)
• Storage: Command history stored in DMS settings

Troubleshooting

Commands not launching?

1. Verify terminal is configured in plugin settings
2. Check terminal is installed: which kitty (or your terminal)
3. Verify exec flag matches your terminal

Terminal opens but command doesn't run?

• Ensure exec flag is correct for your terminal
• Most terminals use -e, but some (wezterm) use start

Contributing

Found a bug or want to add features? Open an issue or submit a pull request!

License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details

Author

Created for the DankMaterialShell community

Links

• DankMaterialShell
• Plugin Registry