HOWTO: Synapse Application Launcher

What is Synapse?

Synapse is much more than a simple application launcher. With this versatile tool you can quickly locate, view, edit, launch or execute the selected item, or even query the internet for dictionary definitions or additional item information.

Startup

Synapse starts automatically as a background service when booting, Subsequently, the application is available as a clickable icon in the notification section of the desktop tray or you may prefer the default Ctrl+Spacebar keyboard shortcut.

Configuration

For configuration options, simply right-click the Synapse tray icon or click the right-upper corner of the GUI.

In the popup settings dialog, you can disable the auto-start mode and tray notification icon, then optionally launch the application via Menu -> Utility -> Synapse.

Synapse provides five optional themes but Virgilio is selected for its simplicity and convenient automatic drop-down list of items that match the current search parameters.

Multiple default keyboard shortcuts are set on first run but you can easily change them to match your personal preference.

A generous selection of builtin plugins augment Synapse functionality and those compatible with Puppy Linux are enabled by default. Other plugins in the configuration list are disabled since they are not compatible with Puppy or perhaps they do not pertain to current applications or are no longer available in source repositories.

Usage

When launched, Synapse should look similar to this:

synapse_imgs/synapse1.png

You can search comprehensively in the default All (system-wide) category or optionally restrict the search to specific groups or mime-types that correspond to the following sub-categories:

Actions, Audio, Applications, Places, Documents, Images, Video and Internet

Use the mouse or arrow keys to select the search category.

To initiate an item search, just type a few characters corresponding to the desired application, command, system file, or internet search query. Items that correspond to the search criteria are shown in a drop down list.

synapse_imgs/synapse2.png

Right-click the item of interest (or press the TAB key) to see a list of available actions that you may perform on the selected item. This scrollable drop-down list provides actions similar to the RoxFiler right-click menu.

synapse_imgs/synapse3.png

Choose the appropriate action (scroll down if necessary), then press the ENTER key (or double-click) to locate, view, edit, launch, execute or open the selected item.

• When used as an application launcher, Synapse parses files with the .desktop extension - typically those in /usr/share/applications.

• When used to call and execute system commands, Synapse parses all files in the executable PATH.

• When used as an internet search portal, Synapse defaults to the DuckDuckGo engine. If you prefer Google or Google Maps, simply right-click the search item (or press the TAB key) and choose the alternate search engine.

• When used as a file locater, Synapse accesses a local file database generated automatically by plocate when booting. During the subsequent desktop session, if you mount data drives not previously indexed by plocate, it is possible to manually update the file database on demand: Go to Menu -> Filesystem -> Synapse update.