Xfce Forum

kesarling

Member

Registered: 2020-07-26

Posts: 1

How to configure xfce4 search box?

Currently, the xfce4-search-box only searches for applications. Is there any way to configure it so that it searches for files, directories, and finally if nothing matches, the web? Also, typing a url in the search should open the url in the default browser.

The search box:

eriefisher

Member

From: ON, Canada

Registered: 2008-10-25

Posts: 529

Re: How to configure xfce4 search box?

That is because it's an "Application Menu". For file search you can use catfish. I think I know what your looking for but I forget what MS calls it, the search bar on the panel. There used to be the linelight panel plugin but I think catfish replaced it. Neither will do on-line searches.

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Siduction
Debian Sid
Xfce 4.18

ToZ

Administrator

From: Canada

Registered: 2011-06-02

Posts: 11,486

Re: How to configure xfce4 search box?

The Whiskermenu supports Search Actions. If you right-click the icon, select Properties and go to the "Search Actions" tab, you will see which ones are currently defined. These are basically shortcuts to other search functions. So for example, I have one defined as "?" for Web  search. If I enter into that search field something like "?  xfce", it will open your web browser and perform a search for "xfce". Similarly, you can create a search action to use catfish. Click the "+" to create a new search action with the following parameters:

- Name = Catfish Search
- Pattern = ~ (or use whatever character you want to use as the flag)
- Command = catfish --path=$HOME --start

The catfish command will do a basic file search. You can enable fulltext search by adding the "--fulltext" parameter. More parameters are available to use - consult the man page. (enter "# catfish", without quotes, into the whiskermenu search field)

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alcornoqui

Member

Registered: 2014-07-28

Posts: 832

Re: How to configure xfce4 search box?

To extend on ToZ's answer, I have just a single space as the pattern, so whenever I want to search from the Whisker Menu (which I open with just a stroke on the Super key), I just prepend a space to my query and voilà!