How to Install Ulauncher on Ubuntu, Arch, Fedora, or openSUSE

Updated

Ulauncher is a Linux application launcher with fuzzy search, custom color themes, shortcuts, extensions, and a fast directory browser. You install it differently depending on your distribution: Ubuntu users can use a PPA or a .deb package, Arch users install from the AUR, Fedora users install with dnf, and openSUSE and CentOS 7 users install a downloaded package with zypper or yum. The site lists a stable release and a dev release; the commands below follow the official download instructions.

Before you start

  • Confirm your distribution and package manager, since the commands are not interchangeable.
  • For the .deb route, download the package file first and note its exact filename — the examples use a placeholder like ulauncher_x.y.z_all.deb.
  • For openSUSE and CentOS, the site's download links are shown as loading placeholders, so get the current package file from the download section of ulauncher.io before running the install commands.

Ubuntu (Debian-based)

Ulauncher documents two Ubuntu options.

Option 1: Install via PPA. The site provides a PPA install command for Ubuntu. Run the PPA command shown on the download page, then install Ulauncher from that repository. The site notes these instructions are specifically for Ubuntu.

Option 2: Install the .deb file. Download the .deb, then run:

sudo apt install ./ulauncher_x.y.z_all.deb

Alternatively, right-click the downloaded file and choose to open it in your graphical installer (normally named "Software").

Debian: The site says Debian instructions are available by expanding a section on the download page — follow that expanded text rather than the Ubuntu PPA steps.

Arch Linux

Ulauncher is available in the AUR:

https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/ulauncher/

Install it with your preferred AUR helper, or clone the AUR package and build it with makepkg following standard AUR procedure.

Fedora

Ulauncher is available for all current Fedora Linux releases:

sudo dnf install ulauncher

The site explicitly states it does not currently support any dev repository for Fedora, so use the standard release package.

openSUSE

Download the package from the site, then install it with:

sudo zypper in packagename.rpm

You can also double-click the downloaded package to install it graphically.

CentOS 7

CentOS 7 needs the EPEL repository before installing the downloaded package:

sudo yum install epel-release && sudo yum install packagename.rpm

Verify the install and try the basics

After installation, launch Ulauncher from your application menu or your desktop environment's run dialog. Then check that the core features work:

  1. Fuzzy search: type an application name without worrying about exact spelling — Ulauncher matches what you meant, remembers previous picks, and auto-selects the best option next time.
  2. Directory browsing: type ~ or / to start browsing files and directories, then press Alt+Enter for advanced options.
  3. Themes: Ulauncher ships with four built-in themes and supports custom color themes; the theme docs on the site explain how to build your own.
  4. Extensions and shortcuts: add personalized shortcuts and extensions for scripts, searches, or community-built add-ons.

Common snags

  • Wrong package manager: the PPA steps are Ubuntu-specific; Debian users should use the expanded Debian instructions on the download page.
  • Placeholder filenames: commands like sudo apt install ./ulauncher_x.y.z_all.deb and sudo zypper in packagename.rpm require the real filename of the file you downloaded.
  • Fedora dev builds: don't expect a dev repository for Fedora — the site says none is currently supported.
  • CentOS 7: the yum command fails without epel-release, so install it in the same command as shown.

For visual walkthroughs, the site links video tutorials covering an Ulauncher overview, extensions and custom theming, and using Ulauncher beyond app launching.