Subway Launcher

An HTML5-based application launcher for GNU/Linux with MS-modern-like style.

It's just an experimental program which has been obsoleted. But it works, at least.

Overview

Default Style

Custom Style

Installation

For Archlinux users

This program has a well-packed version in AUR:

$ yaourt -S subway-launcher-git

For non-Arch users

There's no installation scripts now. It is required to create directories manually. If you are just debugging, it is recommended to use the debug code below and test it without installation. Because we haven't designed the directory structure standard for our WebApps, in order not to break the FHS, it is recommended to install it to /opt

Dependencies

(Cubway) qt5 libqtxdg

Debug

$ git clone https://github.com/Icenowy/Cubway
$ git clone https://github.com/SubwayDesktop/simple.js
$ git clone https://github.com/SubwayDesktop/subway-launcher
$ cd Cubway
$ wget https://cirno.xyz/~jqk/files/Babel.tar.gz
$ tar -vxaf Babel.tar.gz
$ rm Babel.tar.gz
$ cmake .
$ make
$ cd Modules/Xdg
$ cmake .
$ make
$ cd ../../..
$ Cubway/cubway subway-launcher/main.html   # run it!

Install

Install Cubway

$ git clone https://github.com/Icenowy/Cubway
$ cd Cubway
$ cmake .
$ make
$ cd Modules/Xdg
$ cmake .
$ make
$ cd ../..
# mkdir -p /opt/Subway/Cubway/Modules/Xdg
# cp cubway /opt/Subway/Cubway/
# cp Modules/Xdg/libXdg.so /opt/Subway/Cubway/Modules/Xdg/

Install Babel

# cd /opt/Subway/Cubway/
# wget https://cirno.xyz/~jqk/files/Babel.tar.gz
# tar -vxaf Babel.tar.gz
# rm Babel.tar.gz

Install Simple.js

$ git clone https://github.com/SubwayDesktop/simple.js
# mkdir /opt/Subway/simple.js
# cp simple.js/simple.js /opt/Subway/simple.js/

Install Subway Launcher

$ git clone https://github.com/SubwayDesktop/subway-launcher
$ cd subway-launcher
# mkdir /opt/Subway/launcher
# cp * /opt/Subway/launcher

Run it

$ /opt/Subway/Cubway/cubway /opt/Subway/launcher/main.html

Return to foreground

When you run an app in the launcher or press the "go back" button, the launcher will hide into backgroud. Use the following commands to put it back to foreground.

#!/bin/sh

dbus-send --session --dest=org.subwaydesktop.launcher --type=method_call /view org.subwaydesktop.cubway.toggleVisible

dbus-send --session --dest=org.subwaydesktop.launcher --type=method_call /view org.subwaydesktop.cubway.activateWindow

Desktop Icons

Create symbolic links to .desktop files from /usr/share/applications in your desktop folder and the icons will be shown in the right side of the launcher.

Update App List

When you install new applications, sadly, the launcher will not update the app list immediately. Right click in the launcher and select "Reload" in the context menu.

Custom Style

To change the style of the launcher, create $HOME/.config/subway/launcher/user_style.css and write your style into it.

As for rules, you can refer to style.css and main.html. You can also right click on the launcher and select "Inspect" in the context menu to try some rules.

After the custom style changed, is not necessary to restart the launcher. Just right click on it and select "Reload" in the context menu, then the style will be updated.

Example

Background Image

body {
    background-attachment: fixed;
    background-repeat: no-repeat;
    background-size: cover;
    background-image: url("/home/jqk/Pictures/Wallpapers/venus.jpg");
}

Tile Color

.tile {
    background: hsla(0, 0%, 95%, 0.3);
}


#go_back_button:hover, .entry_tile:hover {
    background: hsla(0, 0%, 95%, 0.3);
}

Scrollbar Track Color

::-webkit-scrollbar, ::-webkit-scrollbar-track, ::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece {
    background: hsl(0, 0%, 30%);
}