An open-source, Raycast-inspired launcher for Linux.

For more background on this project, I have a post here.

Disclaimer: This is a hobby project and is not affiliated with, nor endorsed by, the official Raycast team.

This launcher aims to recreate most of Raycast's core features on Linux:

• Extensible Command Palette: The core of the application. Search for and launch applications, run commands, execute quicklinks, and more.
• Extension Support: Run extensions built Raycast's API. Features a built-in store to browse and install extensions from the official Raycast Store.
• Powerful Calculator: A smart calculator integrated directly into the search bar, powered by SoulverCore. It handles unit conversions, currency, and complex math expressions.
• Clipboard History: A searchable history of everything you've copied, with support for text, images, links, and colors.
• Snippets: Create and manage text snippets that can be expanded anywhere on your system. Supports dynamic placeholders for dates, clipboard content, and more.
• AI Integration: Connects to OpenRouter to bring the power of various AI models directly into the launcher.
• And more to come!

While the goal is to support a wide range of Raycast extensions, there are some inherent limitations due to the differences between macOS and Linux. Common reasons an extension might not work include:

1. macOS-specific APIs: Many extensions rely on native macOS features like AppleScript (runAppleScript), hardcoded paths (/Applications/), or specific system libraries that do not exist on Linux.
2. Native Binaries: Extensions that bundle pre-compiled binaries for macOS will not work. Similarly, extensions that use Swift to interact with the operating system won't work either.
3. Assumed Permissions: Extensions may assume they have access to macOS-specific permissioned data (like Contacts or Calendars) which have no direct equivalent.

You can download the latest release from the GitHub Releases page.

Currently, only an .AppImage is provided. After downloading, make it executable:

chmod +x <downloaded-file-name>.AppImage
./<downloaded-file-name>.AppImage

This will open a long-running process in the background. To toggle the visibility of the window, simply run it again.

Depending on your environment, you may be able to bind the script to a hotkey. For example, on Hyprland:

bind = ALT, Space, exec, /path/to/raycast-linux.AppImage

The application requires glibc version 2.38, which is installed by default on Ubuntu 24.04, Fedora 40, and recent versions of Arch Linux.

Wayland users: For the global snippet expansion feature to work, the application needs permission to read keyboard events. The recommended and most secure method is to add a udev rule.

1. Create the udev rule file:

   sudo nano /etc/udev/rules.d/99-raycast-linux.rules

2. Add the following line to the file: This rule grants the user at the physical console access to keyboard devices.

   KERNEL=="event*", ENV{ID_INPUT_KEYBOARD}=="1", TAG+="uaccess"
   

3. Reload the udev rules to apply the changes:

   sudo udevadm control --reload-rules && sudo udevadm trigger

If you prefer to build the project from its source code, you'll need to set up the development environment.

• Rust: Install via rustup.
• Node.js: Use a recent LTS version. pnpm is the package manager for this project (npm i -g pnpm).
• Tauri Prerequisites: Follow the official Tauri guide to install system dependencies.
• Swift Toolchain: The calculator feature uses a Swift wrapper around SoulverCore.

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/ByteAtATime/raycast-linux.git
   cd raycast-linux

2. Install dependencies: This project uses a pnpm workspace. Install all dependencies from the root directory.

3. Build the Node.js sidecar binary: This step compiles the JavaScript plugin host into a binary that Tauri can execute.

   pnpm --filter sidecar build

4. Run in development mode: This command will launch the Tauri application with hot-reloading for the frontend.

This project stands on the shoulders of giants:

• A huge thank you to the team behind the original Raycast.
• The powerful calculator is powered by SoulverCore by Acqualia. Special thanks to Zac for getting me a Linux build -- on his vacation, no less!

This project is licensed under the MIT License.