dmenu

Display a menu of the output of the ls command

$ [ls] | dmenu

$ echo -e "[red]\n[green]\n[blue]" | dmenu

$ echo -e "[red]\n[green]\n[blue]" | dmenu > [color.txt]

$ ls | dmenu -m [1]

$ ls | dmenu -b

dmenu [-v] [-b] [-f] [-i] [-l lines] [-m monitor] [-p prompt] [-fn font] [-nb color] [-nf color] [-sb color] [-sf color] [-w windowid]

-v
    Prints version information to stdout, then exits.

-b
    Causes dmenu to appear at the bottom of the screen.

-f
    Disables keyboard grabbing, allowing other programs to receive keyboard input while dmenu is open. Useful when piping from other commands.

-i
    Performs case-insensitive matching when filtering items.

-l lines
    Causes dmenu to display the specified number of lines vertically. By default, it displays as many as fit horizontally.

-m monitor
    Displays dmenu on the specified monitor (e.g., '0' for the primary monitor).

-p prompt
    Displays the given prompt text before the input field.

-fn font
    Uses the specified font for displaying text.

-nb color
    Sets the background color for normal (unselected) items.

-nf color
    Sets the foreground (text) color for normal (unselected) items.

-sb color
    Sets the background color for selected items.

-sf color
    Sets the foreground (text) color for selected items.

-w windowid
    Uses the window with the given windowid as its parent, appearing within that window.

dmenu is a highly efficient and minimalist application launcher and text filter for the X Window System. Developed as part of the Suckless project, it adheres to the philosophy of simplicity, clarity, and frugality. When launched, dmenu reads lines of text from standard input (stdin) and displays them in a customizable menu. Users can then type to filter the displayed items dynamically; as input is provided, dmenu narrows down the list of choices, highlighting matching entries.

Once an item is selected (typically by pressing Enter), the chosen item is printed to standard output (stdout). Its power lies in its ability to be easily integrated into shell scripts and other tools, acting as a powerful front-end for various tasks beyond just launching applications, such as selecting files, managing windows, or switching workspaces. Its keyboard-driven interface makes it fast and ideal for power users who prefer a streamlined, command-line centric workflow.

dmenu primarily relies on compile-time configuration via its config.h file for advanced features and default settings, limiting runtime customization options compared to more feature-rich alternatives. It is also designed specifically for the X Window System and is not directly usable in a pure console environment.

Unlike many applications that offer extensive runtime configuration, dmenu encourages users to modify its config.h source file and recompile it to change default behaviors, keybindings, and other advanced settings. This approach allows for deep customization while maintaining a small and efficient binary.

One of dmenu's most powerful features is its ability to read input from standard input (stdin). This allows it to be seamlessly integrated into shell scripts to select from lists generated by other commands. For example, ls /usr/bin | dmenu -l 20 can be used to select an executable, or ps aux | dmenu -l 10 to select a process for management.

dmenu originated from the Suckless project, an initiative focused on developing minimalist, secure, and resource-efficient software. It was initially designed as a simple, keyboard-driven application launcher for dwm (dynamic window manager), another cornerstone project by Suckless. Its development emphasized simplicity, clarity, and the Unix philosophy of doing one thing well, making it highly extensible through shell scripting rather than baking many features directly into the core program.

rofi(1), fzf(1), xclip(1), xsel(1)