fuzzel

Run applications

$ fuzzel

$ fuzzel [[-d|--dmenu]]

$ [ls] | fuzzel [[-d|--dmenu]]

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

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

$ rm [[-v|--verbose]] $HOME/.cache/fuzzel

$ fuzzel [[-o|--output]] "[DP-1]"

$ fuzzel [[-d|--dmenu]] [[-l|--lines]] 0 --placeholder "[Type your search]" | sed 's/^/\"/g;s/$/\"/g' | xargs firefox --search

fuzzel [OPTION…]

--help
    Show help message and exit

--version
    Print version information

--dmenu
    Enable dmenu compatibility mode (read from stdin, write to stdout)

--prompt=STRING
    Set prompt text (default: >)

--lines=LINES
    Maximum number of lines to display (default: 15)

--width=WIDTH
    Window width as fraction (0.0-1.0) or pixels (default: 50)

--height=HEIGHT
    Window height fraction (0.0-1.0, default: 0.20)

--font=FONT
    X11 font string (e.g., 'Fira Code:12')

--icon-theme=THEME
    Icon theme name (default: from XDG)

--icon-size=SIZE
    Icon size in pixels (default: 32)

--no-fuzzy
    Disable fuzzy matching (use prefix only)

--fuzzy-threshold=THRESHOLD
    Minimum fuzzy match score (0.0-1.0, default: 0.0)

--bg-color=COLOR
    Background color (e.g., #rrggbbaa)

--fg-color=COLOR
    Foreground/text color

--selection-bg-color=COLOR
    Selected item background color

--selection-fg-color=COLOR
    Selected item text color

--border-color=COLOR
    Window border color

--border-width=WIDTH
    Border width in pixels (default: 2)

--padding-horizontal=PX
    Horizontal padding (default: 10)

--padding-vertical=PX
    Vertical padding (default: 10)

--line-height=HEIGHT
    Line height multiplier (default: 1.0)

--show-actions
    Show application actions

--terminal=COMMAND
    Terminal to use for non-GUI apps

--no-hidden
    Hide desktop entries with NoDisplay=true

--log-level=LEVEL
    Logging verbosity (error|warn|info|debug)

Fuzzel is a lightweight, fast fuzzy finder and application launcher designed specifically for Wayland compositors like Sway, Hyprland, and River.

It provides an efficient way to search and execute applications, commands, or scripts using fuzzy string matching, which ranks results based on relevance rather than strict prefixes. Users type to filter a list of desktop entries from $XDG_DATA_DIRS/applications, with support for icons via icon themes.

Key strengths include seamless Wayland integration (no XWayland needed), customizable styling through a simple INI config file, and compatibility with dmenu protocols for scripting. It displays as a centered, resizable window with smooth keyboard navigation: arrow keys or j/k for selection, Enter to run, Escape or Ctrl+G to exit.

Fuzzel supports multiple modes: default launcher, dmenu (stdin input/output), query mode for custom lists, and stdin-lines for multi-line input. Performance is optimized for large entry lists, making it ideal for minimalistic Wayland setups. Unlike rofi or wofi, fuzzel's matching algorithm is particularly snappy and tunable via options like --no-fuzzy or match thresholds.

Configuration allows fine-tuning fonts, colors, padding, line spacing, and behaviors like hiding hidden apps (--no-hidden). It's script-friendly, outputting selected entry details in dmenu mode for easy parsing.

Wayland-only; requires layer-shell protocol support in compositor. No mouse support by default. Config changes require restart.

Uses ~/.config/fuzzel/fuzzel.ini for persistent settings like colors, fonts, and keybinds. Supports [main] section and overrides.

Customizable via config: default up/down/tab/shift+tab for nav, ctrl+r to reload entries, ctrl+shift+space for history.

--dmenu: pipe-driven scripts.
stdin: custom lists.
Launch with fuzzel --dmenu for compatibility.

Developed by Simon Ser (emersion) starting 2020 for Sway/Wayland ecosystem. Initial release 1.0 in 2021; now at 1.10+ with ongoing features like better theming and Hyprland support.

dmenu(1), rofi(1), wofi(1), bemenu(1)