Advanced

Advanced Usage

This guide covers advanced features and use cases for Walker.

Table of Contents

Provider Sets

Provider sets allow you to create custom launcher configurations for different workflows.

Defining Provider Sets

Edit ~/.config/walker/config.toml:

[providers.sets.dev]
default = ["runner", "files", "desktopapplications"]
empty = ["files"]

[providers.sets.web]
default = ["websearch", "desktopapplications"]
empty = ["websearch"]

[providers.sets.productivity]
default = ["desktopapplications", "todo", "clipboard"]
empty = ["todo"]

Launching Provider Sets

walker -s dev          # Development workflow
walker -s web          # Web browsing workflow
walker -s productivity # Productivity workflow

Use Cases

  • Development: Files, runner, applications
  • Writing: Applications, clipboard, symbols
  • System Management: Runner, files, Bluetooth
  • Quick Launcher: Only applications

Dmenu Mode

Walker can function as a dmenu replacement, reading from stdin and outputting selected items.

Basic Usage

echo -e "Option 1\nOption 2\nOption 3" | walker --dmenu

Streaming Support

For large datasets, stream data to Walker:

find /home -type f | walker --dmenu

With Custom Prompt

cat list.txt | walker --dmenu --prompt "Select file:"

Active Item

Highlight a specific item as active:

echo -e "Item 1\nItem 2\nItem 3" | walker --dmenu --active "Item 2"

Index Output

Output the selected index instead of text:

echo -e "Option 1\nOption 2\nOption 3" | walker --dmenu -i
# Returns: 0, 1, or 2

Scripting Example

#!/bin/bash
options="Shutdown\nReboot\nLogout\nSuspend"
choice=$(echo -e "$options" | walker --dmenu --prompt "Power:")

case "$choice" in
  "Shutdown") systemctl poweroff ;;
  "Reboot") systemctl reboot ;;
  "Logout") hyprctl dispatch exit ;;
  "Suspend") systemctl suspend ;;
esac

Integration with Tools

iwmenu (WiFi management):

iwmenu --dmenu="walker --dmenu"

bzmenu (Bluetooth management):

bzmenu --dmenu="walker --dmenu"

Service Mode

Running Walker as a service dramatically improves startup performance.

Starting Service

walker --gapplication-service

Auto-start Options

Systemd User Service

Create ~/.config/systemd/user/walker.service:

[Unit]
Description=Walker Application Launcher Service
PartOf=graphical-session.target

[Service]
ExecStart=/usr/bin/walker --gapplication-service
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=5

[Install]
WantedBy=default.target

Enable and start:

systemctl --user enable --now walker.service

Hyprland

Add to ~/.config/hypr/hyprland.conf:

exec-once=walker --gapplication-service

i3/Sway

Add to config:

exec walker --gapplication-service

Service Benefits

  • Instant startup: No initialization delay
  • Background indexing: Applications and files indexed in background
  • Resume last query: Ctrl+R resumes previous search (service only)
  • Resource efficiency: Single process serves all invocations

Service Management

# Check status
systemctl --user status walker.service

# Restart service
systemctl --user restart walker.service

# Stop service
systemctl --user stop walker.service

# View logs
journalctl --user -u walker.service -f

Socket Communication

For even faster launching when Walker service is running.

Using Socket

nc -U /run/user/1000/walker/walker.sock

Window Manager Keybinding

Hyprland:

bind = SUPER, SPACE, exec, nc -U /run/user/1000/walker/walker.sock

i3/Sway:

bindsym $mod+space exec nc -U /run/user/1000/walker/walker.sock

Note: Socket launch doesn't support command-line arguments. Use regular walker command if you need flags.

Benefits

  • Absolute minimal latency
  • No process spawning overhead
  • Direct IPC communication

Custom Menus

Create custom menus using Elephant's menu system.

Creating a Menu

Menus are defined in Elephant's configuration. See Elephant documentation for details.

Accessing Menus in Walker

Once created in Elephant, access menus via:

  1. Default providers: Include in default providers

    [providers]
default = ["menus", "desktopapplications"]

  2. Prefix: Assign a prefix

    [[providers.prefixes]]
prefix = "+"
provider = "menus:mymenu"

Example Use Cases

  • Bookmarks menu: Quick access to URLs
  • Projects menu: Open project directories
  • Scripts menu: Launch custom scripts
  • System actions: Power menu, system controls

Window Manager Integration

Hyprland Complete Setup

~/.config/hypr/hyprland.conf:

# Start services
exec-once=elephant service enable
exec-once=systemctl --user start elephant.service
exec-once=walker --gapplication-service

# Keybindings
bind = SUPER, SPACE, exec, nc -U /run/user/1000/walker/walker.sock
bind = SUPER, D, exec, walker
bind = SUPER SHIFT, D, exec, walker -s dev
bind = SUPER, R, exec, walker --modules runner
bind = SUPER, F, exec, walker --modules files

# Dmenu replacement
bind = SUPER, P, exec, walker --dmenu

i3/Sway Setup

~/.config/i3/config or ~/.config/sway/config:

# Start services
exec elephant service enable
exec systemctl --user start elephant.service
exec walker --gapplication-service

# Keybindings
bindsym $mod+space exec nc -U /run/user/1000/walker/walker.sock
bindsym $mod+d exec walker
bindsym $mod+Shift+d exec walker -s dev
bindsym $mod+r exec walker --modules runner
bindsym $mod+f exec walker --modules files

# Dmenu replacement
bindsym $mod+p exec walker --dmenu

Multiple Launch Modes

Set up different keybindings for different contexts:

# General launcher
SUPER + Space: walker

# Applications only
SUPER + A: walker --modules desktopapplications

# Files only
SUPER + F: walker --modules files

# Command runner
SUPER + R: walker --modules runner

# Clipboard
SUPER + V: walker --modules clipboard

# Web search
SUPER + W: walker --modules websearch

Performance Optimization

1. Run as Service

Always run Walker as a service for best performance:

walker --gapplication-service &

2. Limit Results

Reduce max results for faster rendering:

[providers]
max_results = 30

[providers.max_results_provider]
desktopapplications = 15
files = 20

3. Disable Mouse

If you only use keyboard:

disable_mouse = true

4. Optimize Provider Selection

Only query providers you need:

[providers]
default = ["desktopapplications", "calc"]  # Minimal set
empty = ["desktopapplications"]

5. Provider-Specific Settings

Some providers have performance settings in Elephant's config. Check Elephant documentation.

Scripting and Automation

Launch Specific Modules

walker --modules applications,runner,calc

Launch with Provider Set

walker -s myset

Dmenu Integration

# Window switcher
hyprctl clients -j | jq -r '.[].title' | walker --dmenu

Automation Examples

Quick todo entry:

#!/bin/bash
todo=$(echo "" | walker --dmenu --prompt "New todo:")
if [ -n "$todo" ]; then
  echo "!$todo" | walker --dmenu
fi

Project launcher:

#!/bin/bash
project=$(find ~/projects -maxdepth 1 -type d | walker --dmenu)
if [ -n "$project" ]; then
  cd "$project" && code .
fi

Debugging

Enable Debug Mode

debug = true

Or run with flag:

walker --debug

Check Elephant Connection

# Verify Elephant is running
systemctl --user status elephant.service

# Check Elephant providers
elephant providers list

View Logs

Walker logs:

# If running as service
journalctl --user -u walker.service -f

# If running manually, check terminal output

Elephant logs:

journalctl --user -u elephant.service -f

Common Issues

Walker shows "Waiting for elephant..."

  • Elephant isn't running
  • Elephant crashed
  • Connection issue

No results appearing

  • No providers installed
  • Providers not configured in Elephant
  • Provider cache outdated

Slow performance

  • Not running as service
  • Too many providers queried
  • Large result sets

Keybindings not working

  • Check for conflicts
  • Enable debug mode to see keybind events
  • Verify keybind syntax in config

Reset Configuration

# Backup current config
mv ~/.config/walker ~/.config/walker.backup

# Walker will create fresh config on next launch
walker

Advanced Configuration Patterns

Context-Aware Setup

Different configs for different contexts:

# Work profile
walker --config ~/.config/walker/work.toml

# Personal profile
walker --config ~/.config/walker/personal.toml

Dynamic Provider Selection

Script to choose providers based on context:

#!/bin/bash
hour=$(date +%H)

if [ $hour -ge 9 ] && [ $hour -le 17 ]; then
  # Work hours: productivity tools
  walker -s work
else
  # Off hours: entertainment
  walker -s personal
fi

Conditional Theming

Use different themes based on time or context:

#!/bin/bash
if [ $(date +%H) -ge 18 ]; then
  sed -i 's/theme = .*/theme = "dark"/' ~/.config/walker/config.toml
else
  sed -i 's/theme = .*/theme = "light"/' ~/.config/walker/config.toml
fi
walker

Best Practices

  1. Run as service: Always use service mode for daily use
  2. Use provider sets: Create sets for different workflows
  3. Limit results: Keep max_results reasonable (30-50)
  4. Organize providers: Use prefixes effectively
  5. Regular cleanup: Clear caches periodically
  6. Monitor performance: Check if providers are slow
  7. Update regularly: Keep Walker and Elephant updated
  8. Backup config: Version control your config files
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