Getting Started

This guide will help you start using Walker after installation.

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure:

1. Walker is installed (see Installation)
2. Elephant service is running
3. At least some Elephant providers are installed

First Launch

Simply run:

walker

On first launch, Walker will create:

• Configuration file: ~/.config/walker/config.toml
• Theme directory: ~/.config/walker/themes/

Basic Usage

Searching

1. Type to search - Start typing and Walker will search across active providers
2. Navigate results - Use ↑ and ↓ arrow keys or Tab
3. Execute - Press Enter to run the selected item
4. Close - Press Escape to close Walker

Provider Prefixes

Walker uses prefixes to quickly access specific providers:

Example:

=2+2              # Opens calculator with "2+2"
/home/user/docs   # Opens file browser in that directory
>ls -la           # Prepares to run the command
@rust tutorial    # Searches web for "rust tutorial"

Default Providers

Without a prefix, Walker queries these providers by default:

• Desktop Applications
• Calculator (for expressions starting with numbers/operators)
• Runner (for commands)
• Menus
• Websearch

Common Workflows

Launching Applications

Simply type the application name:

firefox
code

Running Commands

Use the > prefix or just type the command:

>htop
>systemctl status

Quick Calculations

Use = prefix or just type an expression:

=2 + 2
=(50 * 1.19) - 10

Finding Files

Use / to browse from a directory:

/home/user/Documents
/etc/nginx

Switching Providers

Use ; to see all available providers:

;

Then select one to switch to it exclusively.

Quick Activation

Walker supports quick activation labels for the top results. Hold Ctrl and press:

• F1 - Activate first result
• F2 - Activate second result
• F3 - Activate third result
• F4 - Activate fourth result

This can be customized in the configuration.

Running as a Service (Recommended)

For instant startup, run Walker as a background service:

# Start Walker service
walker --gapplication-service &

# Now launching Walker is instant
walker

Automatic Service Start

You can make Walker start automatically on login:

For systemd:

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

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

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

[Install]
WantedBy=default.target

Then enable it:

systemctl --user enable --now walker.service

For Hyprland/Window Managers:

Add to your config:

# Hyprland
exec-once=walker --gapplication-service

# i3/sway
exec walker --gapplication-service

Socket Launch (Advanced)

For even faster launching (if Walker service is running):

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

You can bind this to a hotkey in your window manager for instant access.

Note: Socket launch doesn't support command-line arguments.

Essential Keybindings

See Keybindings for complete list and customization.

Configuration Tips

Edit ~/.config/walker/config.toml to customize Walker:

Change Theme

theme = "default"  # or your custom theme name

Customize Placeholders

[placeholders]
"default" = { input = "Search...", list = "No Results" }
"desktopapplications" = { input = "Launch App", list = "No Apps Found" }

Adjust Default Providers

[providers]
default = [
  "desktopapplications",
  "calc",
  "runner",
  "menus",
  "websearch",
]
empty = ["desktopapplications"]  # Shown when query is empty
max_results = 50

See Configuration for detailed options.

Common Issues

Walker Opens but Shows Nothing

Cause: Elephant isn't running or no providers are installed.

Solution:

# Check Elephant status
systemctl --user status elephant.service

# List installed providers
elephant providers list

# Install basic providers
yay -S elephant-desktopapplications elephant-providerlist

Walker is Slow to Start

Solution: Run Walker as a service (see above).

Can't Find Applications

Cause: Application cache might be outdated.

Solution:

1. Open Walker
2. Type clear applications cache and run it
3. Or delete ~/.cache/walker/applications.json

Next Steps

• Configuration Guide - Learn all configuration options
• Keybindings - Customize keyboard shortcuts
• Theming - Customize Walker's appearance
• Providers - Learn about all available providers
• Provider Actions - Advanced provider interactions