6 hidden GNOME Search tricks every Linux user should try

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ZDNET key takeaways

• GNOME Search is greater than only a search software.
• There are a number of added options you should use.
• If you need probably the most environment friendly desktop, attempt these capabilities.

I’ve used so many GNOME and GNOME-based desktops through the years that I can not even recall all of them. One factor that has been fixed through the years is that GNOME is much extra helpful than you may suppose. Positive, it appears to be like minimal, however that is all about getting out of your approach and never stripping down options.

One of many cool options of the GNOME desktop is the search performance. At first blush, it appears the search software is only a means to find the app you wish to run. Au contraire, mon ami.

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The GNOME search tool is rather more versatile than that, and I’ll present you a few of the cool issues you are able to do with it. 

Configuring Search

Maintain up. Earlier than we get to displaying off the search performance, you must know easy methods to configure it. Inside the Settings app, you may discover a Search entry within the left sidebar. Click on that and you will see a number of entries beneath Search Outcomes. Undergo that listing and allow all or any options you wish to embrace within the search performance.

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You too can organize the order through which the search classes will probably be used. By doing this, you can also make your searches extra environment friendly. For instance, should you commonly do file, internet, software program, and calendar searches, you may wish to drag these entries to the highest.

Performed?

Let’s transfer on.

1. File search

The file search performance might be one of the crucial helpful choices for GNOME search. With this function, you may seek for any file in your system (so long as you’ve got it configured). Sure, if you wish to search past the same old directories, you may want so as to add it to the Default Areas part of GNOME search settings. By default, the search areas will probably be Residence, Paperwork, Downloads, Music, Footage, and Video. If you might want to configure it past that, click on Add Location within the Search Areas part in Settings > Search.

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For example you’ve got the file zdnet.txt, however you may’t bear in mind the place you saved it. Open the search software and kind zdnet.txt, and never solely will the placement seem, however you too can open the file (utilizing the default app for that file sort) straight from the search outcomes.

2. Calculate

Name up the GNOME Actions overview (by both hitting the Tremendous — aka Home windows — key or by clicking the small sq. of dots within the dock, panel, or favorites bar). As soon as you have executed that, sort a calculation, like 3.14156*3.14156. You must see the outcomes seem instantly beneath the search bar. You too can do extra difficult calculations, comparable to 2(3+4)/4(4+4), which equals 28 (based on GNOME search).

3. Copy emojis

If you happen to like to make use of emojis in your messages, paperwork, or no matter, GNOME search can assist you. Say, as an illustration, you wish to copy the snort emoji. Open the search software and kind snort. You may see the entire obtainable emojis within the Characters app. If you happen to do not discover the Characters app or emojis do not seem in your search, you might want to set up the gnome-characters app, like so:

• Ubuntu-based distributions: sudo apt-get set up gnome-characters -y
• Fedora-based distributions: sudo dnf set up gnome-characters -y

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4. Net searches

This one will get a bit difficult. GNOME search is meant to honor the default Firefox browser for internet searches, however for some motive, it is not. To get round that, you may set up the Epiphany browser with the command:

flatpak set up flathub org.gnome.Epiphany

As soon as you have executed that, be sure to’ve enabled Net in Settings > Search.

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With that taken care of, open the Actions Overview and kind a search string within the search discipline. You must see a hyperlink seem that you may click on to disclose the outcomes.

5. Set up functions

For example you wish to set up the GIMP picture editor. If you happen to sort gimp within the search discipline, you must see an entry seem with the GNOME Software program icon. Click on that entry and Software program will open to GIMP, the place you may click on Set up.

6. Find contacts

If you happen to open the Actions Overview and kind the title of a contact, you may then click on the title to open their entry within the Contacts app.

Sadly, not the entire Search Outcomes suppliers truly work. Though there are suppliers for a number of totally different options, actions, and apps, you may discover that the one you wish to use would not work (comparable to Calendar and Climate).

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Hopefully, these supplier points might be resolved in a future replace. Till then, joyful looking.

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