Overview
Zenkai is a fast app launcher for Linux and macOS written in Zig with Qt6. It scans .desktop files and filters through them with instant fuzzy matching.
What is Zenkai?
A fast app launcher for Linux. Written in Zig with Qt6.
It scans your .desktop files from the usual places, shows you everything in a searchable list, and lets you filter through it as you type with fuzzy matching.
Key Features
- Fuzzy Search - Type a few characters and find any application instantly
- 65+ Themes - Full visual customization via Qt stylesheets
- Lua Plugin System - Extend with Lua scripts via on_query/on_open hooks
- Desktop Actions - Parse [Desktop Action] entries from .desktop files
- Desktop Scanning - Automatic indexing of all XDG directories
- Icon Grid View - Fullscreen icon grid layout with launchpad theme
- Full CLI Control - 25+ command-line flags for every setting
- Translations - Multi-language support with --language flag
- Theme Reloader - Live QSS reloading for theme development
- Low Memory Mode - 20-50MB with included zenkai.sh wrapper
Tech Stack
| Component | Technology |
|---|---|
| Language | Zig |
| UI Framework | Qt6 (Core, Gui, Widgets) |
| Scripting | Lua (via ziglua) |
| Build System | Zig Build |
| Platforms | Linux (X11/Wayland), macOS |