arch/private_dot_config/DankMaterialShell/plugins/webSearch/README.md

Web Search

A DankMaterialShell launcher plugin for searching the web with 23+ built-in search engines and support for custom search engines.

Features

• 23+ Built-in Search Engines - Google, DuckDuckGo, GitHub, Stack Overflow, and more
• Custom Search Engines - Add your own search engines with URL templates
• Keyword-Based Selection - Type keywords to use specific engines (e.g., github rust)
• Configurable Default Engine - Set your preferred search engine
• One-Click Search - Select and press Enter to open browser
• Toast Notifications - Visual feedback for every search
• Configurable Trigger - Default ? or set your own trigger

Installation

From Plugin Registry (Recommended)

# Coming soon - will be available via DMS plugin manager

Manual Installation

# Copy plugin to DMS plugins directory
cp -r WebSearch ~/.config/DankMaterialShell/plugins/

# Enable in DMS
# 1. Open Settings (Ctrl+,)
# 2. Go to Plugins tab
# 3. Click "Scan for Plugins"
# 4. Toggle "Web Search" to enable

Usage

Basic Search

1. Open launcher (Ctrl+Space)
2. Type ? followed by search query
3. Examples:
   • ? rust tutorials - Search with default engine
   • ? linux kernel - General search
4. Select engine and press Enter to open browser

Engine-Specific Search

Use keywords to search specific engines directly:

• ? github awesome-linux - Search GitHub
• ? youtube music video - Search YouTube
• ? wiki quantum physics - Search Wikipedia
• ? stackoverflow async rust - Search Stack Overflow

Built-in Search Engines

General Search

• Google - Keywords: google, search
• DuckDuckGo - Keywords: ddg, duckduckgo, privacy
• Brave Search - Keywords: brave, privacy
• Bing - Keywords: bing, microsoft

Development

• GitHub - Keywords: github, code, git
• Stack Overflow - Keywords: stackoverflow, stack, coding
• npm - Keywords: npm, node, javascript
• PyPI - Keywords: pypi, python, pip
• crates.io - Keywords: crates, rust, cargo
• MDN Web Docs - Keywords: mdn, mozilla, web, docs

Linux & Packages

• Arch Linux Wiki - Keywords: arch, linux, packages
• AUR - Keywords: aur, arch, packages

Social & Media

• YouTube - Keywords: youtube, video, yt
• Reddit - Keywords: reddit
• Twitter/X - Keywords: twitter, x, social
• LinkedIn - Keywords: linkedin, job, professional

Reference

• Wikipedia - Keywords: wikipedia, wiki
• Google Translate - Keywords: translate, translation
• IMDb - Keywords: imdb, movies, tv

Shopping

• Amazon - Keywords: amazon, shop, shopping
• eBay - Keywords: ebay, shop, auction

Utilities

• Google Maps - Keywords: maps, location, directions
• Google Images - Keywords: images, pictures, photos

Custom Search Engines

Add your own search engines via Settings:

1. Open Settings → Plugins → Web Search
2. Scroll to "Custom Search Engines"
3. Fill in the form:
   • ID: Unique identifier (e.g., myengine)
   • Name: Display name (e.g., My Search Engine)
   • Icon: Material icon name (e.g., search), prefix with material: to pull a Material Symbol (e.g., material:travel_explore), or prefix with unicode: to use emoji/Nerd Font glyphs (e.g., unicode:)
   • URL: Search URL with %s placeholder
   • Keywords: Comma-separated keywords for quick access

Example Custom Engines

Rust Documentation:

ID: rustdoc
Name: Rust Docs
Icon: unicode:🦀
URL: https://doc.rust-lang.org/std/?search=%s
Keywords: rust,docs,documentation

Arch Wiki:

ID: archwiki
Name: Arch Wiki
Icon: material:menu_book
URL: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php?search=%s
Keywords: arch,wiki,documentation

GitLab:

ID: gitlab
Name: GitLab
Icon: material:code
URL: https://gitlab.com/search?search=%s
Keywords: gitlab,code

Configuration

Access settings via DMS Settings → Plugins → Web Search:

• Trigger: Set custom trigger (?, /, /search, etc.) or disable for always-on mode
• Default Search Engine: Choose your preferred engine (Google, DuckDuckGo, Brave, Bing)
• Custom Search Engines: Add/manage your own search engines

Search Examples

General Queries

? rust programming         # Search with default engine
? how to install arch      # General search

Development

? github awesome-linux     # Search GitHub
? stackoverflow async rust # Search Stack Overflow
? npm react hooks          # Search npm packages
? pypi requests            # Search Python packages

Linux

? arch firefox             # Search Arch packages
? aur brave-bin            # Search AUR
? wiki systemd             # Search Wikipedia

Media

? youtube rust tutorial    # Search YouTube
? reddit linux gaming      # Search Reddit
? imdb inception           # Search IMDb

Requirements

• DankMaterialShell >= 0.1.0
• Web browser (default system browser via xdg-open)
• Wayland compositor

Compatibility

• Compositors: Niri and Hyprland
• Distros: Universal - works on any Linux distribution
• Browsers: Works with any default browser

Technical Details

• Type: Launcher plugin
• Trigger: ? (configurable)
• Language: QML (Qt Modeling Language)
• Browser Launch: Uses xdg-open for system default browser

Tips & Tricks

1. Keyword Shortcuts: Type engine keywords first for direct search

   • github rust instead of ? github rust

2. Combine Keywords: Use multiple keywords to narrow results

   • stackoverflow rust async await

3. Custom Engines: Add frequently-used sites for quick access

   • Add your company's internal documentation
   • Add specialized search engines for your workflow

Contributing

Want to add more built-in search engines? Open an issue or submit a pull request!

License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details

Author

Created for the DankMaterialShell community

Links

• DankMaterialShell
• Plugin Registry