6 Hidden Gnome Search Tricks Every Linux User Should Try

Jack Wallen / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

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ZDNET cardinal takeaways

• GNOME Search is much than conscionable a hunt tool.
• There are respective added features you tin use.
• If you want nan astir businesslike desktop, effort these functions.

I've utilized truthful galore GNOME and GNOME-based desktops complete nan years that I can't moreover callback them all. One point that has been changeless complete nan years is that GNOME is acold much useful than you mightiness think. Sure, it looks minimal, but that's each astir getting retired of your measurement and not stripping down features.

One of nan cool features of nan GNOME desktop is nan hunt functionality. At first blush, it seems nan hunt instrumentality is conscionable a intends to find nan app you want to run. Au contraire, mon ami.

Also: GNOME's caller AI adjunct tin moreover tally Linux commands for you - here's how

The GNOME hunt tool is overmuch much elastic than that, and I'm going to show you immoderate of nan cool things you tin do pinch it. 

Configuring Search

Hold up. Before we get to showing disconnected nan hunt functionality, you person to cognize really to configure it. Within nan Settings app, you'll find a Search introduction successful nan near sidebar. Click that and you'll spot respective entries nether Search Results. Go done that database and alteration immoderate aliases each features you want to see successful nan hunt functionality.

Also: The 4 champion Linux desktops based connected GNOME - and what I astir for illustration astir each one

Keep successful mind that not each of nan providers really work.

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

You tin besides put nan bid successful which nan hunt categories will beryllium used. By doing this, you tin make your searches much efficient. For example, if you regularly do file, web, software, and almanac searches, you'll want to resistance those entries to nan top.

Done?

Let's move on.

1. File hunt

The record hunt functionality is astir apt 1 of nan astir useful options for GNOME search. With this feature, you tin hunt for immoderate record connected your strategy (as agelong arsenic you person it configured). Yes, if you want to hunt beyond nan accustomed directories, you'll request to adhd it to nan Default Locations conception of GNOME hunt settings. By default, nan hunt locations will beryllium Home, Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures, and Video. If you request to configure it beyond that, click Add Location successful nan Search Locations conception successful Settings > Search.

Also: 8 free Linux apps that make tricky tasks amazingly easy - nary bid statement required

Let's opportunity you person nan record zdnet.txt, but you can't retrieve wherever you saved it. Open nan hunt instrumentality and type zdnet.txt, and not only will nan location appear, but you tin besides unfastened nan record (using nan default app for that record type) straight from nan hunt results.

This is nan astir businesslike method of searching for files connected nan GNOME desktop.

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

2. Calculate

Call up nan GNOME Activities overview (by either hitting nan Super -- aka Windows -- cardinal aliases by clicking nan mini quadrate of dots successful nan dock, panel, aliases favorites bar). Once you've done that, type a calculation, for illustration 3.14156*3.14156. You should spot nan results look instantly nether nan hunt bar. You tin besides do much analyzable calculations, specified arsenic 2(3+4)/4(4+4), which equals 28 (according to GNOME search).

You tin do each sorts of calculations here.

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

3. Copy emojis

If you for illustration to usage emojis successful your messages, documents, aliases whatever, GNOME hunt tin thief you. Say, for instance, you want to transcript nan laughter emoji. Open nan hunt instrumentality and type laugh. You tin spot each of nan disposable emojis successful nan Characters app. If you don't find nan Characters app aliases emojis don't look successful your search, you request to instal nan gnome-characters app, for illustration so:

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

Also: How I provender my files to a section AI for better, much applicable responses

Laugh and everyone will laughter pinch you (or astatine you).

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

4. Web searches

This 1 gets a spot tricky. GNOME hunt is expected to grant nan default Firefox browser for web searches, but for immoderate reason, it isn't. To get astir that, you tin instal nan Epiphany browser pinch nan command:

flatpak instal flathub org.gnome.Epiphany

Once you've done that, make judge you've enabled Web successful Settings > Search.

Also: New to Linux? 5 desktop environments I urge you effort first - and why

With that taken attraction of, unfastened nan Activities Overview and type a hunt drawstring successful nan hunt field. You should spot a nexus look that you tin click to uncover nan results.

Make judge you instal nan Epiphany browser first.

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

5. Install applications

Let's opportunity you want to instal nan GIMP image editor. If you type gimp successful nan hunt field, you should spot an introduction look pinch nan GNOME Software icon. Click that introduction and Software will unfastened to GIMP, wherever you tin click Install.

Any app that is recovered successful GNOME Software tin beryllium installed for illustration this.

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

6. Locate contacts

If you unfastened nan Activities Overview and type nan sanction of a contact, you tin past click nan sanction to unfastened their introduction successful nan Contacts app.

Hello, Mr. Dufrense.

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

Sadly, not each of nan Search Results providers really work. Even though location are providers for respective different features, actions, and apps, you mightiness find that nan 1 you want to usage doesn't activity (such arsenic Calendar and Weather).

Also: This beautiful Linux distro deserves to beryllium amended known - here's why

Hopefully, those supplier issues tin beryllium resolved successful a early update. Until then, happy searching.

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