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davatorium/rofi

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Rofi: A window switcher, application launcher and dmenu replacement

FreeFree tier
Type
Open Source
Visit Website GitHub (38 stars)

About davatorium/rofi

Rofi is a versatile window switcher, application launcher, and dmenu replacement. It started as a clone of simpleswitcher and has been extended with features like an application launcher, SSH launcher, and file browser. Rofi provides a textual list of options that can be filtered and selected using fully configurable keyboard navigation, tokenized filtering, and multiple matching algorithms (fuzzy, regex, prefix, glob). It supports UTF-8, RTL languages, Cairo drawing, and Pango font rendering. Rofi can act as a drop-in replacement for dmenu with many enhancements, and is easily extensible via scripts and plugins. It now officially supports Wayland as of 2025.

Key Features

Fully configurable keyboard navigation
Type to filter with tokenized matching
Case insensitive and SmartCase support
Fuzzy, regex, prefix, and glob matching
UTF-8 and RTL language support
Cairo drawing and Pango font rendering
Built-in window switcher mode (EWMH compatible)
Application launcher using desktop files
SSH launcher mode
File browser mode

Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Highly configurable and keyboard-driven interface
  • Supports multiple matching algorithms for flexible filtering
  • Extensible via scripts and plugins
  • Drop-in dmenu replacement with enhanced capabilities
  • Official Wayland support
  • Advanced theming with Cairo and Pango
  • Lightweight and fast
  • Large community and active development
Cons
  • Not a UI toolkit or library for other applications
  • May have a learning curve for configuration and theming
  • Primarily designed for Linux (X11/Wayland) users
  • Some features require external scripts or plugins
  • Theming can be complex for newcomers

Best For

Replacing dmenu for script-driven menusQuickly launching applications from desktop filesSwitching between open windowsLaunching SSH sessionsBrowsing and selecting filesCreating custom launcher menus via external scriptsWindow management in i3, bspwm, and Wayland compositors

FAQ

What is Rofi?
Rofi is a window switcher, application launcher, and dmenu replacement that provides a textual list of options where one or more can be selected.
Does Rofi support Wayland?
Yes, since 2025 Rofi officially supports Wayland, thanks to contributions from lbonn.
Can Rofi replace dmenu?
Yes, Rofi can act as a drop-in dmenu replacement with many additional features, though dmenu functionality is not its main purpose.
Is Rofi extensible?
Yes, Rofi is easily extensible using scripts and plugins for specific functionality.
What are the main built-in modes?
Window switcher, application launcher, SSH launcher, file browser, and combi mode (merging several modes into one list).