# Cerebro — Open-Source Cross-Platform Productivity Launcher

> An open-source, extensible application launcher for Linux, macOS, and Windows with a plugin ecosystem for search, calculations, translations, and more.

## Install

Save in your project root:

# Cerebro — Open-Source Cross-Platform Productivity Launcher

## Quick Use
```bash
# Download from GitHub releases or:
brew install --cask cerebro   # macOS
# Press Ctrl+Space (default) to open the search bar
# Type app names, math expressions, or plugin commands
```

## Introduction
Cerebro is a cross-platform application launcher and productivity tool that gives you a single keyboard-invoked search bar for launching apps, running calculations, searching the web, and executing plugin commands. It aims to bring the Alfred/Raycast experience to all desktop operating systems.

## What Cerebro Does
- Launches applications by name with fuzzy matching
- Evaluates math expressions and unit conversions inline
- Searches Google, Wikipedia, Stack Overflow, and other sources via plugins
- Translates text between languages directly in the search bar
- Opens files and folders from indexed directories

## Architecture Overview
Cerebro is built with Electron and React. The main process manages the global hotkey listener and a frameless browser window that appears as an overlay. Plugins are npm packages loaded at startup; each registers a keyword or pattern and returns React components as result rows. The core search engine scores results from all active plugins and ranks them by relevance.

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Download prebuilt binaries for Linux, macOS, or Windows from GitHub releases
- On macOS, also available via Homebrew: `brew install --cask cerebro`
- Install plugins from the built-in plugin manager (type "plugins" in the search bar)
- Configure the global shortcut, theme, and startup behavior in Settings
- Plugins are stored in `~/.cerebro/plugins` and can be managed manually

## Key Features
- Single search bar for apps, files, web search, and calculations
- Plugin ecosystem with community-contributed extensions
- Inline previews for search results without leaving the launcher
- Cross-platform consistency across Linux, macOS, and Windows
- Auto-update mechanism for both the app and installed plugins

## Comparison with Similar Tools
- **Raycast** — macOS-only with a richer extension store and AI features; not open-source
- **Albert** — Linux-native launcher written in C++; faster but Linux-only
- **Ulauncher** — Python-based Linux launcher with extension support
- **Alfred** — macOS power-user launcher with Workflows; paid Powerpack for advanced features
- **Rofi** — X11 window switcher and launcher for Linux; purely keyboard-driven with no GUI previews

## FAQ
**Q: How does Cerebro compare to Alfred or Raycast?**
A: Cerebro offers similar core functionality (app launch, search, plugins) but is open-source and cross-platform. Alfred and Raycast have larger plugin ecosystems and are macOS-only.

**Q: Is Cerebro resource-heavy?**
A: As an Electron app, Cerebro uses more memory than native alternatives (~100-150 MB). It remains responsive for typical launcher operations.

**Q: Can I write my own plugins?**
A: Yes. Plugins are npm packages that export a function returning React result components. The documentation provides a plugin development guide.

**Q: Does Cerebro support file search?**
A: Basic file search is available through plugins. For deep file indexing, dedicated tools like Everything (Windows) or mdfind (macOS) are more thorough.

## Sources
- https://github.com/cerebroapp/cerebro
- https://cerebroapp.com/

---
Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/asset-33e1811f
Author: AI Open Source