KDE Launcher Showdown: Takeoff vs Homerun

Using the same launcher or start menu to run your programs every day can get monotonous after a while. You might get used to it so much that you don't appreciate its appearance anymore, even if you do change desktop themes occasionally. So, why not try something completely different?

KDE provides so many options, from “traditional” start menus like Kickoff, Lancelot and App Menu QML to quick launchers like Krunner, Quicklauncher and Shelf. The newest and most interesting additions are fullscreen launchers Takeoff and Homerun which we'll pit against one another in this review.

Fullscreen launchers are not an entirely new concept, but they became popular on Linux relatively recently. After all, most users prefer their launchers discrete and out of the way instead of taking up the whole screen. However, this changed when Ubuntu introduced its Unity interface, and users who didn't want to install another DE or tweak the system had no choice but to use the fullscreen launcher Dash. Both Homerun and Takeoff, as well as Dash, are visibly inspired by Mac OS X's Launchpad. This makes it convenient for users who wish to customize their KDE desktop to look exactly like OS X.

Takeoff

Takeoff was the first fullscreen launcher I used. After stumbling upon it while I was browsing KDE Apps, I downloaded the plasmoid file and installed it directly via Add Widgets dialog, although you can install it from source or from one of the repositories listed on the official project page.

There are two supported modes: fullscreen (pictured above) and float, or standard menu mode (as shown below), so you can use Takeoff as an ordinary menu if you want.

This seemingly simple tool will impress you with its options once you open the Settings dialog. You can adjust the size and separation of launcher icons, as well as the number of rows and columns into which they're organized. Takeoff supports keyboard shortcuts and custom background images. If you don't choose one, Takeoff background will be styled by your desktop theme, according to the preference for Widgets background (this can be changed in System Settings > Workspace Appearance > Desktop Theme).

If you select Show Favorites, you'll be able to group your favorite or most frequently used applications for easier access. Favorites will be displayed first (if you leave Remember last tab unchecked) and other applications will follow in a separate tab. In case your list of installed applications is long, Takeoff will add numbered tabs for you to click on while browsing them.

Unfortunately, it's not yet possible to rearrange launcher icons by drag-and-drop method, which I'm sure many users would appreciate. Also, Takeoff seemed to have responsiveness issues, as it would not close immediately once I launched an application; rather, there was always a slight delay. The thing that made me look for another fullscreen launcher was the weird incident when I decided to switch from fullscreen to float mode, but Takeoff refused to accept this change even after several reboots. That's how I discovered Homerun.

Homerun

True, Homerun is still in development – current stable version is 0.2.1, which you can install either from source or, if you're on Ubuntu or its derivatives, from one of the repositories that offer it.

Homerun is 100% fullscreen, as you can see above – it does not support traditional menu mode. What it does support, however, is infinitely more awesome. Just like Unity's Dash, Homerun can overlay and replace your desktop. The wallpaper will still be visible if your desktop theme is transparent, and launcher icons in Homerun will behave like desktop icons usually do. This setting can be toggled in KDE Desktop Settings dialog.

Launchers are organized in tabs, and tab content is fully customizable thanks to a great number of plugins, or “sources”, as they're officially called. To start modifying your launchers, start Homerun and click on the icon in the top right corner, next to the search box. This will open the Configure mode.

Here you can add new tabs, rename existing tabs and change their icons, as well as organize their content. Simply drag and drop desired plugins from the menu on the left into the main Homerun area; you can later rearrange or remove them easily.

Homerun tabs are not only for application launchers; you can add files, folders, a recent documents list, mounted devices, shutdown and logout commands, and more. Integration with Krunner makes it possible to add some of its plugins, so you can use Homerun to search your contacts, check Wikipedia or switch between opened windows.

Like Takeoff, Homerun also supports keyboard shortcuts. Another similar functionality are the Favorites – right click on any application's icon to add it to this group. If you right click a folder icon, a menu will appear, and you can choose to open it, add it to favorites or view its properties. A left click on folder icons opens the folders directly in Homerun, leading you through their hierarchy. You can access previous folders from the tab bar that appears on top of them.

Applications can be displayed either as a flat list of categories through which you scroll, or as clickable groups where you have to browse through each category to reach the application you need. Of course, the fastest way to find an application is via the search box.

...and the winner is...?

Definitely Homerun. Despite being a de facto unfinished product, this launcher proved to be stable, reliable and fully functional. For now I haven't encountered any problems with it, and it has all the options I need. Of course, new ones are planned and will be added soon, as the application is in active development, unlike Takeoff which seems to have stagnated after reaching version 1.0.

Hopefully the same won't happen with Homerun, and even if it does, something new will surely come along. If you're interested in new KDE applications, icons and themes, keep an eye on KDE-Look and KDE-Apps – a customization heaven for all KDE users.

Ivana Isadora Devcic is a freelance writer, copyeditor and translator fluent in English, Swedish, Croatian and Norwegian. She's a Linux user and KDE fan interested in web design, productivity and personal branding. Ivana tweets about the world around her as @skadinna.