<div align="center">
<img src="apps/assets/nex.svg" alt="Nex" height="90" />
A keyboard-first launcher for Windows. Press a global hotkey to summon a floating search bar and quickly find and launch applications, files, folders, and custom actions.
[](https://crates.io/crates/nex-cli)
[](#)
[](LICENSE)
[](https://github.com/haxllo/nex)
</div>
## Installation
### Binary Release (Recommended)
Download the latest release for your platform from the
[Releases page](https://github.com/haxllo/nex/releases/latest).
After downloading, run the installer and follow the setup instructions.
---
### Install with Cargo
Requires Rust and Cargo installed.
```bash
cargo install nex-cli; nex
```
---
### Build from Source
```bash
git clone https://github.com/haxllo/nex.git
cd nex
cargo build --release
```
Binary location:
```text
target/release/nex
```
## Overview
Nex is a lightweight, fast launcher that puts your workflow at your fingertips. Built in Rust for minimal memory footprint and near-instant responsiveness.
### Key Features
- **Global Hotkey** - Summon the launcher from anywhere with a customizable keyboard shortcut
- **Fuzzy Search** - Find apps, files, and folders with intelligent matching
- **Actions** - Execute custom commands, web searches, and system operations
- **Clipboard History** - Access recently copied items (optional)
- **Plugins** - Extend functionality with custom plugins
- **Game Mode** - Suppress the launcher while gaming
## Quick Start
### Run
```bash
cargo run --release
```
Or run the built binary directly:
```bash
./target/release/nex.exe
```
### Configuration
On first launch, Nex creates a default config at:
```
%APPDATA%\Nex\config.toml
```
Key settings:
| `hotkey` | `Alt+Space` | Global hotkey to summon launcher |
| `max_results` | `8` | Maximum results to display |
| `show_files` | `false` | Include files in search |
| `show_folders` | `false` | Include folders in search |
| `launch_at_startup` | `false` | Start with Windows |
### CLI Commands
```bash
nex --status # Check if running
nex --quit # Stop the launcher
nex --restart # Restart the launcher
nex --status-json # JSON status output
```
## Search Syntax
- **Type normally** - Fuzzy search across all indexed items
- **Prefix commands** - `>` for actions, `@` for apps, `:` for files/folders
- **Web search** - Prefix with `?` to search the web
## Project Structure
```
nex/
├── apps/core/ # Main Rust application
│ ├── src/
│ │ ├── runtime.rs # Main entry point & event loop
│ │ ├── search.rs # Search indexing & querying
│ │ ├── discovery.rs # File/app discovery
│ │ └── ...
│ └── Cargo.toml
├── apps/assets/ # Icons & branding
├── scripts/ # Build & packaging scripts
├── tests/ # Integration tests
└── docs/ # Documentation
```
## Requirements
- Windows 10/11 (64-bit)
- Rust 1.75+ (for building from source)
## Building
```bash
# Development build
cargo build
# Release build
cargo build --release
# Run tests
cargo test
```
## Documentation
- [Architecture Notes](docs/README.md)
- [Release Notes](CHANGELOG.md)
## License
MIT License - see [LICENSE](LICENSE) for details.