[jimmaswell]

>I need a search tool to find my installed programs and settings.

as if simply typing the name of or keywords for what you want to find into a search bar isn't fluid and inuitive?

[Gracana]

Assuming that you know the name of your volume manager is "gigolo" and that your remote desktop client is "remmina," etc. If you're lucky the program might have a reasonable name, but still your OS decides the most likely thing you're looking for is ancient manuscripts... http://i.imgur.com/0ePB9sT.png

[sthreet]

For some reason, when I search "mount and blade"; dracula.txt and equator.txt show up. For some reason processing comes with several books from project gutenberg by default, and they show up when I look up some programs.

[_ea1k]

If I type "add printer" into the search on Fedora (Gnome Shell), the first item in the list is "Printers" with helpful text letting me know that this is the tool for adding printers. It's much easier than it used to be, IMO.

[digi_owl]

Well there is always the Gnome way, where the menu entry has one name (Archive Manager) but the command has a very different one (file-roller).

[jimmaswell]

You still found "Printers" which is probably it.

[prottmann]

And if you not know the exactly name?

Example i type "browser" -> nothing found. And i am absolutely sure i have installed chrome, seamonkey and ie. ;)

[jimmaswell]

That's why the applications are supposed to have relevant tags that are looked at by the search.