LingCore/WinShun

WinShun – A Fast, Pinyin‑Enabled Search Launcher for Windows

What it is – WinShun (Win顺) is a free, open‑source Windows‑only utility that replaces the default search/launcher with a single, always‑ready search bar. Press Ctrl twice (or another shortcut you set) and a window pops up; as you type, results appear instantly.

Key capabilities

• File‑name search (including Chinese pinyin and initials) across the whole PC, USB drives, and even SMB/NAS shares. Indexes millions of files in seconds by reading the NTFS Master File Table directly, and updates live via the USN journal.
• Full‑text search inside common document types (txt, md, code, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, WPS). Shows the matching line, page or sheet.
• App & system‑setting launch – all Start‑menu apps and ~1,200 Windows settings/control‑panel items are searchable.
• Clipboard history (text, images, files) with OCR (PaddleOCR) so you can find words inside copied screenshots.
• Task‑bar search box that can replace the built‑in Windows search.
• File‑dialog integration – a searchable bar appears in Open/Save dialogs; Ctrl+G jumps to the folder shown in Explorer.
• Favorites & plugins – quick‑access folders, built‑in calculators, unit converters, color pickers, and a plugin system (zero‑code JSON or scripts in any language). One plugin lets you “search by meaning” using a local LLM (Ollama, LM Studio, or cloud APIs).
• AI‑assistant MCP server – exposes a simple API that Claude, Cursor, VS Code, etc., can call to search files and recent changes.

Why it matters

• No external indexer like Everything is required; the app builds its own index locally and never uploads data.
• Chinese‑focused features (pinyin, homophone fallback, meaning‑search) make it especially useful for Mandarin speakers.
• All settings are searchable, backed up locally (or to a synced folder), and the portable zip lets you run it from a USB stick without installation.

Installation

• Download the installer (WinShun‑<version>‑x64‑setup.exe) or the portable zip from the GitHub releases page.
• Run the installer (accept the “Windows protected your PC” warning – the binary isn’t code‑signed yet). The first index takes a few seconds.
• Press Ctrl Ctrl to start searching. You can change the hot‑key in Settings.

System requirements – Windows 10/11, 64‑bit. Memory usage is ~30 MB per million indexed files; the running process typically stays under 150 MB.

Open‑source – MIT‑licensed, built with Qt 6 and C++. The repo includes build scripts (scripts/build.ps1) and documentation for extending the app.

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All details are taken directly from the project's README.