
List of open source applications for macOS - rayascott
https://github.com/serhii-londar/open-source-mac-os-apps
======
nikivi
I have a personal list of macOS apps I use that is similar & goes in detail in
how I use the apps.

[https://github.com/nikitavoloboev/my-mac-
os](https://github.com/nikitavoloboev/my-mac-os)

Karabiner specifically is life changing software.

At this point ALL keys on my keyboard are custom modifier keys. It's wild.

[https://github.com/nikitavoloboev/dotfiles/blob/master/karab...](https://github.com/nikitavoloboev/dotfiles/blob/master/karabiner/karabiner.edn)

~~~
phillipamann
What do you do if you lose your data and have to start over? As far as I know,
there is no way to automate the settings of all of these macOS apps that don't
have config files that can be backed up like VSCode. Do you use Time Machine?

~~~
rovr138
They all have to be saved somewhere. A lot of Mac only apps also use the
defaults[0] system which allows you to read/write values there.

    
    
      man defaults
      defaults domains | tr " " "\n"
      defaults read com.apple.Safari
    

For dot files, I personally use stow[1] but there are other utilities and
workflows out there[2].

    
    
      [0] https://ss64.com/osx/defaults.html
      [1] https://www.gnu.org/software/stow/
      [2] https://dotfiles.github.io/

~~~
draebek
Note that, at least as of 10.14 (Mojave), lots of built-in macOS preferences
do not like their settings to be changed this way. For example, you can use
`defaults` to change preferences for the trackpad to your heart's content, but
they won't take effect immediately because IOKit (I think) has a shadow copy
of the preferences that is much harder to modify. The pref pane for the
trackpad ends up changing both the plist and the IOKit prefs to make
preference changes take effect immediately.

If you use a lot of `defaults` commands, you'll want to reboot immediately
afterwards.

------
kache_
Every time I come across a paid 30 dollar version of software being sold for
macos, I can find a free open source alternative that often works better
pretty quickly.

~~~
bananasquash
freeware and people like you have killed indie development. Great software
should be paid for. Unless or cures cancer or solves humanity’s issues, it
should not he made available for free. Otherwise the author of a paid version
is forced into office jobs because some idiot makes a free clone just to have
something on their cv.

~~~
kuzimoto
There are several perks to paid software that is typically missing from just
free software:

* Guaranteed updates/bug fixes

* Better support

* More polished product

There are free alternatives to basically everything, but people still pay for
stuff.

~~~
NullPrefix
>Guaranteed updates/bug fixes

Such a bold statement. Numerous times paid software produced errors, which
went unfixed until the product was discontinued and then you had to buy a new
version.

~~~
kuzimoto
I think "Guaranteed" was a bad choice, but I'm sure it's still better on
average than the majority of free/OSS projects.

Unfortunately there will always be a small number of companies using scummy
tactics like that, but not most of them.

------
swebs
Cool list. I'd love to the the equivalent for Linux. I know I can open some
package manager and check, but it would nice to see the cream of the crop.

~~~
z9e
The arch wiki has a great list here:

[https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/list_of_applications](https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/list_of_applications)

------
hardwaresofton
Somewhat unrelated but does anyone know why there isn't a basic open source
local-file MP3 player for iOS? I can't seem to find one (all of the ones on
the app store are either scummy looking or "radio" players) -- does Apple
block competitors to Apple Music?

I've considered building a simple open source MP3 player for iOS (which has no
baked in ties to any other radio services or online services), but surely the
reason one doesn't exist is because it would never pass review or is against
Apple's ToS somehow?

~~~
swebs
[https://apps.apple.com/us/app/vlc-for-
mobile/id650377962](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/vlc-for-mobile/id650377962)

~~~
hardwaresofton
Thanks so much for the recommendation -- amazed that I didn't manage to find
VLC in all my searching. I don't think of VLC for playing music so much so
maybe that was where my blindspot was.

------
greggman2
It doesn't seem like aesprite is open source

[https://github.com/aseprite/aseprite](https://github.com/aseprite/aseprite)

The source is available but the license seems to say you must pay for a copy
and that while you can download the source and compile you can not distribute
what you make, custom compiles for personal use only.

It does look like a great program though and I'd happily pay the $14.99 they
are asking if I was in the market for a pixel editor

~~~
rahuldottech
Technically, it _is_ Open Source, in the sense that the source code is
available to the public.

It is not, however, free software [0]. It also probably fails the official
Open Source Definition [1].

[0]: [https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-
sw.en.html](https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.en.html) [1]:
[https://opensource.org/osd-annotated](https://opensource.org/osd-annotated)

~~~
greggman2
It's not Open Source in the same sense that Unreal Engine is not Open Source.
Apparently the term "source-available" license is used to describe software
you can access the source but don't have permission do use it freely the same
ways as "open source".

Aesprite was open source until 2016 thoughs so maybe the reason it's on the
list is the list was created before 2016.

[https://www.aseprite.org/faq/#if-aseprite-source-code-is-
ava...](https://www.aseprite.org/faq/#if-aseprite-source-code-is-available-
how-is-that-you-are-selling-it)

------
copperx
Not to hijack from this thread, but is there a similar list for Windows? That
would be great to have.

------
ridgeguy
I'd add Downlink [1] to the Wallpaper category. No connection to the
developer, just a user here.

[1] [https://downlinkapp.com](https://downlinkapp.com)

------
phkahler
I'd like to see SolveSpace (CAD) on there, but the mac support will be dropped
soon unless someone can jump in to help.

------
mindfreeze
Where is VideoLAN's VLC

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edpichler
I really wish a tool like EA Architect but for Mac.

------
suyash
This list is missing tons of app for Mac OS that are written using JavaFX.

------
NamPNQ
When apple opensource ios Simulator :)

