
Ask HN: What are your favorite utility desktop apps? - ezekg
I&#x27;m a big fan of small, often indie, utility apps. Some apps I really dig:<p>- Monodraw: https:&#x2F;&#x2F;monodraw.helftone.com&#x2F;<p>- Postgres.app: https:&#x2F;&#x2F;postgresapp.com&#x2F;<p>- Lungo: https:&#x2F;&#x2F;sindresorhus.com&#x2F;lungo<p>- Duet: https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.duetdisplay.com&#x2F;<p>- Magnet: http:&#x2F;&#x2F;magnet.crowdcafe.com&#x2F;<p>What do you like?
======
WaltPurvis
MacOS utilities I rely on:

\-- Typinator - text expander / autocorrector -
[https://www.ergonis.com/products/typinator/](https://www.ergonis.com/products/typinator/)

\-- Keyboard Maestro - indispensable macro program -
[https://www.keyboardmaestro.com/main/](https://www.keyboardmaestro.com/main/)

\-- PopClip - use this 50 times a day -
[https://pilotmoon.com/popclip/](https://pilotmoon.com/popclip/)

\-- HazeOver – dims inactive windows/monitors –
[https://hazeover.com/](https://hazeover.com/)

\-- Paste – clipboard manager - [https://pasteapp.me/](https://pasteapp.me/)

\-- ScreenFloat - screenshot app -
[https://www.screenfloatapp.com/](https://www.screenfloatapp.com/)

\-- Spectacle - window manager
[https://www.spectacleapp.com/](https://www.spectacleapp.com/)

\-- Window Tidy - another window manager (I use them both) -
[https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/window-
tidy/id456609775?mt=1...](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/window-
tidy/id456609775?mt=12)

\-- Dash - developer docs browser -
[https://kapeli.com/dash](https://kapeli.com/dash)

\-- Cold Turkey - Internet distraction blocker -
[https://getcoldturkey.com/](https://getcoldturkey.com/)

\-- Bartender - [https://www.macbartender.com/](https://www.macbartender.com/)

------
MiddleEndian
Ditto - Clipboard manager for Windows. The nicest I've used on any OS. Great
for managing the last N items (set to remove items after a week for me) and
it's easy to delete or modify entries.

Klipper - Clipboard manager for Linux. It's part of KDE so I'm not sure if it
counts but it doesn't seem to be well known. Basically the same as Ditto for
Linux but a bit clunkier.

7+ Taskbar Tweaker - Tool that modifies the Windows taskbar. My favorite two
features: 1\. Hiding the Windows logo/start button so Win+1 correlates with
the first icon, Win+2 with the second, etc. 2\. Making it such that if I click
an application icon with multiple windows, the first window will just come to
the front (and the second if the first is already at the front, etc.) instead
of having to click from a list of windows.

SharpKeys - Windows tool to remap keyboard keys. Equivalent to using the
Registry but more pleasant.

~~~
brokenmachine
With ditto, can you copy a few things into the clipboard, then paste them in
order somehow?

So for example I copy my password, then my username, then you can press, say,
ctrl-shift-v and it will paste your password and remove the topmost item so
the next paste will be my username? Or something like that?

~~~
ChrisGranger
Is there _any_ clipboard manager that can do this? It sounds like a good idea.

Edit: it would be easy enough to whip this up using Autokey (Linux) or
AutoHotkey (Windows), but I wouldn't be too keen on having a password in plain
text in a script... At least with a clipboard manager you can clear that
password right after use.

~~~
brokenmachine
Arsclip is meant to be able to do it, but I couldn't work out how to do it.

------
jeena
\- FeedTheMonkey
[https://github.com/jeena/feedthemonkey](https://github.com/jeena/feedthemonkey)

\- KeePassXC [https://keepassxc.org/](https://keepassxc.org/)

\- GNOME Calendar
[https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Calendar](https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Calendar)

\- GNOME Screenshot [https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gnome-
screenshot/tree/master/](https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gnome-
screenshot/tree/master/)

\- Darktable [https://www.darktable.org/](https://www.darktable.org/)

------
pndy
\- Sizer [http://www.brianapps.net/sizer](http://www.brianapps.net/sizer)
(because I prefer my windows spawning with customized size and placement;
pretty sure KDE offers similar stuff by default)

\- Xlaunchpad [http://www.xwidget.com/](http://www.xwidget.com/) (mimicking
OSX Launchpad feature on Windows; I'm using it with double-click the desktop
to invoke setting)

\- Everything [https://www.voidtools.com/](https://www.voidtools.com/)
(default W10 files indexing and search replacement)

\- Notepad2-mod
[https://xhmikosr.github.io/notepad2-mod/](https://xhmikosr.github.io/notepad2-mod/)
(Notepad replacement)

~~~
nbutyllithium
Sizer - I have been using a custom script in DisplayFusion* to accomplish a
similar purpose but I like the interface with sizer more (especially the
ability to make preset sizes). Thanks for sharing.

*[https://www.displayfusion.com/ScriptedFunctions/View/?ID=226...](https://www.displayfusion.com/ScriptedFunctions/View/?ID=2263df17-abb0-441b-8923-626f3251023e)

~~~
pndy
I'd suggest using 4.0 version and set it to run with administrator rights -
I'm not sure if author has already solved this but context menu invoked on
window border tend to bug in the past under W10.

------
PascLeRasc
ImageOptim is incredible:
[https://imageoptim.com/mac](https://imageoptim.com/mac)

It does lossless and lossy image compression, removes metadata, the UI is
excellent, and it's FOSS. It's effortless to use - just drag in images from
any directory and it'll replace them with the optimized versions.

------
Tomte
AutoHotKey: [https://www.autohotkey.com/](https://www.autohotkey.com/)

~~~
ChrisGranger
AutoHotkey is amazing. On Linux, there is also Autokey.

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

------
jplayer01
\- z (Linux): [https://github.com/rupa/z](https://github.com/rupa/z) builds a
database of every folder I ever go to on the command-line and uses fuzzy
search to open the most likely folder when I give z any string argument. It's
been such a huge improvement for my CLI workflow. I no longer need to traverse
entire directories if I've been there before. I just need to enter the
shortest possible part of the path that'll take me to my destination, often
just a couple of characters.

\- chocolatey (Windows): [https://chocolatey.org/](https://chocolatey.org/)
Package manager for Windows which means I only rarely need to manually
download and install programs anymore. I can even tell it to update all
installed programs, which is a decent time saver.

+1 for Everything mentioned in another comment.

------
numbers
\- Alfred [https://www.alfredapp.com/](https://www.alfredapp.com/)

\- BetterTouchTool [https://folivora.ai/](https://folivora.ai/)

\- Sip [https://sipapp.io](https://sipapp.io) (even tho the new pricing isn't
great)

\- Spectacle [https://www.spectacleapp.com/](https://www.spectacleapp.com/)
(if you want a Magnet alternative)

\- Calibre [https://calibre-ebook.com/](https://calibre-ebook.com/) (not sure
if this counts)

~~~
scarcely
Re: sip, why not just use a custom HTML file. I store vast majority of my data
in custom HTML files custom written with custom js and CSS and custom
elements. Level of customizability is extremely high and you can represent the
data with infinite flexibility and you can display your data via an infinite
number of views and it's just a matter of switching stylesheets. All hail the
age of custom written HTML pages intended for personal use! Hooray for the
practice of keeping your data in HTML! Boo markdown which is tremendously
tremendously overrated. The age of writing HTML for other people is over. The
age of writing HTML for your own private consumption is on us!!!

~~~
tugberkk
I was actually wondering if there was anyone storing textual data in html, I
also think it is pretty useful and nice. Do you have any additional
information? Such as your html organizations etc.?

------
flamtap
Bulk Rename Utility (Windows) is something I’ve been using for years to rename
my music and video libraries in a uniform way. I usually just use it to rename
seasons and episodes of shows incrementally, but it's capable of a lot more
advanced rules.

It works well, does everything I ask of it, and it’s just totally free of
bloat. Hasn’t changed in years in fact. Just does what it says on the tin.
Renames your files in bulk.

[https://www.bulkrenameutility.co.uk/Main_Intro.php](https://www.bulkrenameutility.co.uk/Main_Intro.php)

------
jsonau
OSX:

Dash - Snippet Manager and API Doc Browser
[https://kapeli.com/dash](https://kapeli.com/dash)

Flycut - Clipboard Manager [https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/flycut-clipboard-
manager/id4...](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/flycut-clipboard-
manager/id442160987)

Spectacle - Window sizing Manager
[https://www.spectacleapp.com/](https://www.spectacleapp.com/)

------
sir_terenced
OSX: \- Alfred [https://www.alfredapp.com/](https://www.alfredapp.com/)

\- BetterTouchTool [https://folivora.ai/](https://folivora.ai/)

\- Chunkwm
[https://github.com/koekeishiya/chunkwm](https://github.com/koekeishiya/chunkwm)

\- 1Password [https://1password.com/](https://1password.com/)

\- Bartender [https://www.macbartender.com/](https://www.macbartender.com/)

\- Clipy [https://github.com/Clipy/Clipy](https://github.com/Clipy/Clipy)

\- Karabiner-Elements [https://github.com/tekezo/Karabiner-
Elements](https://github.com/tekezo/Karabiner-Elements)

------
jjeaff
Greenshot - the best screenshot software out there. Open source and beats all
the paid options.

Maps to print screen key. Let's you draw a box around what you want to snip,
then you can send it straight to the clipboard, or open in a quick editor for
notes, or go straight to imgur or a myriad of other programs.

~~~
nbutyllithium
If you're using windows I'd also recommend checking out share-x
([https://getsharex.com/](https://getsharex.com/)). I'm not exactly a power
user for this type of application but share-x appears to have some more
advanced features that some here may appreciate.

~~~
jjeaff
Ooh, I'm a sucker for a slick interface. And this one looks a bit more
polished than greenshot. I will be checking it out. Thanks

------
jocoda
TotalCommander - ([https://www.ghisler.com/](https://www.ghisler.com/)) the
only way to drive on Windows

MidniteCommander (apt-get install mc) not as good as totalcommander but still
way better than simple bash/whatever commands

~~~
nbutyllithium
I had never used a side-by-side window manager before but, after seeing a
coworker using TotalCommander, I stumbled across Double Commander
([https://doublecmd.sourceforge.io/](https://doublecmd.sourceforge.io/)). It's
open source, cross platform, and "is inspired by Total Commander and features
some new ideas."

While I cannot comment on how it stacks up to Total Commander, I've ended up
liking it quite a bit.

------
Yhippa
On Windows, Rainmeter:
[https://www.rainmeter.net/](https://www.rainmeter.net/)

On Linux, Guake: [http://guake-project.org/](http://guake-project.org/)

~~~
ktm5j
Man I haven't used Guake in a long time!

~~~
Yhippa
Did you go to UVa?

~~~
ktm5j
I work there.

------
PeOe
I like 1Clipboard on Windows [http://1clipboard.io/](http://1clipboard.io/)
but I'd love to find a Windows version of Flycut for Mac
[https://github.com/TermiT/Flycut](https://github.com/TermiT/Flycut) where you
can use a shortut to view & toggle through the latest clips (since that's
usually my use-case). Any ideas?

Click.to [http://www.clicktoapp.com/](http://www.clicktoapp.com/) is also
super useful (I use it mostly for looking up German translations & wikipedia
stuff)

------
mpurham
\- Focus Window for macOS [https://focuswindow.app/](https://focuswindow.app/)

\- ByWord for macOS [https://bywordapp.com/](https://bywordapp.com/)

~~~
vinhnx
"Focus Window" looks great, thanks for recommending!

------
HackOfAllTrades
Beyond Compare (Windows)compares Drives, Folders, & Files. Very fast and
flexible -- both of which are important. Can also be used to copy files, to
synchronize folders.

~~~
dev_north_east
Aye, it's my goto for viewing diffed files from mercurial and git. Really nice
tool.

------
atRonan
KeePassXC - [https://keepassxc.org/](https://keepassxc.org/)

One of the Best cross platform password managers at the moment!

------
warpech
\- ShiftIt (macOs)
[https://github.com/fikovnik/ShiftIt](https://github.com/fikovnik/ShiftIt)

------
apolymath
\- GrepWin
[https://tools.stefankueng.com/grepWin.html](https://tools.stefankueng.com/grepWin.html)

~~~
flamtap
+1. It’s pulled me out of a few jams, and the GUI is simple and without bloat.

------
rusinov
Keyboard Maestro
([https://www.keyboardmaestro.com/main/](https://www.keyboardmaestro.com/main/))
lets you automate tedious tasks on a Mac

------
sigjuice

      github.com/Pyroh/Fluor
      brew cask install fluor
    

I have it set up so Fn keys automatically behave like Fn keys in Terminal (?),
Emacs.app, Screen Sharing, VMWare Fusion.

------
binaryman2
Directory Report - Find hidden disk hogs on Windows: [http://www.file-
utilities.com](http://www.file-utilities.com)

------
4bpp
rofi
([https://github.com/davatorium/rofi](https://github.com/davatorium/rofi)). I
use it as my primary window switcher.

~~~
impostir
I use dmenu with i3 now, but I have considered switching to rofi for a while.
Do you know the advantages over dmenu?

------
akulbe
Chocolatey.

WizTree.

Arq.

Ditto.

wsltty.

youtube-dl.

------
actionowl
\- LittleSnitch

\- Unclutter

\- Magnet

------
vkaku
\- PDFStudio

\- GoldWave

\- Dash (macOS)

\- TexturePacker

\- GIMP

\- Mp3Tag

\- Daemon Tools (Image Mounting)

