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Ice – open source menu bar manager for macOS

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Re: Ice – open source menu bar manager for macOS

#121

Post by butchlugrod »

kstrauser wrote: post #3

Not the submitter, but I installed this a couple days ago to replace Bartender. For those not following along at home, the Bartender author just sold it to some sketchy app mill. It’s an app that legitimately requires screen recording permissions to work. I trusted the old author’s reputation. I have zero trust in the own owner. Ice isn’t as good yet. It’s not nearly so configurable. For example, you can either hide…

Really satisfied with Ice. I've been a long-time Bartender user, but have thought that version 5 is a little slow and buggy. Ice does what I need it to do (hide/show icons) and it does it faster than Bartender. Not as many features, but my own needs are pretty simple.

Re: Ice – open source menu bar manager for macOS

#122

Post by c-hendricks »

jmuguy wrote: post #102
web3-is-a-scam wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I didn’t know Bartender was sold. I thought it was fishy to need screen recording permissions but I assumed it was because of “security” features of the new macOS/m series chip/whatever so I just let it go because I trusted the Bartender dev. Uninstalled. What a shame.

Ice (and other menu bar managers) require the same permissions - your assumption was correct and Bartender has needed those permissions for a while.

Hidden Bar doesn't, I'm guessing the screen recording permission is needed for showing on hover.

Re: Ice – open source menu bar manager for macOS

#123

Post by jwells89 »

jorvi wrote: post #22
ars wrote: post #4

I know some people like it, but I find the top menu bar on a mac extremely non ergonomic. The argument goes that it's an easy spot to hit: Just move your mouse to the top. But they forget that in order to use the menu bar you have to activate the app! In other OS's, if you want to pick an item from an inactive app, just click - it will activate the app, and pick the item from the menu bar at the same time. Not so wit…

People like the menu bar because of the global menu - no more hunting and pecking for a print or save option, with every application using disparate or bespoke UI kits having those aforementioned options be different places both visually, physically and logically. MacBooks are absurdly overpowered as a layman’s computer, but the global menu means they only need to learn the OS once.

It also means that app devs can’t just eschew menus altogether in favor of junk drawer hamburger menus, like is so common on Windows/Linux. Even Electron apps that don’t have menubars under Windows/Linux usually do under macOS because it’d be silly to not populate the menubar when it’s always there anyway.

The omnipresence of the menubar also makes it an excellent hook point for UI enhancement utilities (e.g. a keyboard-driven HUD app) and automation, since it provides a universal interface that covers most of an app’s functions, which is truly rare these days.

Re: Ice – open source menu bar manager for macOS

#124

Post by jwells89 »

creesch wrote: post #28
xlii wrote: post #26

Offtopic, but am I the only person surprised how badly Apple stalled when it comes to window management and UX on MacOS? I feel that today, as a power user/professional, MacOS wouldn't be usable without applications like Bartender, external window manager such as Rectangle/Divvy etc. I feel strong attraction coming from yabai, but disabling SIP is too much for me. Personally I'm reaching the point where I'd migrate t…

I totally agree. But it also seems like a lot of people don't. Frustratingly enough when discussions like that come up a lot of people respond with a "MacOS just works differently, you just need to get used to it" discussion killer. Yeah, I know some design principles are different. That doesn't always mean they are better or couldn't be better. In general I feel like UI/UX on MacOS for the most part has stagnated in…

I think this sort of thing is more subjective and dependent on what the user is used to than most are willing to admit. I find the vaunted Aero Snap feature incredibly annoying for example because it’s so “noisy” with its proposed-snap animations and how easily it’s accidentally triggered (especially when multiple displays are involved) — the way the third party app Moom does it with a popover that appears on green traffic light hover or key shortcut is vastly preferable to me.

It’s true that Mac desktop evolution has somewhat stagnated and could use some movement, but that movement shouldn’t necessarily be toward the Win9X desktop paradigm.

Re: Ice – open source menu bar manager for macOS

#125

Post by jnsie »

kstrauser wrote: post #3

Not the submitter, but I installed this a couple days ago to replace Bartender. For those not following along at home, the Bartender author just sold it to some sketchy app mill. It’s an app that legitimately requires screen recording permissions to work. I trusted the old author’s reputation. I have zero trust in the own owner. Ice isn’t as good yet. It’s not nearly so configurable. For example, you can either hide…

Thanks for flagging the sale of Bartender. As a long time user I had no idea and am saddened to hear the new. I'll be switching to Ice or another open source tool immediately.

Re: Ice – open source menu bar manager for macOS

#127

Post by nativeit »

SpaghettiCthulu wrote: post #80
eviks wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To get information about other apps' icons

If true, that's a wild permissions model

Among many. Apple’s security model has a lot of ups and downs like this. I gather any app that needs access to anything on the screen outside of itself requires “screen recording” permission. I know all of the Remote Desktop apps, as well as color sampling functions in browsers, Adobe’s apps, and all of the designer tools with similar functionality require it.

Re: Ice – open source menu bar manager for macOS

#128

Post by user3939382 »

drdo wrote: post #75
user3939382 wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a way to switch spaces instantly. If anyone actually cares I’ll dig up my solution.

I care! Does your solution involve disabling SIP?

This utility allows it https://totalspaces.binaryage.com/

You hit a keyboard shortcut, you get to the new space with 0 animation/transition. It can work with SIP on but only on macOS older than 10.14.

They mention here this is due to some changes they make to the Dock https://totalspaces.binaryage.com/sip-details I'm not sure if the only part I care about (instant Spaces switching) would continue to work without that / if you turn SIP back on. I haven't tried.

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