AnyBar: OS X menubar status indicator

AnyBar is a small indicator for your menubar that does one simple thing: it displays a colored dot. What the dot means and when to change it is up to you.

Download

Version 0.2.3:

Or using Homebrew Cask:

brew install --cask anybar

Usage

AnyBar is controlled via a UDP port (1738 by default). Before any commands can be sent, AnyBar.app must be launched:

open -a AnyBar

Once launched, you may send it a message to change the style of the dot:

echo -n "black" | nc -4u -w0 localhost 1738

If you use bash, you might prefer this instead:

bash -c 'echo -n "black" > /dev/udp/localhost/1738'

The following default commands change the style of the dot:

Command	Preview
white
red
orange
yellow
green
cyan
blue
purple
black
question
exclamation
filled
hollow

black and white always has black or white fill. On Big Sur, where text color of menubar might change depending on the wallpaper, you might want to use filled and hollow instead. They are inverted when menubar changes its appearance.

To quit, send quit.

Alternative clients

Bash alias:

$ function anybar { echo -n $1 | nc -4u -w0 localhost ${2:-1738}; }

$ anybar red
$ anybar green 1739

Or with /dev/udp:

function anybar { echo -n $1 > /dev/udp/localhost/${2:-1738}; }

Zsh with completion:

• wookayin/anybar-zsh

Fish shell with completion:

• matchai/anybar-fish

Go:

• justincampbell/anybar
• johntdyer/anybar-go

Node:

• rumpl/nanybar
• sindresorhus/anybar
• snippet by skibz

Deno:

• pumpncode/anybar

PHP:

• 2bj/Phanybar

Java:

• cs475x/AnyBar4j

Python:

• philipbl/pyanybar

Ruby:

• davydovanton/AnyBar_rb

Rust:

• urschrei/rust_anybar
• Feliix42/anybar-rs

Nim:

• rgv151/anybar.nim

Erlang:

• kureikain/ebar

C:

• onderweg/anybar-cli

C#:

• jenyayel/anybar-client

Crystal:

• davydovanton/AnyBar_cr

Emacs:

• rmuslimov/anybar.el
• tie-rack/anybar-el (Also on Melpa)

AppleScript:

tell application "AnyBar" to set image name to "blue"

tell application "AnyBar" to set current to get image name as Unicode text
display notification current

Alfred:

• https://github.com/raguay/MyAlfred

Integrations

• Webpack build status plugin roman01la/anybar-webpack
• boot-clj task tonsky/boot-anybar
• Idea plugin denofevil/AnyBarIdea
• Anybar-based CLI journal Andrew565/anybar-icon-journal
• Command monitoring rvirani1/with_anybar
• Monitor commands automatically, across several iterm tabs stacycurl/anybar_bash
• Extension for ipython/jupyter/ipython notebook ermakovpetr/ipython-anybar

Running multiple instances

You can run several instances of AnyBar as long as they listen on different ports. Use the ANYBAR_PORT environment variable to change the port and open -na to run several instances:

ANYBAR_PORT=1738 open -na AnyBar
ANYBAR_PORT=1739 open -na AnyBar
ANYBAR_PORT=1740 open -na AnyBar

Environment variables to specify a title and the initial color of the dot

A title can be set to distinguish dots in the menubar:

ANYBAR_PORT=1738 ANYBAR_TITLE=First  open -na AnyBar
ANYBAR_PORT=1739 ANYBAR_TITLE=Second open -na AnyBar
ANYBAR_PORT=1740 ANYBAR_TITLE=Third  open -na AnyBar

And the initial color of the dot can also be set:

ANYBAR_INIT=blue open -na AnyBar

Custom images

AnyBar can detect and use local custom images stored in the ~/.AnyBar directory. For example, if you have a ~/.AnyBar/[email protected] image, send square to port 1738 and it will be displayed. Images should be 19×19 pixels for standard resolution, and 38x38 pixels for retina (@2x).

Ports

• Ubuntu Unity limpbrains/somebar
• i3wm with i3pystatus enkore/i3pystatus
• Windows 10 PavelStefanov/NoteBar
• Emacs plexus/.../emybar.el

License

Copyright © 2015 Nikita Prokopov

Licensed under Eclipse Public License (see LICENSE).