Platypus is a developer tool that creates native Mac applications from command line scripts such as shell scripts or Python, Perl, Ruby, Tcl, JavaScript and PHP programs. This is done by wrapping the script in a macOS application bundle along with an app binary that runs the script.
If you ever need to close a Mac OS X application (gracefully) from the Mac Terminal command line or from a shell script, I can confirm that this command works: osascript -e 'quit app 'Safari' I use that command from a Mac/Unix shell script to close the Safari browser in an automation script I’m writing, and it works fine. After you create and test a script, you can save it as an app and run it just like any other app. How to save a script as an app To browse the Script Editor User Guide, click Table of Contents at the top of the page.
Platypus makes it easy to share scripts and programs with people who are unfamiliar with the command line interface. Native, user-friendly applications can be created with a few clicks. It is very easy to create installers, droplets, administrative applications, login items, status menu items, launchers and automations using Platypus.
Features
- Supports shell scripts, Python, Perl, Ruby, PHP, Swift, Expect, Tcl, AWK, JavaScript, AppleScript or any other user-specified interpreter
- Apps can display graphical feedback of script execution as progress bar, text window with script output, droplet, WebKit HTML rendering or status item menu
- Apps support receiving dragged and dropped files or text snippets, which are then passed to the script as arguments
- Apps can execute scripts with root privileges via the macOS Security Framework
- Apps can register as handlers for URI schemes
- Apps can be configured to run in the background (LSUIElement)
- Set own application icon or select from presets
- Set app's associated file types, identifier, version, author, etc.
- Graphical interface for bundling support files with the script
- Command line tool for automation and build process integration
- 'Profiles' can be used to save app configurations
- Built-in script editor, or linking with external editor of choice
- Extensive documentation and many built-in examples to help you get started
- Fast, responsive native app written in Objective-C/Cocoa
License
Platypus is free, open source software distributed under the terms of the three-clause BSD license and has been continually maintained and developed for a very long time (since 2003). It is written in Objective-C/Cocoa. The source code is available on GitHub.
If Platypus makes your life easier, please make a donation to support continued development.
Download
The latest version is Platypus 5.3, released on November 25th, 2018. Platypus and Platypus-generated applications require macOS 10.8 or later, and are 64-bit Intel binaries. Mac focus block app. The main Platypus application is Apple Developer ID signed (sigh)..
If you want to target 10.6 and/or 32-bit systems, version 4.9 continues to work just fine. If you want to target 10.4 and PowerPC, you can use version 4.4.
- man page (HTML)
- Appcast (XML)
Screenshots
Mac App Bash Script Creator
Platypus lets you select one of several different user interfaces for your script.
Progress Bar
Text Window
Web View
Status Menu
Droplet
To make aliases of macOS Unix commands in your bash or zsh shell on macOS and earlier versions, it is done via your .bash_profile or .zsh file which lives in your home account directory, if the file does not already exist, just create one.
As of macOS 10.6 Catalina, Apple has made the zsh shell the default shell, previously it was the bash shell.
Launch Terminal from the /Application/Utilities folder
Go to your home directory by just entering cd followed by the ‘return’ key to enter the command:
List your home directory contents including invisible files to see if the file already exists, use:
Create the .bash_profile or .zsh file using the command line program called ‘nano’ if it doesn’t exist:
When the .bash_profile or .zsh file is created you are ready to enter your alias commands.
So here I am using the alias ‘l’ to alias the command ‘ls -lah’
So here I am using the alias ‘l’ to alias the command ‘ls -lah’
Mac mini performance app. In nano ‘control+o’ to write the file out and ‘control+x’ to exit the file.
Refresh the shell environment by entering the command below:
Mac App Bash Script Tutorial
Or.
That’s it, now the alias will take effect.
To add other aliases just start a new line, and apply the same formatting.