xbar For Mac

xbar is a reboot of BitBar, a popular app that allows you to run scripts and show their output in the menu bar. The redesign is more user-friendly, as it integrates a plugin browser, allowing you to install scripts without having to download them manually.

You can write your own scripts, but there is also a large repository of plugins with contributions from the community, which you can freely edit and adapt to your purposes. Multiple scripts can be run at the same time, and their output will be visible in the menu bar.

When BitBar was first released, there were only a few plugins available, and you had to manually download them and place them in a specific folder to get them running. Now, you just need to run the app and browse the repository for anything that looks interesting.

It's worth noting that plugins may have certain requirements, such as Python or Ruby. If you get errors, make sure you have those installed as well. Also, some scripts will require additional editing and/or API keys to function correctly.

Plugins in the public repository are organized into categories, and there are plenty to get you started, with more being added all the time. They are incredibly diverse, from crypto price trackers to mail notifiers and Pomodoro timers.

If you want to try making your own, you just need to create a script that prints lines of text. These will then be converted into menus by the application. For more info, make sure you read the documentation available on the project's GitHub page.

xbar improves upon BitBar in every way, especially when it comes to user-friendliness. Anyone can install a plugin now, and creating them isn't that difficult either thanks to the extensive documentation. Whether you need to have something in your menu bar or you just want to play around with scripts, feel free to give it a go.