https://github.com/mpalczew/occam
Minimalist macOS app launcher. 800 lines of Swift. Zero dependencies. Zero telemetry.
https://github.com/mpalczew/occam
app-launcher macos privacy productivity spotlight-alternative swift
Last synced: 4 months ago
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Minimalist macOS app launcher. 800 lines of Swift. Zero dependencies. Zero telemetry.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/mpalczew/occam
- Owner: mpalczew
- License: mit
- Created: 2026-02-07T17:54:02.000Z (5 months ago)
- Default Branch: master
- Last Pushed: 2026-02-08T17:21:32.000Z (5 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-02-08T20:48:53.964Z (5 months ago)
- Topics: app-launcher, macos, privacy, productivity, spotlight-alternative, swift
- Language: Swift
- Size: 437 KB
- Stars: 0
- Watchers: 0
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- Changelog: CHANGELOG.md
- License: LICENSE
- Agents: AGENTS.md
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
# Occam
**The simplest way to launch apps on macOS.**
One shortcut. Instant results. No bloat.
[](https://github.com/mpalczew/occam/actions/workflows/ci.yml)
[](#requirements)
[](LICENSE)
[](https://github.com/mpalczew/occam/releases/latest)
---
## Why Occam?
- **Fast** -- Scans ~200 apps in ~50ms. No background indexing, no persistent processes chewing CPU.
- **Private** -- Zero network calls. Zero telemetry. Your data stays on your Mac.
- **Tiny** -- ~800 lines of Swift. No frameworks, no dependencies, no Electron.
- **Smart** -- Fuzzy matching with recency sorting. Your most-used apps surface first.
## Install
```bash
brew tap mpalczew/occam
brew install --cask occam
```
### Other options
Download from GitHub Releases
1. Download the latest `Occam-x.x.x-universal.zip` from [Releases](https://github.com/mpalczew/occam/releases/latest)
2. Unzip and drag **Occam.app** to your Applications folder
3. Launch Occam
Build from source
```bash
git clone https://github.com/mpalczew/occam.git
cd occam
make build
cp -r .build/Occam.app /Applications/
```
Requires Xcode Command Line Tools (`xcode-select --install`).
## Usage
Press **Cmd+Space** to open Occam. Start typing to search.
| Key | Action |
|-----|--------|
| Cmd+Space | Toggle search panel |
| Type | Fuzzy search apps and settings |
| Up/Down | Navigate results |
| Enter | Launch selected |
| Cmd+1-9 | Launch by position |
| Esc | Dismiss |
| Cmd+Q | Quit Occam |
On first launch, Occam will offer to disable Spotlight's Cmd+Space shortcut (or you can switch to Option+Space).
## What it searches
- All `.app` bundles under `/Applications` and `/System/Applications` (recursive)
- 25 System Settings panes (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Display, Sound, Keyboard, and more)
- Built-in commands: "Quit Occam", "Restart Occam"
Results are sorted by most recently launched when the search field is empty.
Architecture & Technical Details
### How it works
- **No dock icon** -- Runs as a background agent (`LSUIElement = true`)
- **Borderless floating panel** -- `NSPanel` with vibrancy blur, appears near the top of screen
- **Fuzzy matching** -- Scores consecutive character runs, word-start matches, and prefix matches
- **Recency sorting** -- Launch history stored in UserDefaults
- **Global hotkey** -- Carbon `RegisterEventHotKey` (the only reliable API for global shortcuts on macOS)
- **Login item** -- Offered on first launch via `SMAppService`
No `mdfind`, no `NSMetadataQuery`, no background indexing. Fresh `FileManager` scan each time you open the panel (~50ms for ~200 apps).
### Project structure
```
Sources/Occam/
main.swift # NSApplication entry point
AppDelegate.swift # Panel management, hotkey registration, launch logic
SearchPanel.swift # Borderless floating NSPanel
SearchView.swift # SwiftUI search UI (text field + results list)
SearchState.swift # Observable state, recency sorting, built-in commands
AppDiscovery.swift # Recursive FileManager scan of /Applications
FuzzyMatcher.swift # Subsequence scoring algorithm
SystemSettings.swift # System Settings pane URLs
HotkeyConfig.swift # Cmd+Space / Option+Space config
RecentApps.swift # Launch history in UserDefaults
LaunchItem.swift # Data model
```
Zero external dependencies. Hybrid AppKit + SwiftUI. ~800 lines total.
## Uninstall
1. Quit Occam (Cmd+Q or type "quit" in the search panel)
2. Delete Occam.app from Applications
3. Remove login item: System Settings > General > Login Items > remove Occam
## Requirements
- macOS 13 (Ventura) or later
- Apple Silicon or Intel Mac
## License
[MIT](LICENSE)