https://github.com/nad-bit/mino
A fast and lightweight macOS menu bar app to track GitHub releases. Features inline actions and Homebrew integration. Built entirely with Swift and AppKit, zero dependencies.
https://github.com/nad-bit/mino
appkit github-releases homebrew mac-app macos menubar no-dependencies swift
Last synced: 24 days ago
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A fast and lightweight macOS menu bar app to track GitHub releases. Features inline actions and Homebrew integration. Built entirely with Swift and AppKit, zero dependencies.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/nad-bit/mino
- Owner: nad-bit
- License: mit
- Created: 2026-02-25T21:37:23.000Z (3 months ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-05-03T17:08:35.000Z (about 1 month ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-05-03T19:14:47.701Z (about 1 month ago)
- Topics: appkit, github-releases, homebrew, mac-app, macos, menubar, no-dependencies, swift
- Language: Swift
- Homepage:
- Size: 25.2 MB
- Stars: 17
- Watchers: 1
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- Changelog: CHANGELOG.md
- License: LICENSE
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
Mino
A lightweight, native macOS menu bar app to track GitHub releases with Homebrew integration.
[](https://apple.com/macos)
[](https://swift.org)
[](LICENSE)
https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/3ca0d651-5059-4683-812f-c9f24b8aa8fc
## Features
- **👀 Menu Bar Integration**: Unobtrusive status bar icon with inline repository information
- **⚡️ Inline Actions**: Hover over any repository to reveal contextual action buttons with expanded, easy-to-click target areas — view release notes, open the repo on GitHub, install via Homebrew, or delete
- **🍺 Homebrew Integration**: Detects installed Casks automatically and enables one-click install/update directly from the menu (only shown if Homebrew is installed)
- **🧩 Integrated Search**: A sleek, centered search field with an intelligent Tag Cloud. Filter your repositories by language, topic, or status instantly using the auto-generated suggestion cloud.
- **🧠 Quick Add**: Copy a GitHub repository URL, open the menu, and the header intelligently transforms into a "Quick Add" action with dynamic iconography. Bypass modal windows completely!
- **📏 Dynamic Typography**: Choose your preferred text size (10pt to 18pt). The entire menu UI, from repository names to release notes, scales proportionally to ensure perfect legibility for every user.
- **⏱ Tooltip Tracker**: The refresh countdown is hidden for a cleaner look — simply hover over the refresh icon to see the time remaining.
- **🎯 Multi-Hunt Window**: The floating "Add Repositories..." window acts as a persistent tracking hub. Keep it open while you browse Safari, and simply hit `CMD+C` on sequential GitHub URLs. Mino automatically sniffs your clipboard and queues them up for rapid batch-ingestion without ever losing focus.
- **📂 Quick Reveal**: After installing a Cask, the app reveals the application in Finder
- **🔐 Secure Token Storage**: GitHub Personal Access Tokens stored in macOS Keychain — never in plain text
- **★ Favorites**: Right-click any repository to mark it as a favorite. A gold ★ appears inline — toggles instantly without closing the menu.
- **🌍 Localized**: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, Arabic, Russian, and Japanese with automatic system detection
- **🔄 Auto-Start**: Launch at login via native macOS LaunchAgent
- **🎨 Light & Dark Mode**: Full support, including a forced-dark HUD panel for notifications
## Installation
### Prerequisites
- macOS 12.0+
- Xcode Command Line Tools (`xcode-select --install`)
- [Homebrew](https://brew.sh/) (optional, for Cask integration)
### Homebrew (Recommended)
```bash
brew install nad-bit/tap/mino
```
### Build from Source
```bash
git clone https://github.com/nad-bit/Mino.git
cd Mino/SwiftApp
chmod +x build.sh
./build.sh
```
The compiled app bundle will be at `build/Mino.app`. Move it to `/Applications` or run it directly:
```bash
open build/Mino.app
```
> **Note**: No Xcode project needed. The `build.sh` script compiles all Swift sources directly with `swiftc`.
> **Important**: If macOS blocks the compiled application from running (saying it's damaged or cannot be verified), remove the quarantine attribute by running:
> ```bash
> xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Mino.app
> ```
## Usage
### Adding Repositories
**Fastest Way (Quick Add):**
1. Copy any GitHub repository URL to your clipboard.
2. Click the Mino menu bar icon. A **Quick Add** button will instantly appear at the top.
3. Click it. You're done.
**Multi-Hunt Way (Batch Processing):**
Click the `(+)` button in the menu to open the floating Window.
- Don't close the window! Keep it hovering on your screen.
- Go to your browser, copy a URL (`CMD+C`). Watch Mino automatically catch the link. Click the Add button.
- The window remains open and the text field clears. Cycle through your browser tabs, copying and adding rapidly.
**Standard Manual Input:**
- Enter `owner/repo` format (e.g., `microsoft/vscode`).
- Enter a Homebrew **Cask name** (e.g., `lulu` or `stats`) to automatically resolve and track its GitHub repository. No prefixes required.
### Menu Interface
Each repository displays its name, latest version, and time since release. Hover over a row to reveal action buttons aligned to the right:
| Button | Action |
|--------|--------|
| 📦 | Install/update via Homebrew (if available) |
| 📄 | View the release notes on GitHub |
| ↗ | Open the repository on GitHub |
| 🗑 | Remove from watch list |
Repos with a recent release show a **●** freshness indicator (green / orange / grey) before the name when the *New Release Indicator* option is enabled in Preferences. The threshold (1–30 days) is configurable.
Right-click any row to toggle a **★** favorite mark.
### Filtering
Simply start typing in the **Integrated Search** field at the top of the menu to filter your repository list in real-time. It features an intelligent **Tag Cloud** that suggests languages and topics from your collection for instant filtering without typing.
### Preferences
Accessible via the **Preferences** menu item:
| Option | Description |
|--------|-------------|
| **GitHub Account** | Connect via OAuth for 5,000 req/hr limit (vs 60/hr unauthenticated) |
| **Menu layout** | Segmented control: Choose between 3 distinct UI arrangements (Columns, Cards, Tags) |
| **Text Size** | Segmented control: Choose your preferred reading comfort (11pt to 18pt) |
| **Sort by** | Segmented control: Date or Name |
| **New Release Indicator** | Toggle the ● freshness dot (Columns/Cards) or dynamic pill color (Tags) and configure threshold (1-30 days) |
| **Show Owner Name** | Toggle `owner/` prefix in repo names |
| **Refresh Interval** | Slider: 1-24 hours between auto-checks |
| **Start at Login** | Toggle macOS LaunchAgent |
### System Permissions
Mino requires certain macOS permissions to function seamlessly:
- **Background Activity (Login Items)**: Required to allow the app to run persistently in the menu bar and start automatically when you log into your Mac.
- **App Management (Privacy & Security)**: Required because Mino executes background scripts (`brew reinstall`) that modify or install other applications inside your `/Applications` folder. macOS enforces this protection to prevent silent app tampering.
### Security
Your GitHub authentication token is stored securely in **macOS Keychain**:
- Encrypted, never saved in raw config files
- Visible in Keychain Access under "Mino"
- Uses GitHub's official Device Authorization Flow (OAuth)
## Configuration
Configuration is stored in:
```
~/.config/Mino/repos.json
```
> **Note**: Tokens are NOT stored in this file — they're in Keychain.
## Keyboard Shortcuts
Mino is designed for power users. Use these shortcuts while the main menu is open:
| Shortcut | Action |
|----------|--------|
| `CMD + ,` | Open Preferences |
| `CMD + F` | Focus Search field |
| `CMD + I` | Show Release Notes for selected repo |
| `CMD + Z` | Undo last repository deletion |
| `CMD + Q` | Quit Mino |
| `ESC` | Close any active popover |
## Architecture
Mino uses a modern, coordinator-based architecture driving a fully native **NSPopover** interface with a virtualized **NSTableView** for maximum performance.
```
SwiftApp/
├── build.sh # Universal build script (ARM64/x86_64)
└── Sources/
├── AppDelegate.swift # App lifecycle and Popover management
├── MainPopoverViewController.swift # Main UI controller (Table, Search, Tags)
├── RepoCoordinator.swift # Logic for adding/deleting/managing repos
├── RefreshCoordinator.swift # Background update cycle and timers
├── RepoMenuItemView.swift # Virtualized row view with hover logic
├── SettingsViewController.swift # App preferences and UI scaling logic
├── ReleaseNotesWindowController.swift # Native markdown-ready notes viewer
├── AddRepoViewController.swift # Multi-Hunt batch ingestion logic
├── ConfigManager.swift # JSON persistence and Keychain security
├── GitHubAPI.swift # GitHub REST API client
├── HomebrewManager.swift # Homebrew Cask discovery and CLI bridge
├── Translations.swift # Localization engine (11 languages)
├── HUDPanel.swift # Custom notification overlay
├── Models.swift # Data structures (RepoInfo, AppConfig)
└── Utils.swift # Date logic and window animations
```
## License
This project is licensed under the MIT License — see the [LICENSE](LICENSE) file for details.
## Credits
No credits.