https://github.com/pibulus/nibnab
https://github.com/pibulus/nibnab
Last synced: about 1 month ago
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- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/pibulus/nibnab
- Owner: pibulus
- Created: 2025-09-16T08:42:57.000Z (10 months ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-05-07T11:32:27.000Z (about 2 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-05-07T13:32:27.157Z (about 2 months ago)
- Language: Swift
- Size: 1.42 MB
- Stars: 0
- Watchers: 0
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
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README
# NibNab 🎨
> A highlighter for your digital life
> *Currently brewing in Bangkok ☕*
## What's this?
You copy stuff all day. Links, quotes, code snippets, random thoughts. Where does it all go?
NibNab sits in your menu bar and catches **everything you copy**, sorting it into four color-coded collections. No cloud, no accounts, no tracking. Just your clips, organized by vibe.
## How it works
1. **Copy anything** (Cmd+C or select text)
2. **It auto-captures** to your active color
3. **View, export, or delete** anytime
That's it. No color picker interrupting your flow. No "should I save this?" decisions. Just copy and it's there.
## The colors mean whatever you want
- **🟡 Yellow** - Maybe for inspiration?
- **🟠Orange** - Could be research
- **🩷 Pink** - Perhaps quotes
- **🟣 Purple** - Whatever feels right
Pick your active color, copy text, it's saved forever (or until you delete it).
## Features
### ✅ Smart Capture
- Monitors Cmd+C clipboard changes
- Auto-captures text selections (with accessibility permission)
- Saves to your active color automatically
- Menubar icon shows current color
### ✅ Organization
- Four highlighter colors for categorizing
- Search across clips
- Sort by date, app, or length
- View full clip details
### ✅ Export Options
- **Markdown** - with metadata (app name, timestamps)
- **Plain text** - just clips with separators
- Save anywhere on your Mac
### ✅ Settings (Right-click menubar)
- Launch at login
- Sound effects toggle
- Color switching
- About & quit
### ✅ Audio Feedback (Optional)
- Subtle chime on capture
- Sound on delete
- Toggle in settings menu
### ✅ Privacy First
- Everything stored locally in `~/.nibnab/`
- Markdown files you can read/edit
- No cloud, no sync, no tracking
- You own your data
## Install
```bash
git clone https://github.com/pibulus/nibnab.git
cd nibnab
./build.sh
open build/NibNab.app
```
Or drag the built app to `/Applications` if you're feeling permanent about it.
### First Launch
NibNab will ask for:
- **Accessibility permission** - To auto-capture selected text
- **Just deny it if you only want Cmd+C capture**
That's it. No signup, no account, no BS.
## Keyboard Shortcuts
- **Cmd+Shift+V** - Toggle NibNab window
- **Cmd+C** - Auto-captures to active color
- **Right-click menubar** - Settings & color picker
## Storage
Everything lives in `~/.nibnab/` as markdown files:
```
~/.nibnab/
├── highlighter yellow/
│ └── highlighter yellow_clips.md
├── highlighter orange/
│ └── highlighter orange_clips.md
├── highlighter pink/
│ └── highlighter pink_clips.md
└── highlighter purple/
└── highlighter purple_clips.md
```
No database. No complexity. You own your data.
## Why?
Because every clipboard manager is either:
- Too complicated (I don't need 47 features)
- Too simple (just a list? really?)
- Too corporate (why does it need an account?)
This is the 80/20 version. Does less, does it better.
## What's next? (maybe)
- Screenshot snippets alongside text
- Browser URL capture
- Export to Obsidian/Notion
But honestly? It's pretty much done. Adding features just to add features is how good tools become bad ones.
## Tech bits
- **Swift/SwiftUI** - Native macOS feels better
- **NSPopover architecture** - MenuBarExtra kept crashing
- **No dependencies** - Just macOS 13.0+
- **Single file** - ~1200 lines of readable Swift
- **Local storage** - Markdown files, nothing fancy
## Contributing
Got ideas? Found bugs? The code is right there. PRs welcome if they keep things simple.
Philosophy: If it makes the README longer, it probably doesn't belong.
## Who
Made by [Pablo](https://github.com/pibulus) in Bangkok, where it's always monsoon season and the coffee is strong.
Part of the anti-scale movement. This will never have:
- A pricing page
- A login screen
- A "pro" version
- Analytics
- Your email address
---
*"Your clipboard deserves better than Cmd+V into Notes.app"*