Clolid

Clolid is a lightweight macOS menu bar app for closed-lid desk setups. It keeps the Mac awake while the lid is closed and immediately asks macOS to sleep the built-in display when the lid-close event is detected.

The app is intentionally small: it wraps the system power tools needed for this workflow instead of trying to replace a full power-management utility.

Features

• Start and stop a closed-lid awake session from the menu bar.
• Run pmset disablesleep only for the active session.
• Keep the system awake with caffeinate.
• Watch the lid state and call pmset displaysleepnow when the lid closes.
• Optional notifications for session start and lid-close display sleep.
• Optional start-at-login LaunchAgent.
• Settings for external-power requirement, polling interval, and menu-bar icon style.
• Optional session-scoped Screen Lock policy using macOS sysadminctl.

Requirements

• macOS 13 or newer.
• Xcode command line tools.
• Administrator permission when starting or stopping a session, because Clolid changes pmset disablesleep.

Download

Download the latest Clolid-*-macOS.zip from the GitHub Releases page. Unzip it and move Clolid.app to /Applications.

The app is currently distributed as an unsigned open-source build. On first launch, macOS may require opening it from Finder with Control-click -> Open.

Build

swift build

Run Locally

./script/build_and_run.sh

The script builds the SwiftPM executable, creates dist/Clolid.app, copies the app resources, and opens the app.

For a quick launch check:

./script/build_and_run.sh --verify

Package a Release Build

./script/package_release.sh

The package script creates dist/Clolid.app and releases/Clolid-<version>-macOS.zip without launching the app. Attach that zip to the matching GitHub Release.

How It Works

When a session starts, Clolid runs:

sudo pmset -a disablesleep 1
caffeinate -i -s

While the session is running, Clolid polls AppleClamshellState through ioreg. When the lid changes to closed, it runs:

pmset displaysleepnow

Clolid can also apply a session-scoped Screen Lock policy using sysadminctl -screenLock, which is the source that matches macOS Lock Screen settings on current macOS releases. The app asks for your Mac login password in a Clolid-styled prompt when a non-System Screen Lock policy is applied during a session, passes it to macOS for that command, and does not store it.

Use System to leave the setting untouched. Use No lock only for trusted long-running local automation sessions where you accept that the user session stays unlocked while the display is off.

When the session stops, Clolid terminates its own caffeinate process and restores:

sudo pmset -a disablesleep 0

Safety Notes

Clolid is designed for setups with external power and, usually, an external display. If the Mac is closed in a bag or poorly ventilated space while a session is active, it can continue running and generate heat. Use the external-power requirement if you want an additional guardrail.

If you ever need to restore normal sleep manually:

sudo pmset -a disablesleep 0
pkill caffeinate

If Screen Lock was changed outside Clolid, configure “Require password after screen saver begins or display is turned off” in System Settings or check the effective value with sysadminctl -screenLock status.

Project Layout

Package.swift
Sources/Clolid/main.swift
Sources/Clolid/Resources/
script/build_and_run.sh

Versioning

Clolid follows Semantic Versioning. See VERSIONING.md.

Contributing

Issues and pull requests are welcome. See CONTRIBUTING.md.

License

Clolid is released under the MIT License. See LICENSE.