Modafinil - Let agents continue running while MacBook lid is closed
Let your agents run while your MacBook lid is closed - narcotic-sh/modafinil
Modafinil - Let agents continue running while MacBook lid is closed launched on May 10, 2026 with 15 votes, #1,002 of 20,538 launches that month and more than 90% of that year's launches.
In plain words
Modafinil is a tool that allows AI agents to continue operating even when a MacBook lid is closed. Designed for developers and AI enthusiasts who need uninterrupted agent execution, it prevents the typical sleep mode that triggers when closing a laptop. The software addresses a practical workflow challenge for those running continuous background processes on macOS devices.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
A macOS menu bar app that prevents your MacBook from falling asleep, both when the lid is open and when the lid is closed. When the lid is closed, it lets the display turn off like normal to preserve battery and reduce heat. Motivated by the need to let coding agents stay running while you carry your MacBook around. Install through the latest .dmg in Releases. Supports both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs (universal binary). Requires App Background Activity permission ( System Settings -> General -> Login Items & Extensions ). Should pop up automatically on first activation. Left click to activate/deactivate. Right click for menu, where you can optionally set a time limit, quit the app, and…from github.com
Does a similar job
all alternatives →
Adrafinil – keep a lid-closed Mac awake only while agents workJun 2026 · github.com · ▲124A month ago there was a wave of posts and tweets about engineers walking around cafes and parks with their MacBooks propped half-open, as fully closing the lid forces sleep that stops their AI agents. Some people made snarky comments about using tmux or Amphetamine, and some defended their choice with “but I only need it sometimes, and forgetting to disable Amphetamine and finding my laptop discharged in my bag is worse.” This is a solution to this problem. Unlike caffeinate, it will prevent your MacBook from sleeping even with the lid closed, with no external power or display, using pmset…
Agents Never SleepAug 2026 · agentsneversleep.app · ▲90Got tired of reaching for the terminal to caffeinate my mac and tweaking system settings Now got a new friend in my menubar Enjoy!
More life & fun this month
the category →
A free city-building game in your browser. You are the mayor. You know what the city needs. Now get it past the zoning board, the neighbors, the appeals court and the next election.
Life & fun · 1d ago · permit.petercai.com
- IV
Life & fun · 13d ago · tanzaniaeducationproject.org
Turn a phone, tablet or TV into a sign. Type a message and it fills the screen: welcome signs, timers, Wi-Fi passwords and more. No app, no account, free.
Life & fun · 14d ago · bigwords.page
Play a free virtual guitar online with your keyboard or by touch. Slow songs down and see every chord, string and strum. Acoustic, classic, electric and bass.
Life & fun · 8d ago · guitoro.com
Carrier settings from iPhone, Pixel and Galaxy firmware, decoded and compared: APNs, VoLTE, 5G and Wi-Fi Calling per carrier, and what each build changed.
Life & fun · 12d ago · carrierexplode.com
Life & fun · 22d ago · space.bl2.net
Source: Show HN post ↗
Launched alongside, May 2026
the whole month →
Parallel agents, diff reviewer, and multi-model comparisons
Dev tools · May 2026 · kilo.ai
Hey HN, Henry here from Cactus. We open-sourced Needle, a 26M parameter function-calling (tool use) model. It runs at 6000 tok/s prefill and 1200 tok/s decode on consumer devices. We were always frustrated by the little effort made towards building agentic models that run on budget phones, so we conducted investigations that led to an observation: agentic experiences are built upon tool calling, and massive models are overkill for it. Tool calling is fundamentally retrieval-and-assembly (match query to tool name, extract argument values, emit JSON), not reasoning. Cross-attention…
Life & fun · May 2026 · github.com
🌱 Private, quiet space for thinking. Simple app for .md files. - zakirullin/files.md
Dev tools · May 2026 · github.com