Show HN: Modafinil - Let agents continue running while MacBook lid is closed

jnakano89•3 days ago

The macOS sleep-prevention naming canon: caffeinate (built-in), Amphetamine (App Store), and now modafinil. At this rate the next one's going to require a prescription.

hamza_q_•3 days ago

curiousObject•4 days ago

I was about ready to warn you that was a trademark, but it isn’t I think, only the generic name. Nice work.

hamza_q_•4 days ago

Thanks!

hahah I actually didn't know that. If it was a violation, would've been cool to get a cease and desist for Modafinil of all things :P

partomniscient•3 days ago

Not that I'm against the idea behind the software, but the amount of name-stealing because it sounds cool (sometimes kind of relevant, sometimes not) that software has done, has totally polluted the original words to the point they sometimes don't show up in search results.

Even the two Steve's and their Apple company had this issue (as did record companies etc. etc.). Try searching for python now and 'nary a snake to be mentioned.

To be fair I'm equally pissed off that a bunch of different pharmaceutical companies re-brand identical molecules with different names for each company and sometimes for different countries even within a single company.

Sometimes all this naming cleverness or arbitrariness just makes the world more confusing for everyone.

hamza_q_•3 days ago

Fair. I guess it's just hard to come up with nice sounding names that are truly original like Skype and Häagen-Dazs, so you use an existing one.

Hopefully this niche macOS utility doesn't start ranking above search results for the actual drug Modafinil :)

noashavit•3 days ago

People in SF need this. Too many cracked open Macs running agents have been spotted outside public bathrooms haha ;-)

hamza_q_•3 days ago

https://x.com/chr1sa/status/2052423749778239678

Exactly what motivated me hahah

bradhe•3 days ago

God the name was very triggering as someone who worked in the valley 2011-2018 time frame…

hamza_q_•3 days ago

hahaha

Mechse•3 days ago

The name is crazy! Was searching for something like that

hamza_q_•3 days ago

Love me some Modafinil. Yes, the macOS utility, of course :P

david3289•4 days ago

Great! I always used sudo pmset disablesleep 1 Is a great app

hamza_q_•4 days ago

Thanks!

Yeah this is basically just a convenient wrapper around that command, with some extra machinery to turn off the display when the lid closes.

JSR_FDED•3 days ago

Will this turn off the display if the lid is closed?

hamza_q_•3 days ago

Modafinil will prevent sleep and turn off the display when you close the lid. But just the `sudo pmset disablesleep 1` command alone will only prevent sleep when you close the lid, it won't turn off the display.

hereme888•3 days ago

Perfect name.

hamza_q_•3 days ago

ybouane•4 days ago

I was thinking of building this yesterday...

hamza_q_•3 days ago

Series of viral Twitter posts making fun of people carrying half open MacBooks motivated me to build it haha

fragmede•3 days ago

was was wrong with amphetamine?

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/amphetamine/id937984704

swah•3 days ago

"Is modafinil better than caffeinate"

hamza_q_•3 days ago

"100% bro"

Show HN: Modafinil - Let agents continue running while MacBook lid is closed

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