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Comment by reisr3 | Hacker News Reader

Thanks for this! I learned a few new ones.

The main feature I want from a window manager is the ability to save my OSX workspace (applications open and tiled per Desktop, per monitor) and reset it to that state instantly. I haven't found anything that does this yet. Does Karabiner, yabai, or any of the tools mentioned here do this?

I'll spend significant time setting up my window environment just how I want it (grouping chats on Desktop 1, localhost browsers on Desktop 2, terminals on Desktop 3, etc.) Then after unplugging my Macbook, my workspace gets all messed up and I have to re-organize everything! I'm surprised this isn't a more commonly discussed issue.

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I get this functionality on MacOS with https://www.hammerspoon.org/

Every morning I hit Command+Option+W (W for work), which opens Slack, Teams, Email, Dashboards, VPN, and terminals with ssh connections, plus all windows open where I want them automatically. Then when I’m done for the day I hit Command+Option+Shift+W and all my work stuff magically disappears. It’s straightforward to set up with good documentation, but you must architect your own system for automating tasks like this. Hammerspoon can be pretty powerful for MacOS quality of life automation.

I'm sure this is possible with yabai, but I still haven't yet migrated from slate [1]. I have multiple custom layouts similar to what you've mentioned and can trigger them with hotkeys or when specific display combinations are detected.

[1]: https://github.com/jigish/slate

I've been using Stay[0] for the past year and it works well. It can save and restore window and application configurations for different monitor layouts, and automatically repositions everything when you attach or detach displays.

[0] https://cordlessdog.com/stay/

In Rectangle Pro [1], mentioned in the article, there is a feature built specifically for saving and loading layouts, in the “Applications” tab.

The app is not free and I’m the developer.

1: https://rectangleapp.com/pro

I'm a big fan of Rectangle Pro. I just got a new MacBook and it only felt like it was really "my machine" after installing karabiner + rectangle. Thanks for making it!

Thanks for the kind words! Glad you like it :)

Hi Ryan! I’ve been using Rectangle since Spectacle stopped being supported. I didn’t know about Pro. You should post demo videos of the various features to make it easier for prospective users to see why it’s so awesome.

Thanks for the feedback! This is definitely in the works, I just have to force myself to stop getting excited about coding new features and ideas and finally get back into video mode :)

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