Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS

Source: Hacker News

Overview

I recently switched from a Fedora/GNOME laptop to a MacBook Air. My old setup served me well as a portable workstation, but I’ve started traveling more while working remotely and needed something with similar performance but better battery life. The main thing I missed was a simple taskbar that shows the windows in the current workspace instead of a Dock that mixes everything together.

boringBar

I built boringBar so I would not have to use the Dock. It:

• Shows only the windows in the current Space.
• Lets you switch Spaces by scrolling on the bar.
• Adds a desktop switcher so you can jump directly to any Space.
• Allows you to hide the system Dock.
• Supports pinning apps, previewing windows with thumbnails, and launching apps from a searchable menu (useful if you keep Spotlight disabled because it can consume a lot of system resources).

Why It Matters

• Provides a more GNOME‑, Windows‑, or traditional taskbar‑like experience on macOS.
• Helps users transition from Linux to macOS more smoothly.
• Offers a nostalgic feel for those who miss the GNOME 2 desktop.

Call for Feedback

I’ve been dog‑fooding boringBar for a few months, and it finally feels polished enough to share. I’d love feedback on:

• User experience
• Bugs or stability issues
• Whether it solves the Dock/Spaces pain point for others

Discussion

Comments and discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47742200 (187 points, 117 comments)