Sloth – A Mac app that shows all open files, directories, sockets, etc. (github.com)

Article summary

Sloth is a free, open-source Mac app that displays all open files, directories, sockets, pipes, and devices in use by running processes. It provides a graphical user interface for the lsof command line tool, allowing users to inspect and filter the information. The app is native to macOS and has been continuously developed since 2004. It offers features such as sorting, searching, and contextual menus for file operations.

Main themes

• Mac app development
• lsof command line tool
• GUI vs CLI
• Native app development
• Logo design
• Linux development challenges
• First-party GUI toolkits
• User experience control

What commenters say

• Some users wish for a feature to show which files are being actively written to, sorted by the amount of data written.
• The app is essentially a visual representation of the lsof command, but some users find the GUI more convenient.
• There are alternative command line tools, such as fs_usage and rwsnoop, that can provide similar information.
• The presence of a native first-party GUI toolkit and app framework can make it easier to develop native applications that run well and look good.
• Some users dislike the logo of the app, finding it ugly or even triggering trypophobia.
• The logo's design may be intentionally referencing the concept of open ports, but it may not be effective in communicating the app's purpose.
• Developing native applications for Linux can be harder due to the lack of a unified GUI toolkit and framework.
• Having a first-party GUI toolkit and framework can lead to greater control over the user experience, but it may not be possible or desirable in all cases.