A lightweight native macOS utility for running scripts and commands in the background - powered by Rust.
something_bg is a tiny menu/tray app (macOS, Linux, Windows) designed to take any script or command you already use and run it quietly in the background. No terminals to keep open, no remembering where scripts live, no complicated setup.
If you’ve ever left a Terminal window open “just to keep a command running”, this app is for you.
core/— platform-agnostic logic (config, scheduler, tunnel management).app-macos/— macOS shell (tray UI, oslog, wake detection) that links tocore.app-linux/— Linux tray shell that links tocore.app-windows/— Windows tray shell that links tocore.
- Tiny native macOS app with a Rust core (less than 1MB)
- Run any script or CLI task without keeping a terminal open
- Run scripts on a schedule without cron, or launchd
- Controlled from the menu bar
- Everything is configured with one simple config file
Prereqs:
- Rust and Cargo (install via rustup)
- Xcode Command Line Tools
- cargo-bundle (
cargo install cargo-bundle)
- Clone the repository:
git clone https://github.com/vim-zz/something_bg.git
cd something_bg- Build and bundle the macOS application (run from repo root):
cargo bundle --release --bin something_bg- Install or run
# run from build location
open "target/release/bundle/osx/Something in the Background.app"
# or install
cp -r "target/release/bundle/osx/Something in the Background.app" /Applications/Prereqs (Ubuntu/Debian):
sudo apt install libayatana-appindicator3-dev libgtk-3-devRun the tray app:
cargo run -p something_bg_linuxYou’ll get a status icon in the system tray:
- Click tunnels to toggle them on/off (checkboxes reflect state)
- “Run now” under each scheduled task runs it immediately
- “Open config folder” opens
~/.config/something_bg/ - “Quit” cleans up tunnels and stops the scheduler
./scripts/linux-cargo-check.shThe script builds an Ubuntu-based image with GTK/AppIndicator dev packages and runs cargo check -p something_bg_linux inside it. Pass extra cargo args after the script if needed.
Prereqs: Docker.
Cross-check/build with the bundled cargo-xwin image:
./scripts/windows-cargo-check.shThis builds something_bg_windows for x86_64-pc-windows-msvc using the Windows SDK bundled in the Docker image. Pass extra cargo args after the script if needed.
To run on Windows natively, build on Windows with a Rust toolchain and the tray-icon deps:
cargo build -p something_bg_windows --releaseThen launch the produced target\release\something_bg_windows.exe.
The app loads all menu items from ~/.config/something_bg/config.toml. On first run, it creates this file with example configurations.
# Custom PATH for command execution
path = "/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/local/bin:/opt/homebrew/bin"
[tunnels]
# SSH tunnel with port forwarding
[tunnels.database-prod]
name = "PROD"
command = "ssh"
args = ["-N", "-L", "5432:localhost:5432", "[email protected]"]
kill_command = "pkill"
kill_args = ["-f", "[email protected]"]
group_header = "DATABASE" # Optional: Section header
group_icon = "sf:cylinder.fill" # Optional: SF Symbol icon
[tunnels.database-dev]
name = "DEV"
command = "ssh"
args = ["-N", "-L", "5432:localhost:5432", "[email protected]"]
kill_command = "pkill"
kill_args = ["-f", "[email protected]"]
separator_after = true # Optional: Add separator after this item
# Kubernetes port forwarding
[tunnels.k8s-service]
name = "Service"
command = "kubectl"
args = ["port-forward", "svc/my-service", "8080:8080"]
kill_command = "pkill"
kill_args = ["-f", "svc/my-service"]
group_header = "KUBERNETES"
group_icon = "sf:cloud.fill"
# Development server
[tunnels.dev-server]
name = "Dev Server"
command = "npm"
args = ["run", "dev"]
kill_command = "pkill"
kill_args = ["-f", "npm.*dev"]
group_header = "DEVELOPMENT"
group_icon = "sf:hammer.fill"
separator_after = true
[schedules.daily-backup]
name = "Daily Backup"
command = "/usr/local/bin/backup.sh"
args = []
cron_schedule = "0 6 * * *" # Every day at 6:00 AM
group_header = "SCHEDULED TASKS"
group_icon = "sf:clock.fill"For Tunnels:
name: Display name in the menucommand+args: Command to start the servicekill_command+kill_args: Command to stop the service
For Scheduled Tasks:
name: Display name in the menucommand+args: Command to executecron_schedule: Cron expression for scheduling (e.g., "0 6 * * *")
Optional fields (both types):
group_header: Section title (e.g., "DATABASE", "SCHEDULED TASKS")group_icon: SF Symbol name for the header (e.g., "sf:cylinder.fill", "sf:clock.fill")separator_after: Add a visual separator line after this item
Schedule commands to run automatically using cron syntax. Perfect for backups, health checks, or recurring maintenance tasks.
[schedules.daily-backup]
name = "Daily Backup"
command = "/usr/local/bin/backup.sh"
args = []
cron_schedule = "0 6 * * *" # Every day at 6:00 AM
group_header = "SCHEDULED TASKS"
group_icon = "sf:clock.fill"
[schedules.hourly-health-check]
name = "API Health Check"
command = "curl"
args = ["-f", "https://api.example.com/health"]
cron_schedule = "0 * * * *" # Every hour
[schedules.weekly-cleanup]
name = "Weekly Cleanup"
command = "/usr/local/bin/cleanup.sh"
args = ["--deep"]
cron_schedule = "0 3 * * 0" # Every Sunday at 3:00 AM
separator_after = trueCron Schedule Format: minute hour day_of_month month day_of_week
Common examples:
0 * * * *- Every hour*/15 * * * *- Every 15 minutes0 6 * * *- Every day at 6:00 AM0 9 * * 1- Every Monday at 9:00 AM0 0 1 * *- First day of every month at midnight
Group icons use SF Symbols (built-in macOS icons). Common symbols:
sf:cylinder.fill- Databasesf:shippingbox.fill- Cache/Redissf:chart.bar.fill- Analyticssf:cloud.fill- Cloud/Kubernetessf:server.rack- Serversf:network- Networksf:clock.fill- Scheduled taskssf:calendar- Time-based operations
Browse all symbols at developer.apple.com/sf-symbols or use the SF Symbols app.
Restart the app to pick up configuration changes.
MIT