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Replace HardwareGrowler for hardware and system events notifications on MacOS?

Ask Different Asked by CuriousFab on December 24, 2020

I used HardwareGrowler for years to get notified about hardware and system events on my Macs.
HardwareGrowler was initially provided as an extra with Growl, and was then proposed as a standalone app in the Mac App Store.

The Growl developper recently announced Growl’s retirement (see also ArsTechnica’s recent post).
I won’t miss Growl, given that I haven’t used it for year. But I’ll deeply miss one Growl extra: HardwareGrowler.

Hardware Growler’s purpose is (was) to notify about hardware-like events, including

  • interfaces connect and disconnect (USB, FireWire, Thunderbolt, Ethernet, WIFI, Bluetooth, …)
  • other system events like under-the-hood volume mount/umount
  • change of primary IP addresses due to DHCP renewal or network interface changes.
  • connect and disconnect of power adapter

IMHO it’s simple, efficient, lightweight, and very useful piece of software for power users (nicely completing a system ressource monitoring like MenuMeters).

Hardware Growler’s code is still on GitHub, but the app is no longer available in Mac App Store, nor apparently anywhere else.

I currently still have it installed, and reportedly (in comments) it still works fine on MacOS Big Sur. But the current build will sooner or later become unusable, and so far isn’t ported to Apple Silicon.

I looked for an alternative, both on the web and in HomeBrew, but couldn’t find any.

So the question is: does anybody would have some suggestions for maintained lightweight MacOS softwares that could provide notifications about hardware and system events, like HardwareGrowler does ?

thanks a million !

[Edited to incorporate information from simonszu’s comment about HardwareGrowler working fine on MacOS Big Sur]

One Answer

Since the BSD-licensed source for HardwareGrowler is available, the thing to do is to replace its use of the Growl API with the OS-provided notifications API. Its hardware detection code should be fine as is. I don't have the attention to give it now, but if no one else does it I will get around to it for my own use (especially since it is my only remaining use for Growl itself).

I don't currently have an active Apple Developer subscription, but I'd consider getting one to be able to release a new version on the Mac App Store if no one else gets around to it first.

Anyone have any ideas on a rename that shows its Growl origins while also showing its independence from the Growl API?

Correct answer by Gregory Seidman on December 24, 2020

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