ApolloShell

A sidebar with its own dock, launcher and dashboard

Visit WebsiteView Source
Category
Status Bar
WM Type
—
License
free
Open Source
Yes
Keybindings
Yes
Scripting
No
Last Update
2026-09-22

Features

  • Sidebar With Dock And Spaces
  • App Launcher
  • Dashboard (Weather, Calendar, Media)
  • Control Centre
  • Nexus Settings App
  • Bento Box Panel Editor
  • Single CSS Theme File
  • Customizable Keyboard Shortcuts

About

ApolloShell brings a Caelestia-inspired desktop shell to macOS 26 Tahoe, wrapping the screen edges in a sidebar with its own dock and Spaces indicator, an app launcher, a dashboard, and a control centre. It stays out of the way otherwise — it doesn't replace Finder or the system window manager — and its look is customized through a single CSS theme file plus the native Nexus settings app.

Who It's For

ApolloShell is for macOS 26 Tahoe users drawn to the sidebar-and-dashboard aesthetic of Linux shells like Caelestia who want that look without giving up Finder or the built-in window manager. It suits people who are happy to theme their desktop through a single CSS file and a settings app rather than write scripts, and who don't need programmatic or CLI control over the shell.

How It Works

ApolloShell adds a set of native Swift panels around the edges of the screen rather than replacing any part of macOS itself. A sidebar sits on the left edge showing Spaces, a clock, status icons, and a power button, with a dock underneath for pinned and running apps. Pressing ⌥Space opens the app launcher; ⌃⌥D pulls the dashboard down from the top edge with weather, calendar, system stats, and now-playing info; ⌃⌥U opens the control centre in the bottom-right corner; and ⌃⌥, opens Nexus, the settings app, where all four shortcuts can be reassigned.

Theming is deliberately constrained: each theme is a single CSS file controlling colours, gradients, fonts, and sizing, with "no scripting, no selectors of your own" — there's no automation layer or CLI to script ApolloShell's behavior. The app requests Accessibility permission so windows can slide under the sidebar and the dock can read the running-window list, and it uses System Events automation only to log out, restart, and shut down the Mac. An optional "keep awake with lid closed" feature requires admin rights to write a sudoers rule at /etc/sudoers.d/apolloshell.

Compared to Alternatives

Compared to Sidebar, a $21 closed-source Dock replacement with window snapping and previews, ApolloShell is free and open source (MIT) but limited to macOS 26 Tahoe, and adds a dashboard and control centre on top of its sidebar-and-dock combo rather than focusing on window snapping. Compared to Übersicht, which renders fully scriptable JavaScript/React widgets anywhere on the desktop, ApolloShell's panels are fixed-purpose (launcher, dashboard, control centre) and themed through a single CSS file rather than programmed — it trades Übersicht's flexibility for a simpler, non-scriptable setup.

Requirements

  • macOS 26 Tahoe or later, on Apple Silicon or Intel
  • Accessibility permission required (lets windows slide under the sidebar)
  • Admin/sudo rights needed only for the optional keep-awake-with-lid-closed feature
  • Free and open source under the MIT License

Getting Started

Install the .dmg from the latest GitHub release, via Homebrew through the project's tap, or by building from source with the Command Line Tools. After launching, grant Accessibility permission when prompted, then open Nexus (⌃⌥,) to pick a theme and adjust the four keyboard shortcuts for the launcher, dashboard, control centre, and settings. See the GitHub repo for full documentation.

Discussion