komorebi for mac

Rust-based tiling window manager that minimally modifies macOS

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Category
Window Manager
WM Type
tiling
License
free
Open Source
Yes
Keybindings
Yes
Scripting
Yes
Last Update
2026-03-02

Features

  • CLI control via komorebic
  • Unix Domain Socket events
  • JSON state querying
  • App-specific configuration
  • Rust client library
  • Homebrew install

Install

$brew install lgug2z/tap/komorebi-for-mac

About

A port of the Windows komorebi tiling WM to macOS, aiming to make as few modifications to the OS as possible. CLI-driven via komorebic, with Unix Domain Socket integration for third-party tool subscriptions and JSON state querying.

Who It's For

komorebi for mac is for Windows power users who use the original komorebi tiling window manager on Windows and want the same tool and configuration vocabulary on macOS. It's also for macOS users who want a tiling window manager driven entirely by a CLI (komorebic) with a Unix Domain Socket event bus, making it composable with status bars and external tools that can subscribe to window state changes. The project explicitly aims to make as few modifications to macOS as possible, requiring no SIP changes.

How It Works

komorebi for mac implements an i3-style tiling model where windows are organized into a workspace tree. All control goes through the komorebic CLI: komorebic focus east, komorebic move west, komorebic toggle-float. A Unix Domain Socket broadcasts JSON events when the workspace state changes — external tools subscribe to this stream to display current layout information (useful for status bars). JSON state querying via the socket lets any tool inspect the full current state programmatically. App-specific configuration rules control how specific applications are handled.

Compared to Similar Tools

Compared to AeroSpace (also i3-inspired, no SIP), komorebi for mac has the Unix Domain Socket event bus that AeroSpace lacks, making it better suited for users who want to build integrations with status bars or custom scripts. AeroSpace has broader community adoption and more documentation. Compared to yabai, komorebi for mac requires no SIP changes and is Rust-based; yabai is more mature and has a larger community. For users who already run komorebi on Windows, the familiar komorebic CLI vocabulary is a meaningful advantage.

Requirements

  • macOS version: check GitHub for requirements
  • No SIP disabling required
  • Accessibility permission required
  • Free and open-source — source at github.com/LGUG2Z/komorebi-for-mac

Getting Started

brew install lgug2z/tap/komorebi-for-mac

Start the daemon and use komorebic commands to control tiling. Pair with skhd to bind komorebic commands to keyboard shortcuts.

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