Today I Learned (TIL) about GeekTool, a Mac OS X preference pane that allows an enduser to float data on the background. Images, the text of files, and most importantly, the output of shell scripts can feed GeekTool.
I stumbled upon GeekTool looking for a desktop clock for my new work MacBook Pro. For some reason, I have a hard time locating the menu bar clock, but I want something a little less transient than the Dashboard widget.
Being a UNIX guy, writing scripts to create ambient information flows is appealing. It’s a bit more complex, and less aesthetic, than iStats Menus, but way more flexible. Flexible like a sawzall.
Hat tip to Judi Smith