What is OpenStrip?

"OpenStrip" is a free, Open-Source reimplementation of the Control Strip. It is only getting started, and I welcome any and all suggestions.

As you probably know, the Control Strip is going away in OS X. I consider this a shame, since I find it very useful for:

• menus you may want always available, like the SETI@Home menu which would have been a CSM instead of a system menu if the authors had had any sense in their heads
• shortcuts for frequently-used controls, like monitor depth and speaker volume, to avoid a trip to the Control Panels
• indicators, for things like modem status and Powerbook battery
• add-ons to things like Default Folder, giving you quick access to recently-used items from any app

And best of all, the Control Strip collapses down to a little tab when you want it out of your way. It's great! But, like many other great things, Apple is suffering from lack of vision and killing it. (They're killing the Apple menu too, making something like the Control Strip even more useful -- put oft-used desk accessories and such there.)

Apple is trying to make the Dock replace the Control Strip, the Apple Menu, and system menus. But working in OS X for any amount of time quickly demonstrates that it's inadequate to the task.

Fortunately, there is nothing particularly difficult about the Control Strip. It's just a global floating window served by a faceless background app. This can be rewritten in OS X pretty easily. Current CSMs will have to be recompiled, but shouldn't need too much change to their source code.

 - (Strout.Net)

Download OpenStrip for Mac

Architecture

IBM PowerPC

System Requirements

From Mac OS 9.0 up to Mac OS 10.0

Compatibility notes

System Requirements

MacOS 9.0.4 with CarbonLib 1.1, or Mac OS X.

Emulating this? It could probably run under: QEMU