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I Built MacDevTools: A One-Command Toolkit for Cleaning Caches, Diagnosing Networks, and Maintaining macOS Dev Environments

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I Built MacDevTools: A One-Command Toolkit for Cleaning Caches, Diagnosing Networks, and Maintaining macOS Dev Environments

If you do development on macOS, your machine slowly collects a lot of invisible trash:

  • package manager caches (brew, pip, npm, cargo, etc.)
  • build leftovers (Xcode, Gradle, Maven)
  • large logs and temporary files
  • stale containers, images, and artifacts

I got tired of switching between dozens of commands and scripts, so I built MacDevTools — a terminal toolkit that gives me a single entrypoint for maintenance and diagnostics.

Why I built this

Most existing CLI tools are great at one thing:

  • process monitor
  • disk usage analyzer
  • network diagnostics
  • package updates

But in real workflows, I needed an opinionated daily toolkit that combines these tasks and keeps command syntax simple.

My goal with MacDevTools is straightforward:

  • one command to start (tool)
  • one command per task (tool brew, tool disk, tool ssl github.com, etc.)
  • one menu for interactive usage
  • one place to maintain scripts over time

What MacDevTools can do

Cache cleanup across ecosystems

  • Homebrew
  • pip
  • npm / pnpm / yarn
  • Docker
  • Go
  • Cargo
  • Ruby gems
  • Xcode
  • Maven
  • Gradle
  • Steam / Apple TV app cache

System & developer utilities

  • network diagnostics
  • DNS lookup
  • port inspection / kill
  • log cleanup
  • disk usage analysis
  • outdated package checks
  • SSL certificate checks
  • traceroute wrapper
  • Wi-Fi info
  • system information
  • top processes view

UX focus

  • interactive TUI menu
  • direct command mode (no menu required)
  • multilingual interface support (EN / 中文 / 日本語)

Quick start

Current distribution is via Homebrew tap.

brew tap khakhasshi/tap
brew install macdevtools
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Then run:

tool
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Or directly execute specific actions:

tool brew
tool disk
tool port -l
tool ssl github.com
tool outdated
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Uninstall:

brew uninstall macdevtools
brew untap khakhasshi/tap
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A few examples from daily use

1) Clean development caches quickly 

tool all
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Great before recording demos, reclaiming disk space, or resetting a messy local environment.

2) Find what’s eating disk space 

tool disk
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Useful when “System Data” suddenly explodes and you need a practical starting point.

3) Check why local networking feels weird 

tool network
tool dns example.com
tool traceroute github.com
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Gives a quick signal before diving deeper with lower-level tools.

4) Audit certificates before deployment checks 

tool ssl yourdomain.com
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Fast sanity check for expiry, SAN, and TLS details.

What makes it different

I don’t think MacDevTools replaces specialized tools like htop, ncdu, or mtr.
Instead, it aims to be the glue layer for macOS developers who want:

  • consistent command UX
  • practical defaults
  • less context switching
  • one-maintainer script stack they can read and customize

Current status and roadmap

Current priorities:

  • improve script reliability and edge-case handling
  • expand compatibility and safety prompts for destructive operations
  • improve docs and onboarding

Planned:

  • environment health check command
  • optional safe/preview mode for cleanup
  • more actionable summaries after each task

Feedback welcome

If you’re a macOS developer and want to try it, I’d love your feedback:

  • which command helps most?
  • which cleanup is too aggressive / too conservative?
  • what should be added next?

If this project saves you time, a ⭐ on GitHub helps a lot.

GitHub logo khakhasshi / MacDevTools

Developer-focused macOS toolkit for cache cleaning, network checks, and system insights via one command: tool.

MacDevTools Logo

MacDevTools

🛠️ macOS Terminal Toolkit - All-in-One System Maintenance & Development Tools

Platform Shell Version License PRs Welcome

👤 Author: JIANGJINGZHE (江景哲)
📧 Email: contact@jiangjingzhe.com
💬 WeChat: jiangjingzhe_2004

English | 简体中文

Features • Installation • Usage • Tools • Screenshots • Contributing

✨ Features

  • 🎨 Beautiful TUI Interface - ASCII Art Logo + Colorful Interactive Menu
  • ⚡ One-Click Cleanup - Quickly clean all development environment caches
  • 🔧 Modular Design - Each tool runs independently
  • 🌐 Global Command - Type tool anywhere to launch
  • 📦 Multi Package Manager Support - Homebrew, pip, npm, pnpm, yarn, etc.
  • 🔍 Network Diagnostics - Comprehensive network connection checks
  • 🔌 Port Management - Quickly view and release occupied ports

📦 Supported Tools







































Category Tool Description
🍺 Homebrew Clean download cache, old versions
🐍 pip Clean pip cache, wheel cache
📦 npm/pnpm/yarn Clean Node.js package manager caches
🔨 Xcode Clean DerivedData, simulators, build cache
🐳 Docker Clean images, containers, volumes, build cache
🐹
…



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Thanks for reading 🙌

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