mactop

Retrieve real-time hardware metrics from Apple Silicon Macs using mactop's TOON format. Provides CPU, RAM, GPU, power, thermal, network, disk I/O, and Thunderbolt bus information. Use when the user wants system stats, hardware monitoring, or performance metrics on Apple Silicon Macs.

533 stars

Best use case

mactop is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.

Retrieve real-time hardware metrics from Apple Silicon Macs using mactop's TOON format. Provides CPU, RAM, GPU, power, thermal, network, disk I/O, and Thunderbolt bus information. Use when the user wants system stats, hardware monitoring, or performance metrics on Apple Silicon Macs.

Teams using mactop should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.

When to use this skill

  • You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.

When not to use this skill

  • You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
  • You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.

Installation

Claude Code / Cursor / Codex

$curl -o ~/.claude/skills/mactop/SKILL.md --create-dirs "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sundial-org/awesome-openclaw-skills/main/skills/mactop/SKILL.md"

Manual Installation

  1. Download SKILL.md from GitHub
  2. Place it in .claude/skills/mactop/SKILL.md inside your project
  3. Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill

How mactop Compares

Feature / AgentmactopStandard Approach
Platform SupportNot specifiedLimited / Varies
Context Awareness High Baseline
Installation ComplexityUnknownN/A

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this skill do?

Retrieve real-time hardware metrics from Apple Silicon Macs using mactop's TOON format. Provides CPU, RAM, GPU, power, thermal, network, disk I/O, and Thunderbolt bus information. Use when the user wants system stats, hardware monitoring, or performance metrics on Apple Silicon Macs.

Where can I find the source code?

You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.

SKILL.md Source

# Mactop Skill

Execute mactop in headless TOON mode and parse the output for hardware metrics.

## Prerequisites

- **mactop installed**: `brew install mactop`
- **PATH includes /usr/sbin**: Required for sysctl access

## Usage

### Get Full Metrics

```bash
mactop --format toon --headless --count 1
```

### Parse Key Metrics

**CPU Usage:**
```bash
mactop --format toon --headless --count 1 | grep "^cpu_usage:" | awk '{print $2}'
```

**RAM (used/total GB):**
```bash
mactop --format toon --headless --count 1 | grep -E "^  (Used|Total):" | awk '{printf "%.1f", $2/1073741824}'
```

**GPU Usage:**
```bash
mactop --format toon --headless --count 1 | grep "^gpu_usage:" | awk '{print $2}'
```

**Power (total/CPU/GPU):**
```bash
mactop --format toon --headless --count 1 | grep -E "^  (TotalPower|CPUPower|GPUPower):" | awk '{print $2}'
```

**Thermal State:**
```bash
mactop --format toon --headless --count 1 | grep "^thermal_state:" | awk '{print $2}'
```

**Temperature:**
```bash
mactop --format toon --headless --count 1 | grep "^  SocTemp:" | awk '{print $2}'
```

**Chip Info:**
```bash
mactop --format toon --headless --count 1 | grep "^  Name:" | awk '{print $2}'
```

**Network I/O (bytes/sec):**
```bash
mactop --format toon --headless --count 1 | grep -E "^(  InBytesPerSec|  OutBytesPerSec):" | awk '{print $2}'
```

**Thunderbolt Buses:**
```bash
mactop --format toon --headless --count 1 | grep "^    Name:" | awk '{print $2}'
```

## Options

| Option | Description |
|--------|-------------|
| `--count N` | Number of samples (default: 1) |
| `--interval MS` | Sample interval in milliseconds (default: 1000) |

## TOON Format

```
timestamp: "2026-01-25T20:00:00-07:00"
soc_metrics:
  CPUPower: 0.15
  GPUPower: 0.02
  TotalPower: 8.5
  SocTemp: 42.3
memory:
  Total: 25769803776
  Used: 14852408320
  Available: 10917395456
cpu_usage: 5.2
gpu_usage: 1.8
thermal_state: Normal
system_info:
  Name: Apple M4 Pro
  CoreCount: 12
```

## Response Example

Format metrics in a readable box:

```
┌─ Apple M4 Pro ──────────────────────┐
│ CPU:   5.2%  |  RAM: 13.8/24.0 GB  │
│ GPU:   1.8%  |  Power: 8.5W total  │
│ Thermal: Normal  |  SoC: 42.3°C    │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘
```

## Troubleshooting

- **"sysctl not found"** → Add `/usr/sbin` to PATH
- **No output** → Verify mactop is installed: `which mactop`

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