mac2mqtt is a program that allows viewing and controlling some aspects of computers running macOS via MQTT.

It publishes to MQTT:

• Current input/output volume
• Volume mute state
• Battery charge percent

You can send topics to:

• Change the input/output volume
• Mute/Unmute
• Put the computer to sleep
• Lock the computer
• Put the computer to sleep
• Lock and put the computer to sleep
• Shut down the computer
• Turn on/off the display
• Trigger any Shortcut

To compile and install this program:

• Install the golang toolchain
• Clone this repository: git clone ...
• Set your MQTT credentials in mac2mqtt.yaml
• Compile and install: sh install.sh

To run mac2mqtt on your command line, disable the system-wide mac2mqtt process:

sh uninstall.sh

Now you can run ./mac2mqtt directly from the source directory. It will use the configuration values from mac2mqtt.yaml in the current working directory.

To rebuild, run:

go build

Once you're finished, resume the system-wide mac2mqtt process:

sh install.sh

configuration.yaml:

script:
  mymac_sleep:
    icon: mdi:laptop
    sequence:
      - service: mqtt.publish
        data:
          topic: "mac2mqtt/bessarabov-osx/command/sleep"
          payload: "sleep"

  mymac_shutdown:
    icon: mdi:laptop
    sequence:
      - service: mqtt.publish
        data:
          topic: "mac2mqtt/bessarabov-osx/command/shutdown"
          payload: "shutdown"

  mymac_displaysleep:
    icon: mdi:laptop
    sequence:
      - service: mqtt.publish
        data:
          topic: "mac2mqtt/bessarabov-osx/command/displaysleep"
          payload: "displaysleep"

  mymac_displaywake:
    icon: mdi:laptop
    sequence:
      - service: mqtt.publish
        data:
          topic: "mac2mqtt/bessarabov-osx/command/displaywake"
          payload: "displaywake"

  mymac_displaylock:
    icon: mdi:laptop
    sequence:
      - service: mqtt.publish
        data:
          topic: "mac2mqtt/bessarabov-osx/command/displaylock"
          payload: "displaylock"

  mymac_displaylock_sleep:
    icon: mdi:laptop
    sequence:
      - service: mqtt.publish
        data:
          topic: "mac2mqtt/bessarabov-osx/command/displaylock"
          payload: "displaylock_sleep"

  mymac_runshortcut:
    icon: mdi:laptop
    sequence:
      - service: mqtt.publish
        data:
          topic: "mac2mqtt/bessarabov-osx/command/runshortcut"
          payload: "shortcut_name"

mqtt:
  sensor:
    - name: mymac_alive
      icon: mdi:laptop
      state_topic: "mac2mqtt/bessarabov-osx/status/alive"

    - name: "mymac_battery"
      icon: mdi:battery-high
      unit_of_measurement: "%"
      state_topic: "mac2mqtt/bessarabov-osx/status/battery"

  switch:
    - name: mymac_mute
      icon: mdi:volume-mute
      state_topic: "mac2mqtt/bessarabov-osx/status/mute"
      command_topic: "mac2mqtt/bessarabov-osx/command/mute"
      payload_on: "true"
      payload_off: "false"

  number:
    - name: mymac_volume
      icon: mdi:volume-medium
      state_topic: "mac2mqtt/bessarabov-osx/status/volume"
      command_topic: "mac2mqtt/bessarabov-osx/command/volume"

ui-lovelace.yaml:

title: Home
views:
  - path: default_view
    title: Home
    cards:
      - type: entities
        entities:
          - sensor.mymac_alive
          - sensor.mymac_battery
          - type: 'custom:slider-entity-row'
            entity: number.mymac_volume
            min: 0
            max: 100
          - switch.mymac_mute
          - type: 'custom:slider-entity-row'
            entity: number.mymac_volume
            min: 0
            max: 100
          - type: button
            name: mymac
            entity: script.mymac_sleep
            action_name: sleep
            tap_action:
              action: call-service
              service: script.mymac_sleep
          - type: button
            name: mymac
            entity: script.mymac_shutdown
            action_name: shutdown
            tap_action:
              action: call-service
              service: script.mymac_shutdown
          - type: button
            name: mymac
            entity: script.mymac_displaysleep
            action_name: displaysleep
            tap_action:
              action: call-service
              service: script.mymac_displaysleep

      - type: history-graph
        hours_to_show: 48
        refresh_interval: 0
        entities:
          - sensor.mymac_battery

Program is working with several MQTT topics. All topics are prefixed with mac2mqtt + COMPUTER_NAME.

For example, this topic with the current volume on my machine is mac2mqtt/bessarabov-osx/status/volume

mac2mqtt send info to the topics mac2mqtt/COMPUTER_NAME/status/# and listen for commands in topics mac2mqtt/COMPUTER_NAME/command/#.

There can be true or false in this topic. If mac2mqtt is connected to MQTT server there is true.

If mac2mqtt is disconnected from MQTT there is false. This is the standard MQTT thing called Last Will and Testament.

The value is the numbers from 0 (inclusive) to 100 (inclusive). The current volume of the computer.

The value of this topic is updated every 2 seconds by default (see YAML config).

There can be true or false in this topic. true means that the computer volume is muted (no sound), false means that it is not muted.

The value is a number from 0 (inclusive) to 100 (inclusive). The current input volume of the computer (usually the microphone).

The value of this topic is updated every 2 seconds by default (see YAML config).

The value is the number up to 100. The charge percent of the battery.

The value of this topic is updated every 60 seconds by default (see YAML config).

You can send an integer number from 0 (inclusive) to 100 (inclusive) to this topic. It will set the volume on the computer.

You can send true or false to this topic. When you send true the computer is muted. When you send false the computer is unmuted.

You can send an integer number from 0 (inclusive) to 100 (inclusive) to this topic. It will set the input volume (usually the microphone) on the computer.

You can send string sleep to this topic. It will put the computer to sleep mode. Sending some other value will do nothing.

You can send the string shutdown to this topic. It will try to shut down the computer. The way it is done depends on the user who runs the program. If the program is run by root the computer will shut down, but if it is run by an ordinary user the computer will not shut down if there is another user who logged in.

Sending some other value but shutdown will do nothing.

You can send string displaysleep to this topic. It will turn off the display. Sending some other value will do nothing.

You can send string displaywake to this topic. It will turn on the display. Sending some other value will do nothing.

You can send the string displaylock to this topic to lock the screen.

You can also send the string displaylock_sleep to this topic to not only lock the screen but also put the computer to sleep.

Sending some other value will do nothing.

You can send the name of a shortcut to this topic. It will run this shortcut in the Shortcuts app.

To build this program yourself, follow these steps:

1. Clone this repo
2. Make sure you have installed go, for example with brew install go
3. Install its dependencies with go install
4. Build with go build mac2mqtt.go

It outputs a file mac2mqtt. Make the binary executable (chmod +x mac2mqtt) and run ./mac2mqtt.