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applescript-open-app

Open, launch, activate, or quit macOS apps by name using AppleScript or osascript.

Skill by IvanCampos

IndexedMIT★ 5
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Install

Works with Claude Code, Claude apps, Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot, VS Code, OpenCode, Goose, Windsurf. Read the repository before you give any tool access to your data.

npx agentmarket install skill/ivancampos-applescript-open-app

Asks which of your tools to add it to (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, Gemini CLI, Claude Desktop) and shows the change first. See https://agentmart.dev/cli.

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About

Open, launch, activate, or quit macOS apps by name using AppleScript or osascript. Use when the user asks to open/launch/activate/quit an app ("open Xcode", "quit Discord"), or when AppleScript-based app control is required.

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Permissions

What this skill can do and what it asks for, from its SKILL.md. Checked Oct 25, 2026.

Tools
No tools found
Secrets
None asked for
Install scripts
None found
Runs as
Shell scripts

Network hosts it talks to 1

  • codeload.github.com · found in install command

Files it touches

  • ~/.claude/skills/applescript-open-app

What's inside

Skill name
applescript-open-app
Description
Open, launch, activate, or quit macOS apps by name using AppleScript or osascript. Use when the user asks to open/launch/activate/quit an app ("open Xcode", "quit Discord"), or when AppleScript-based app control is required.
License
MIT
Instructions
57 lines in SKILL.md · view on GitHub

Before installing

  • Ships executable scripts

Files (4)

  • SKILL.md
  • openai.yaml · agents/
  • open_app.sh · scripts/
  • quit_app.sh · scripts/

SKILL.md (first lines)

# AppleScript Open App

## Overview
Use a performance-first launch path for opening apps (`open -a`) with AppleScript fallback for compatibility, and AppleScript for graceful quits.

## Quick Start
- Prefer `scripts/open_app.sh` for a reliable one-liner interface.
- Prefer `scripts/quit_app.sh` for quitting an app.
- Pass the app name exactly as it appears in Finder (for example, "Xcode", "Safari", "Final Cut Pro").

```bash
scripts/open_app.sh "Safari"
```
```bash
scripts/quit_app.sh "Discord"
```

## Tasks

### Open an app by name
- Run `scripts/open_app.sh "<App Name>"`.
- The script uses fast LaunchServices activation first, then falls back to AppleScript activation only when needed.
- If the app is not installed, surface the AppleScript error and ask for the correct name.

### Open a new instance (only when asked)
- Use `open -na "<App Name>"` only if the user explicitly requests a new instance.
- Otherwise use AppleScript activation.

### Quit an app by name
- Run `scripts/quit_app.sh "<App Name>"`.
- The script checks whether the app is running before sending `quit`, avoiding slow error-path exits for already-closed apps.
- If the app is not installed, surface the AppleScript error and ask for the correct name.

### Handle ambiguous names
- If multiple apps share a name, ask for the exact display name or bundle id.
- If a bundle id is provided, use AppleScript with `application id`.

```bash
osascript -e 'tell application id "com.apple.Safari" to activate'
```

## AppleScript snippet

```bash
osascript -e 'tell application "Safari" to activate'
```
```bash
osascript -e 'tell application "Safari" to quit'
```

## Resources

### scripts/
- `open_app.sh`: Fast `open -a` launch/activate with AppleScript fallback.
- `quit_app.sh`: Graceful AppleScript quit with running-state guard.

From IvanCampos/agents, MIT.

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Stars
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Forks
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Last commit (this folder)
Feb 13, 2026 (8 months ago)

From GitHub (fetched Oct 24, 2026).

Details

License
MIT
First seen
Oct 24, 2026
Last checked
Oct 24, 2026

More from IvanCampos

Cite this page

applescript-open-app skill. Agent Mart. https://agentmart.dev/skills/ivancampos-applescript-open-app (last updated 2026-10-24)