How To Organize Your Macros: Keyboard Maestro & Butler: An Integration

[Clint]

I appreciate the dialogue. I'll clarify precisely. I hope you trust that I have no investment in selling or promoting my arrangement. I say this because, the one advantage I have over you is that I am executing the actions.

Re the first example. You're incorrect but so was I. The first example is one click. BUT: After the down push of the click there is a movement to the side and down to the length of the pause. Then, the finger lifts and that duration gets inserted. If you disbelieve or disagree, I can make a short video.

Re: the second example, I'm so sorry to say, but you're just plain wrong. Nothing in KM gives affords the quick access I have using Butler to display my KM macros as an icon. An icon of a black magnifying glass always sits on the perimeter of my screen. If I move my cursor to that icon and click it, the macrom that clears finder boxes, all apps and all desktop icons - and then, displays the search tool - is triggerred. Nothing in KM affords this degree of access: Namely, one click on an icon that is always present and the macro is triggered. With KM alone, either you have to pull down the status menu or click to display a palette and then, execute another action.

So sorry, I can't articulate it, any more precisely. If it's not for you, no worries!

[Clint]

Bernsh, If I may, please click the url at the end of my post, immediately before your post above. You'll see an icon and it will say, click the starburst. Click and you will see a video of what I describe above. Thx!

[BernSh]

Hey @Clint, I think what I've haven't said clearly is that it's the number of distinct (as I'm distinguishing) ACTIONS that I'm interested in and not the number of clicks however they are counted. To me, moving the cursor to a specific location on the screen, pressing a button to begin a click, then moving the cursor to another specific location on the screen, then releasing the button while over that location, is to me in my thinking, at least four separate actions which could be counted as one click.

To greatly exaggerate for the sake of clarity, if you had a setup where hovering the cursor over an object produced an action, say a window or menu opens or a check box gets checked, or a letter on a onscreen keyboard gets pressed, then you could type an entire book or issue an unlimited number of commands and count them all as occurring within one click.

I hope this clarifies my focus and my apology for being unclear.

@Clint

With KM alone, either you have to pull down the status menu or click to display a palette and then, execute another action

Are you aware that you can set KM palettes to be present with any individual app, or specific multiple apps, or always present with all apps?

With the two palette selections below you can have an always onscreen palette that has multiple triggers, each able to execute any series of actions like hide all other apps and then activate a specific app which seems to be what the demo at http://www.acim.name/clear_search.html is doing.

The advantage I see with Butler is that the activating click is located in the menubar whereas with KM, the palettes are always below the menubar and must be coordinated with the windows and their corresponding elements. Still, even with this menubar location advantage comes the, what I consider a disadvantage, of needing to make the trip up to the menubar for the activating click.

In my "action model" of thinking, having a palette appear at the cursor's location is often tho not always a big advantage of saving cursor movement.

Thanks for engaging!

[Clint]

http://www.acim.name/forum.html

If you have a moment (20 seconds, to be exact), click on the link above. You'll see a starburst. When you click it, you'll watch a 20 second movie of a macro I wrote that (a) launches firefox, (b) goes to this forum and (c) logs me in. The part that Butler contributes is as follows.

A static "F" (for Forum) sits in (what Butler calls) the docklet, at the right side of my screen. If my computer is on, that F will be there. To launch firefox and go to the KM forum and then log in, i simply have to click that "F." As far as I'm aware, the closest you can come to that level of accessibility in KM alone is the status menu and even here, after you you click it (status menu), there's a fair amount of visual motor movement that has to be executed to slide down to the correct macro group and over to the sought after macro.

Whereas, in Butler, anytime, I just click the mouse once on the static F - and the macro executes. One click - no fancy maneuvering of the mouse - just click at a stable location and I'm logged in to the KM forum. That level of accessibility, as far as I'm aware, is unparalleled. Watch the movie and tell me what ya think. Thx for the dialogue as well......

[BernSh]

I think it’s cool and useful. I’ve tried to use KM with or without 1Password to get one click access to websites and found it too difficult.

It occurs to me without significant time with Butler that Butler has been carefully sculpted to provide access to capabilities in a way that KM has not and like KM, there is a significant time requirement to learn the ways of Butler.

It seems each program’s author reinvents the wheel to a degree, shaping it into their image of how they like things to look and work while also creating pathways to access their work. I think these access/service roads become increasingly important to gain initial critical acceptance to get a project off the ground and then even more so to gain a wider and wider audience depending on the ambitions of the authors.

It’s like so much of Art’s expression showing up in life. Each expression contributes to the others and we’re all the better for it and have greater possibilities arising from each’s artist’s contribution.

Without a good deal of time spent with Butler I don’t consider what I think about comparing Bulter and KM to be useful in the way that others have compared KM to other app as in this well had discussion: Using and Comparing LaunchBar (LB) with Alfred and other Apps.

I think (and boy is this highly specific just to me) that the docklet itself is too intrusive for the functionality it provides, AND it’s useful to have a dedicated always onscreen available space for triggers. I tried an always onscreen “universal/global” palette with KM’s palettes and resized and relocated all the auto window actions to accommodate this but abandoned the idea.

In addition to functionality, as long as I’m not in an emergency situation, I’m moved to having aesthetically pleasing stuff on the screen as well and this docklet is one ugly duckling (sorry and again only in my one opinion). To soften this slightly, I’d say that it’s a work in progress and has the potential with enough loving support and time to be beautiful as well as useful, but that’s not this day.

As I suggested previously to which you haven’t yet referenced, KM can also have an always onscreen palette as well AND the KM palettes are pretty customizable. I’d like to see significantly more customization (see Custom Palette Style Colors?) and as it currently is it’s very workable.

Of course beauty is in the nervous system, experience, and choices of the beholder and mine is only one in around eight billion, so as important as it is to me, I’m clear it doesn’t count for much. /

Again, I enjoy and appreciate all your considerable work on interface simplification and utility. Simplification is a beautiful thing.

I’ll continue to follow your work with interest! Please keep it up and keep sharing!

[Tom]

Hi @BernSh

I think it’s cool and useful. I’ve tried to use KM with or without 1Password to get one click access to websites and found it too difficult.

Just got an email notification on that post of yours. Didn’t read your post entirely, just wanted to mention that there is no need to rely on companies like Agilebits.

Check out MacPass which is completely open source and relies on the kdb[x] database, which is also open source. (There are other similar open-source tools for macOS available.)

Being Open Source is a not-negligeable thing, when it comes to security/privacy.

With MacPass (or other open tools) you’ll have a bit less of immediate comfort (than with 1PW), but if you couple MacPass with the macOS’ password manager (Keychain) you get a quite comfortable setup:

Use the OS’ keychain for minor stuff (forum passwords, etc.), keep your critical stuff (bank credentials, etc.) in your kdbx file (which you can sync to any of your devices, of course.)

Of course, it works also completely fine without the macOS’ keychain. MacPass also provides an “auto-insert” shortcut, which might not always work as you expect (without configuring), but it also works with non-Browser logins, e.g. application credentials, and even admin PW queries by the OS. (It’s GUI driven, so you have to adapt it.)

[Clint]

@BernSh

...like KM, there is a significant time requirement to learn the ways of Butler.

I totally agree. In my case, over the last few years, I'd look at it, find myself feeling befuddled and then, I'd just leave it be. I'm not sure what happened but at some point, I realized, I could use Butler to give me instant access to my KM macros. That's when lightening struck and I really got into it...

[BernSh]

@Clint

...find myself feeling befuddled and then, I'd just leave it be.

It's interesting, I've heard it said that what you can leave be will leave you be.
`

`

@Clint

I'm not sure what happened but at some point, I realized... That's when lightening struck and I really got into it...

Those moments of insight, inspiration, intuition, realization, thought or whatever
you call it, are interesting aren't they? Suddenly, things come together, there's something new that wasn't a moment ago, new possibilities come into existence. It's like the world suddenly gets bigger and there's a release of energy, movement. Such newness, such space!

There ought to be an app for that

[BernSh]

Hi Tom, thanks for this.

Do you suggest KeePassX (for Linux / Mac OS X) from https://keepass.info/download.html for the kdb[x] database as your link goes to a Windows version?

I'm guessing that I need to install the [kdb[x] database] and MacPass is a GUI front end?

[Tom]

Sorry if I mixed up the links.

No, you only need an app, you don’t have to install any database. Personally I use MacPass (GitHub page), and on the iPhone currently MiniKeePass.

Alternatives for macOS are KeepassXC and KeePassX.

If you scroll down on this page, you find a more comprehensive list of “Contributed/Unofficial KeePass Ports” for all platforms.

kdbx (or the older version 1 kdb) is just the database format that is used by these apps. The format is platform independent. kdbx is also the filename extension for the database files.

[BernSh]

Thanks Tom.

I see these can work. Nice alternative. I'd rather pay for the ease and finish of 1Password then roll my own. Good to know about to pass on if a client would rather save money and is willing to expend a little elbow grease.

[Tom]

Just a little update to my post above, for the folks that are interested in kdbx-based password managers:

The mentioned MiniKeePass seems to be no longer actively developed. (It still works with iOS 12.4 though.)

But some very nice alternatives for iOS have shown up:

• Strongbox

  • Way better than MiniKeePass ever was (GUI, options, features)
  • Seems to be open sourced, but not free (but the database format (kdbx) is open source, so this is not a security issue)
  • Free version available, but the full version is moderatly expensive: €29 for a lifetime purchase, and some subscription options like for example €10/year
  • It can – optionally – edit the iCloud-served kdbx file in-place (which means live sync)
  • Can create Diceware passphrases, and you can select the dictionary out of an ample list of acknowledged Diceware dictionaries (including localized ones!)

• KeePassium

  • Way better than MiniKeePass ever was (GUI, options, features)
  • Not open source and not free (but the database format (kdbx) is open source, so this is not a security issue)
  • Free version available, but no one-time purchase available. Only subscriptions like for example €12/year
  • It does edit – non-optionally – the iCloud-served kdbx file in-place (which means live sync)

• Keepass Touch

  • Seems comparable to MiniKeePass, but I didn’t really test it, since in its current version it refuses to open database files from iCloud
  • Not open source and not free (but the database format (kdbx) is open source, so this is not a security issue)
  • Free version available, and the full version is not expensive: €1

Strongbox also has a Mac version at €16. The main advantage over the free and actively developed MacPass is the Diceware generator (like in the iOS app). As far as I can tell.

With the now working live sync of these new apps (Strongbox, KeePassium) and the more user-friendly GUIs, there isn’t really much reason left to rely on opaque formats like LastPass or 1Password.