Show HN: Sleep Blocker MCP to prevent your Mac sleep

3 months ago 4

Control your Mac's sleep settings through AI assistants using the Model Context Protocol (MCP)

Sleep Blocker MCP Server enables AI assistants like Claude Code to prevent your Mac from sleeping using natural language commands. Built on the Model Context Protocol, it provides seamless integration with various AI development tools.

🎯 Natural Language Control - "Keep my Mac awake for 2 hours"
🔧 Multiple Sleep Modes - Display, idle, disk, AC power, and all
⏰ Flexible Duration - Preset durations or custom times
📊 Status Monitoring - Check active prevention and remaining time
🛡️ Safe Operation - Automatic cleanup and error handling
🔌 Universal MCP Compatibility - Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and more

# Clone this repository git clone https://github.com/yourusername/SleepBlocker-MCP.git cd SleepBlocker-MCP # Run the installer ./install.sh # Follow the setup instructions

# Make server executable chmod +x mcp_server.py # Test the server echo '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": 1, "method": "initialize", "params": {}}' | python3 mcp_server.py

Configure Your AI Assistant

For Claude Code, add to your MCP settings:

{ "mcpServers": { "sleep-blocker": { "command": "python3", "args": ["/path/to/SleepBlocker-MCP/mcp_server.py"] } } }

Once configured, you can use natural language with your AI assistant:

"Prevent my Mac from sleeping for the next hour"
"Keep my screen on during this presentation"
"Stop sleep prevention"
"What's my current sleep status?"
"Show me all available sleep modes"

Tool Description Example

start_sleep_prevention	Start preventing sleep with mode and duration	"Keep system awake for 2 hours"
stop_sleep_prevention	Stop active sleep prevention	"Allow my Mac to sleep again"
get_sleep_status	Check current status and remaining time	"How much time is left?"
list_sleep_modes	Show all available prevention modes	"What sleep modes are available?"
set_duration_preset	Use preset durations (30min, 1hr, 2hr, 4hr)	"Set to 1 hour preset"

🖥️ Display - Keep screen on, allow system sleep
💤 Idle - Keep system awake, allow display sleep (default)
💾 Disk - Keep hard drives spinning
🔌 AC Power - Only prevent sleep when plugged in
🚫 All - Prevent all sleep (display + system + disk)

macOS (any version with caffeinate command)
Python 3.7+
MCP-compatible client (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.)

📖 User Guide - Complete setup and usage guide
💡 Examples - Real-world usage scenarios
🔧 Troubleshooting - Common issues and solutions
⚙️ Technical Details - MCP implementation details
📦 Distribution Guide - Packaging and distribution

Presentations - Keep screen on during demos
Long Downloads - Prevent sleep during file transfers
Video Calls - Maintain display during meetings
Development - Keep system active during builds

Music Production - Keep drives spinning for sample libraries
Video Editing - Prevent interruptions during renders
Live Streaming - Maintain system during broadcasts

Gaming - Extended gaming sessions
Movie Nights - Keep display on for movies
File Organization - System stays awake during large operations

✅ 100% Local - No network connections or data sharing
✅ Standard Tools - Uses only macOS built-in caffeinate command
✅ Process Safety - Automatic cleanup and proper termination
✅ No Permissions - No special system permissions required

After installation, test with your AI assistant:

"What sleep prevention modes are available?"
"Start sleep prevention for 5 minutes"
"Check my sleep status"
"Stop sleep prevention"

Installation Issues: Run ./install.sh and follow the colored output
Connection Problems: Check Troubleshooting Guide
Usage Questions: See Examples for inspiration
Technical Details: Review MCP Documentation

🎉 Compatible AI Assistants

Claude Code ✅
Cursor ✅
Claude Desktop ✅
Windsurf ✅
Any MCP-compatible client ✅

SleepBlocker-MCP/ ├── mcp_server.py # Main MCP server ├── install.sh # Automated installer ├── package.json # MCP configuration ├── README.md # This file ├── USER_GUIDE.md # Complete user guide ├── EXAMPLES.md # Usage examples ├── TROUBLESHOOTING.md # Problem solving ├── README_MCP.md # Technical documentation ├── DISTRIBUTION.md # Distribution guide └── LICENSE # MIT License

🚀 Getting Started in 30 Seconds

# 1. Clone and setup git clone https://github.com/yourusername/SleepBlocker-MCP.git cd SleepBlocker-MCP ./install.sh # 2. Add to your AI assistant's MCP config # (Path shown by installer) # 3. Restart your AI assistant # 4. Try it out! # Say: "Keep my Mac awake for 30 minutes"

🗣️ Natural Language - No complex commands to remember
🔧 Flexible Control - Multiple modes for different needs
⚡ Instant Setup - Working in minutes, not hours
🛡️ Rock Solid - Proper error handling and cleanup
📖 Great Docs - Clear guides for every skill level
🔄 Universal - Works with any MCP-compatible AI assistant

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request. For major changes, please open an issue first to discuss what you would like to change.

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.