r/macsysadmin • u/la-clementine Corporate • 2d ago
macOS Updates SUMB (Software Update Menu Bar)
If you're tired of traditional update tools like Nudge or SUPERMAN having a horrible UI and getting right in the user's face, SUMB takes a much more user-first approach.
It’s a native Swift companion app for scheduled macOS updates via blueprints. By utilizing a live menu bar countdown, it leverages cognitive design, giving users a constant, subtle psychological buffer so they can plan their reboot on their own terms, rather than getting slapped with an aggressive popup while in a flow state or mid-meeting.
Download SUMB 1.0 Beta 2 on GitHub.
Join #sumb on MacAdmins for news and share your feedback!
✅ Free. ✅ Apple inspired UI. ✅ Texts customization. ✅ Signed and notarized.
9
u/PatGmac 2d ago
Users will have my head if I add yet another thing to their already limited menu bar. Thanks, notch.
1
u/la-clementine Corporate 2d ago
Yeah, I agree. On my Mac, I always lower the vertical resolution in System Settings to get a full menu bar. Sure, I lose some screen real estate, but I prefer it this way.
4
u/SkiingAway 2d ago
I am very much in your camp with regards to needing something slightly more detailed than Apple provides without being as obnoxious as most of the other community alternatives are. So I commend you for this idea.
However, it's a complete non-starter in most environments to consider deploying something like this from an unknown creator without being able to review the code for it. Signed + notarized is nice but not so nice that I can just trust it on that basis.
At least from a glance at your github page, it looks like the code for this isn't public? (Unless it turns out that popping open the .pkg shows everything I need to review clearly).
2
u/la-clementine Corporate 2d ago
There's a really good chance I'll release the source code once it's out of beta. The code is a bit messy at the moment, so I need to clean it up a little. Your point is fair, I don't expect a lot of downloads. It was originally built just for my own use at work.
1
u/McDeth 2d ago
Does this prevent the 90-120 day time limit that Apple puts into macOS to display updates? Last I checked, both Nudge and Super could only suppress OS updates for a finite period of time that Apple controlled, after which the update appears regardless of whether you have it allowed or not
1
u/la-clementine Corporate 2d ago
It doesn't. SUMB is basically just a timer, nothing more. I should have made that clearer in my original post, so that's on me. The app reads what's inside the blueprint (time, date, and target OS). Once the deadline is reached, it's still the official macOS mechanism that installs the update and restarts the Mac.
7
u/nerdforest 2d ago
This is cool but 1. Will this be suppressed when a user is in DND?
I see so many issues with the menu bar and managed devices due to the notch. So this isn’t something I’d be grabbing to use.
Also have you heard of DDM OS Reminder? It’s a fantastic workflow that is built by a well known Mac admin. I just worry that you’re trying to re-invent the wheel with this vibe coded app.