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Keep a Mac awake with caffeinate during long builds, downloads, or supervised automation runs.
Install with Codex or Claude Copy this prompt, paste it into Codex, Claude, or another assistant, and let it review the skill page and install it for you.
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| name | anti-sleep |
| description | Keep a Mac awake with caffeinate during long builds, downloads, or supervised automation runs. |
| category | operations |
| risk | critical |
| source | community |
| source_repo | davidondrej/skills |
| source_type | community |
| date_added | 2026-07-07 |
| author | davidondrej |
| tags | ["macos","caffeinate","operations"] |
| tools | ["claude","codex"] |
| license | MIT |
| license_source | https://github.com/davidondrej/skills/blob/main/LICENSE |
Keep the Mac awake using the built-in caffeinate command. No install needed.
caffeinate -d -i -t 7200 # full power: screen stays on + no idle sleep, for 2 hours
Duration is -t <seconds>: 2h = 7200, 7h = 25200, overnight (9h) = 32400.
| Flags | Effect |
|---|---|
-i | prevents idle system sleep only (screen may still dim/lock) |
-d | prevents display sleep (screen stays on) |
-d -i | default choice — screen on + system awake |
-d -i -s | adds -s: prevents sleep even on AC power semantics; -s only works when plugged in |
-u -t 1 | simulates user activity — wakes the display right now |
Default to -d -i -t <seconds> unless the user says otherwise.
caffeinate -d -i -w <PID> # stays awake until that process exits (great for builds)
caffeinate -i npm run build # wraps a command; exits when the command finishes
Prefer running it in the user's own terminal pane so it's visible and easy to Ctrl+C. In cmux (read the cmux skill first if interacting with panes):
cmux send --surface surface:<N> "caffeinate -d -i -t 25200\n"
Otherwise run it as a background Bash task. Never block your own foreground shell with it.
pgrep -fl caffeinate # is it running? shows exact flags
ps -o etime= -p <PID> # how long it's been running
pmset -g assertions | grep -i deny # confirm sleep assertions are active
Gotcha: caffeinate prints nothing and holds the prompt — it looks "stuck" or like Enter wasn't pressed. It isn't stuck. Verify with pgrep, not by looking at the terminal.
Expiry: with -t it exits silently when time runs out — no notification. If the user asks "is it still on?" after hours, check pgrep first; it may simply have expired.
caffeinate cannot keep the keyboard backlight on — it has its own inactivity timer with no CLI/API on Apple Silicon (researched 2026-07). Fix is manual, one-time: System Settings > Keyboard > "Turn keyboard backlight off after inactivity" > Never.
pkill -f "caffeinate -d -i" # or Ctrl+C in the pane running it
After starting: confirm to the user the PID, the flags, and the wall-clock time it will expire.
davidondrej/skills; verify local paths, tools, credentials, and agent features before acting.