Support
Get help
- Email: niacin@dort.zone — for App Store users, deployment questions, or anything not suitable for a public issue.
- GitHub issues: github.com/just-an-oldsalt/niacin/issues — for bug reports and feature requests.
- Documentation: the README on GitHub covers every feature, including the full MDM key reference.
System requirements
- macOS 14 Sonoma or later.
- No additional dependencies.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the app need to wrap caffeinate?
caffeinate is the supported, sandbox-friendly way to prevent sleep on macOS. Wrapping it means no kernel extensions, no background daemons, and behaviour that exactly matches Apple’s own tooling.
What’s the difference between the two modes?
Allow screen to sleep keeps the system awake but lets the display dim and lock per company policy. Prevent device from locking keeps the display on and disables the screensaver and lock screen entirely. You can combine them per session.
Will it drain my battery?
Preventing display sleep uses meaningfully more energy than preventing system sleep alone. Use timed activations and the “allow screen to sleep” mode when on battery if you can.
How do I deploy this in an organisation?
niacin reads managed preferences from /Library/Managed Preferences/com.oldsalt.niacin.plist. In JAMF Pro: Computers → Configuration Profiles → new profile → Application & Custom Settings, with preference domain com.oldsalt.niacin. Other MDMs follow the same pattern. Full key reference and example plists are in the README.
I’m an admin and a setting won’t change in the UI.
Settings under managed-preferences control display a lock icon and are intentionally non-editable from the user’s settings window. The “Managed by Organisation” section lists which constraints are active. To change them, update the configuration profile in your MDM.
Does niacin send any data to the developer?
No. The app makes no network requests. See the privacy policy.
Where can I see the source code?
github.com/just-an-oldsalt/niacin. The app is MIT licensed.
Reporting a bug
The fastest path is a GitHub issue with: your macOS version, the niacin version (visible from the menu bar → Settings), what you expected to happen, what actually happened, and (if relevant) the contents of any managed preferences plist applied to your machine.