MacSysTools — Native macOS System Administration Tools

A native macOS system administration app built with SwiftUI and Xcode 26, designed for macOS Tahoe (26.x) on Intel MacBook Pro. MacSysTools provides a clean graphical interface for common macOS Terminal commands — no more memorizing syntax for DNS flushing, network diagnostics, memory management, and system maintenance.

Why MacSysTools?

macOS power users and developers frequently need tools like:

• Flush DNS cache on macOS Tahoe
• Run nslookup with custom DNS servers
• Ping hosts and trace network routes
• Purge memory and clear system caches
• Manage screen sharing and remote login via SSH
• Check firewall and Gatekeeper status

MacSysTools wraps all of these into a single native macOS app with live terminal output streaming, native sudo elevation via macOS authentication dialog, and a UI that follows Apple Human Interface Guidelines (HIG).

Installation

Option 1 — Download the release (easiest)

1. Go to Releases
2. Download MacSysTools.app.zip
3. Unzip the file
4. Drag MacSysTools.app to your /Applications folder
5. Double-click to launch

First launch security note: macOS may show a security warning since the app is not distributed through the App Store. Go to System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway

Option 2 — Build from source

Requirements:

• macOS Tahoe 26.x
• Xcode 26.4.1 or later
• Swift 6.3.1

Steps:

git clone https://github.com/trust-lionel/macsystools.git

1. Open MacSysTools.xcodeproj in Xcode
2. Select My Mac as the run destination
3. Press ⌘R to build and run
4. To install: Product → Show Build Folder in Finder → Products → Debug → MacSysTools.app
5. Drag MacSysTools.app to /Applications

Features

Network Tools

Tool	Description
Flush DNS Cache	Clears stale DNS records — fixes DNS errors and cache poisoning
nslookup	Query A, AAAA, MX, TXT, CNAME, NS records with custom DNS server
Wi-Fi Diagnostics	Interface info, signal strength, and network details
Ping Host	Test reachability and measure round-trip latency
Traceroute	Trace network hops between your Mac and any destination
Renew DHCP Lease	Request a new IP address from your router

System Tools

Tool	Description
Purge Memory	Force inactive RAM to free up system memory
Disk Permissions	Verify and repair file system permissions
Clear System Logs	Remove accumulated log files from /private/var/log
Rebuild Spotlight	Erase and rebuild the Spotlight search index
Show Open Ports	List all listening network ports and processes
Clear Font Cache	Fix font rendering issues by removing font cache

Security Tools

Tool	Description
Kill Process	Force-terminate any running process by name
Firewall Status	Check or toggle the macOS application firewall
Gatekeeper Status	Check app notarization enforcement settings
Clear App Caches	Delete all user app cache files

Developer Tools

Tool	Description
Clear Xcode Derived Data	Free disk space and fix Xcode build issues
Show Hidden Files	Toggle dotfile visibility in Finder
Edit /etc/hosts	Open the hosts file for editing
System Information	Full hardware and software details

Sharing Tools

Tool	Description
Enable Screen Sharing	Toggle VNC screen sharing via launchctl
Enable Remote Login	Start or stop SSH access
Enable File Sharing	Toggle SMB file sharing

Technical Details

Component	Details
Language	Swift 6.3.1
Framework	SwiftUI
Architecture	NavigationSplitView with async/await command execution
Privilege elevation	osascript with administrator privileges
Output	Live streaming via Process() and Pipe()
Design	Apple Human Interface Guidelines (HIG) compliant
Compatibility	macOS Tahoe 26.x — Intel MacBook Pro (x86_64)

Project Structure

MacSysTools/ ├── MacSysToolsApp.swift — @main entry point ├── ContentView.swift — NavigationSplitView root layout ├── SidebarView.swift — Sidebar with tools grouped by category ├── DetailView.swift — Detail panel, routes to correct view ├── InputToolView.swift — Input fields for nslookup, ping, traceroute ├── ShellRunner.swift — Async command engine, live output streaming ├── PrivilegedRunner.swift — sudo elevation via osascript ├── Tool.swift — Master enum defining all 23 tools └── Assets.xcassets — App icon

Learn More

Full technical writeup including design decisions, architecture, and the reasoning behind SwiftUI over Electron:

MacSysTools — trust-lionel.com

Author

Lionel Mosley — Houston, TX

• Website: trust-lionel.com
• GitHub: trust-lionel

License

MIT License — feel free to fork, modify, and build on this project.