What Mole is
Mole is an open-source macOS maintenance tool maintained by developer Tw93. The official README describes it as “Clean, uninstall, analyze, optimize, and monitor your Mac. Free open-source CLI, plus a native Mac app.” The project lives at github.com/Tw93/Mole, and the code is licensed under GPL-3.0.
Features and boundaries
The README describes Mole as an “All-in-one CLI toolkit” combining workflows familiar from CleanMyMac, AppCleaner, DaisyDisk, and iStat Menus. The main commands cover:
- Deep cleaning: removing caches, logs, leftovers, and orphaned app data.
- Smart uninstaller: removing apps along with launch agents, preferences, and hidden remnants.
- Disk insights:
mo analyzevisualizes usage and finds large files. - Live monitoring:
mo statusshows real-time CPU, GPU, memory, disk, and network stats. - More:
mo optimize,mo purgefor project artifacts like node_modules, andmo installerfor DMG/PKG cleanup.
Installation is brew install mole via Homebrew, or the official install script. The README lists macOS 12+ on Intel and Apple Silicon. As a command-line tool, its interface is the terminal rather than graphical windows — a real boundary for users who prefer GUI apps; the native Mac app is a separate product, with its own availability described in the project. For background on the Mac side, see the macOS entry.
Discussion in the show
In Weekly #003’s chapter “常驻 Agent 与多平台内容分发” (the resident-agent chapter of the Chinese transcript), discussing real use cases for resident agents, Xiangyang Qiaomu mentions meeting Tw93 in Hangzhou and asking how he uses Grok Bot: Tw93 has Grok Bot run multi-platform marketing that promotes his Mole cleanup software, with a dedicated computer visiting niche forums in Europe and the US on a schedule and posting based on each forum’s tone. The focus there is the resident-agent capability of Grok Bot; Mole is the product being promoted.
Frequently asked questions
What is Mole, and who develops it?
Mole is a macOS maintenance tool open sourced by Tw93. It combines cleaning, uninstallation, disk analysis, optimization, and monitoring in one CLI, and the code is published under GPL-3.0 on GitHub.
How do I install Mole?
Run brew install mole with Homebrew, or use the install script from the official README. System requirements are in the project README.
Is Mole free?
The open-source CLI is free under GPL-3.0. The README also mentions a separate native Mac app (“plus a native Mac app”), which is a distinct product; its availability and licensing are described in the project’s official notes.
How does Mole relate to tools like CleanMyMac?
Per the README, Mole bundles workflows known from CleanMyMac, AppCleaner, DaisyDisk, and iStat Menus into a single open-source CLI; the difference is that it is a free, open-source command-line tool.