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FAQ — free Mac menu bar monitor

Common questions about rNitro: free open-source macOS system monitor (CPU, temperature, battery, GPU, RAM). No account required.

What is rNitro?

rNitro is a free, open-source menu bar system monitor for macOS (Apple Silicon first). Live CPU, temperature, GPU, RAM, battery, network, and more—without a subscription or account.

Is it free and open source?

Yes. Download and use for free. The shell installer compiles readable source on your Mac; releases and source links live on GitHub and chopstickshq.com/rnitro.

How do I install on Mac?

From the downloads page: App ZIP (drag to Applications), PKG, DMG, or the curl one-liner that compiles with Xcode Command Line Tools (~30s). Prefer the Terminal install if Gatekeeper blocks prebuilt packages.

Why does macOS say it can’t be opened?

Indie apps may lack Apple notarization. Don’t trash the app. Right-click → Open → Open, or System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway. Or use the .sh installer so the binary is built on your machine.

Accounts, telemetry, privacy?

No accounts, no product telemetry, no ads. Optional AI features use your API keys on-device. See Privacy and Terms.

Is this stable? What about Final / Beta / Experimental?

There is one current mainline for Apple Silicon on the download page. File names may still include Experimental so older updaters keep working. Older Final and Beta tags on GitHub and Archives are history only—not peer options.

Intel Macs?

Apple Silicon is first-class. A single legacy Intel source installer remains on the downloads page; no new Intel feature work after the last Intel cutoff.

Is rNitro a free iStat Menus alternative?

Yes for many people who want a free open-source Mac menu bar system monitor (CPU, temperature, battery, GPU, RAM) without a subscription. rNitro is not affiliated with iStat Menus. Feature depth differs; rNitro focuses on local-first monitoring, optional AI with your keys, and open downloads from GitHub and chopstickshq.com.

Where does battery percentage come from?

rNitro aims to show the same charge % as the macOS menu bar using local OS sources (IOPS / pmset / IOKit). Remaining time is an estimate and moves with load. A separate chemical SoC can trail the menu by a few points — normal gauge behavior. Use battery diagnostics in the app to compare sources.

Chrome says the download is suspicious

Common for small indie apps — it is a reputation warning, not a malware verdict. Prefer App ZIP from this site or GitHub Releases, verify SHA-256, use Keep if you started the download, and right-click → Open on first launch until notarized.

How do updates work?

macOS builds can check version.json and install an App ZIP in-app. You can always re-download from the site or GitHub Releases. Previous builds stay under Archives when listed.

Where is my data stored?

Preferences and optional local data stay on your Mac (UserDefaults / Application Support). Core monitoring does not require anything to leave the device.

Linux / Windows / CLI?

Companion builds exist: CLI, Linux, and a last Windows build. macOS is the primary product.

Chopsticks HQ · chopstickshq.com · Canonical product site: /rnitro/ · Privacy · Terms