How do I install the Anti Sleep skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add davidondrej/anti-sleep in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Anti Sleep safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. Independent scanners report: SkillSpector: CAUTION, Skill Scanner: PASS. Capability flags: executes scripts. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Anti Sleep?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Anti Sleep free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Anti Sleep?

David Ondrej (@davidondrej) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Anti Sleep by davidondrej — Agent Skill

Name: Anti Sleep
Rating: 4.2 (5 reviews)
Author: David Ondrej

Anti Sleep

Keep the user's MacBook awake reliably with macOS caffeinate for a set duration or while a process runs. Use for "don't let my Mac sleep", "keep the screen on", "anti-sleep", "caffeinate", overnight work, or long builds. Unlike a normal background job, it survives temporary agent-shell cleanup.

David Ondrej Updated Sep 8, 2026

File contents

Anti-Sleep (macOS caffeinate)

Use the bundled launcher from this skill directory. It creates a one-shot user LaunchAgent using only built-in macOS tools.

Required workflow

Never launch caffeinate with raw &, nohup, disown, or launchctl submit. Temporary execution shells can kill their descendants, and launchctl submit can restart a timed job.

Resolve scripts/anti-sleep.sh relative to this SKILL.md; never assume the user's current directory. Run:

Inspect current state:

scripts/anti-sleep.sh status

If status reports an active session and the user requested a new duration, automatically stop the old session. Never ask for confirmation.

scripts/anti-sleep.sh stop

Start the new timer for the requested duration:

scripts/anti-sleep.sh start 10800    # 3 hours

For a specific process, use start-pid. Apply the same automatic replacement rule if another session is active.

scripts/anti-sleep.sh start-pid <PID>

In a separate tool/shell call after the start command has returned, verify:

scripts/anti-sleep.sh verify

Only report success when verification returns STATUS=running and ASSERTIONS=active. Confirm the PID, flags, and wall-clock expiry. If verification fails, run stop and do not claim the Mac is protected.

Assertion flags

The default is -d -i: keep the display on and prevent idle system sleep. Pass explicit flags after the duration or PID when needed:

Flags	Effect
`-i`	Prevent idle system sleep; display may dim
`-d`	Prevent display sleep
`-d -i -s`	Also prevent system sleep while on AC power

Example:

scripts/anti-sleep.sh start 10800 -i

Status and stop

scripts/anti-sleep.sh status
scripts/anti-sleep.sh stop

The launcher tracks one exact LaunchAgent label, PID, start time, and expiry under ~/Library/Caches. It never uses broad pkill.

Fallback

If launchctl bootstrap fails, use a visible persistent terminal or cmux pane. Read the cmux skill before interacting with cmux. If no persistent surface is available, tell the user instead of starting an unreliable background job.

caffeinate cannot keep the keyboard backlight on. That setting is manual: System Settings → Keyboard → “Turn keyboard backlight off after inactivity” → Never.

---name: anti-sleepdescription: Keep the user's MacBook awake reliably with macOS caffeinate for a set duration or while a process runs. Use for "don't let my Mac sleep", "keep the screen on", "anti-sleep", "caffeinate", overnight work, or long builds. Unlike a normal background job, it survives temporary agent-shell cleanup.---# Anti-Sleep (macOS caffeinate)Use the bundled launcher from this skill directory. It creates a one-shot user LaunchAgent using only built-in macOS tools.## Required workflowNever launch `caffeinate` with raw `&`, `nohup`, `disown`, or `launchctl submit`. Temporary execution shells can kill their descendants, and `launchctl submit` can restart a timed job.Resolve `scripts/anti-sleep.sh` relative to this `SKILL.md`; never assume the user's current directory. Run:1. Inspect current state:```bashscripts/anti-sleep.sh status```2. If `status` reports an active session and the user requested a new duration, automatically stop the old session. **Never ask for confirmation.**```bashscripts/anti-sleep.sh stop```3. Start the new timer for the requested duration:```bashscripts/anti-sleep.sh start 10800 # 3 hours```For a specific process, use `start-pid`. Apply the same automatic replacement rule if another session is active.```bashscripts/anti-sleep.sh start-pid <PID>```4. In a **separate tool/shell call after the start command has returned**, verify:```bashscripts/anti-sleep.sh verify```Only report success when verification returns `STATUS=running` and `ASSERTIONS=active`. Confirm the PID, flags, and wall-clock expiry. If verification fails, run `stop` and do not claim the Mac is protected.## Assertion flagsThe default is `-d -i`: keep the display on and prevent idle system sleep. Pass explicit flags after the duration or PID when needed:| Flags | Effect ||---|---|| `-i` | Prevent idle system sleep; display may dim || `-d` | Prevent display sleep || `-d -i -s` | Also prevent system sleep while on AC power |Example:```bashscripts/anti-sleep.sh start 10800 -i```## Status and stop```bashscripts/anti-sleep.sh statusscripts/anti-sleep.sh stop```The launcher tracks one exact LaunchAgent label, PID, start time, and expiry under `~/Library/Caches`. It never uses broad `pkill`.## FallbackIf `launchctl bootstrap` fails, use a visible persistent terminal or cmux pane. Read the `cmux` skill before interacting with cmux. If no persistent surface is available, tell the user instead of starting an unreliable background job.`caffeinate` cannot keep the keyboard backlight on. That setting is manual: System Settings → Keyboard → “Turn keyboard backlight off after inactivity” → Never.

Frequently asked questions