Show HN: Aerohud – Grid Overview for AeroSpace (macOS)

Description and use

**Brief Summary (2‑3 sentences)**
Aerohud is a macOS‑only utility that adds a lightweight, grid‑based overlay to AeroSpace, the tiling window manager for macOS. It visualises window positions, sizes and work‑space boundaries in real time, making it easier to debug layouts and to plan complex window arrangements. The project surfaced on Hacker News and is maintained as an open‑source repository with recent activity (last update 2026‑07‑08).

**Value**

• **Immediate visual feedback**: Developers and power users can see the current tiling grid, spot mis‑aligned windows, and verify AeroSpace configurations without manually counting pixels.
• **Rapid prototyping**: The overlay speeds up experimentation with custom layouts, hot‑keys, and scripts, reducing the trial‑and‑error cycle.
• **Low overhead**: Implemented as a small native app, it adds negligible CPU or memory load on typical macOS workstations.

**Practical Adoption Path**

1. **Clone & build** – Follow the README to compile the project (Xcode or swift build).
2. **Install & enable** – Run the binary, grant the required accessibility permissions, and enable the overlay via AeroSpace’s config (e.g., aerohud enable).
3. **Validate** – Verify that the grid aligns with your current AeroSpace layout; adjust overlay settings (opacity, cell size) as needed.
4. **Integrate** – Add the launch command to your login items or to AeroSpace’s startup script for a seamless workflow.
5. **Iterate** – Use the overlay while tweaking AeroSpace rules; once satisfied, you can disable it for normal operation.

**Production Readiness**

• **Maturity**: Medium. The codebase is recent and functional, but the project shows limited documentation, few issue discussions, and sparse integration signals.
• **Risk mitigation**: Before deploying in a production environment, audit the license, confirm the build succeeds on your macOS version, and test stability under your typical workload. Consider pinning a specific commit to guard against future breaking changes.
• **Suitability**: Ideal for internal tools, developer workstations, or prototype environments where visual layout debugging is valuable. For mission‑critical production use, perform a short pilot and monitor for crashes or performance impact before broader rollout.

Use in a workflow

Show HN: Aerohud – Grid Overview for AeroSpace (macOS) may be useful when its README and activity match a concrete workflow.

Limitations and review notes

Medium: useful for prototypes or internal workflows, with dependency and maintenance checks before production.