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Keep your Mac awake while Deno runs
A Deno server or deno task in --watch mode is meant to stay up while you develop. AwakeMate keeps your Mac awake for the whole session so a sleep cycle never takes the server down with it.
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When your Mac sleeps mid-Deno
Start a Deno server or run with --watch and it parks itself, waiting on HTTP requests and file changes. macOS treats that quiet as inactivity and sleeps the machine, dropping your server, your connections and your watch process. The next request hits a dead port and you're back to restarting from scratch.
AwakeMate keeps it awake while Deno runs
AwakeMate watches for the deno process, so whatever you run through the Deno runtime - a server, deno task, watch mode or a script - is recognised by name. Add deno to your watched tools once and every Deno session is covered automatically.
Detected process: deno
Tip: leave "Sleep when tools go idle" off
Leave "sleep when idle" OFF for Deno. A server or watch task waits on the network and file system far more than it burns CPU, so idle-sleep would mistake those quiet spells for finished work and end the session early. Off keeps the Mac awake the entire time Deno is running. Only switch idle-sleep on for a short CPU-bound job that's meant to finish and exit on its own.
Get the most out of it
- Add
denoto your watched tools and keep idle-sleep off so servers and--watchtasks ride through quiet periods. - Running a one-shot script that exits when done? Turn idle-sleep on so the Mac sleeps the moment it finishes.
More questions about Denotap to expand
Will my Deno server keep running while the Mac sits idle?
Yes. With idle-sleep off, AwakeMate holds the Mac awake for as long as deno is running, so your server and watch task survive the quiet stretches that would normally send the Mac to sleep.
Does it recognise deno run, deno task and watch mode?
Yes. They all run as the deno process, so a single deno entry in your watched tools covers every Deno session - server, task or script - with no extra setup.
Will this change my Mac's sleep settings?
No. AwakeMate uses the same gentle IOKit power assertion as macOS's caffeinate, blocking idle sleep only while Deno runs and leaving your saved energy settings untouched.
What's the best way to keep a Mac awake while a Deno server runs?
Use automatic per-tool detection rather than a manual trick. Add deno to AwakeMate's watched tools and your Mac stays awake whenever Deno is running - server, deno task or --watch mode - then sleeps when it exits. No wrapper command and no babysitting a terminal session.
Should I use pmset or caffeinate to keep my Mac awake for Deno?
Both can work and lean on the same idle-sleep assertion, but they're manual and all-or-nothing. caffeinate must wrap each run and pmset changes a system-wide setting you then have to undo; neither knows when Deno actually starts or stops, and neither offers a low-battery cutoff or notch status. AwakeMate ties the awake state to the deno process so it's handled automatically.
Why does my Mac fall asleep while my Deno server is still running?
A Deno server waits on the network far more than it uses the CPU, so macOS counts that quiet as idle and sleeps the machine, dropping the server. AwakeMate prevents idle sleep the whole time deno runs with the lid open. If it's unattended overnight on battery, set a low-battery cutoff so the Mac is allowed to sleep once the charge gets low.
Will it keep my Mac awake for Deno with the lid closed, even on battery?
Yes. Turn on "Keep awake with the lid closed" in Settings - Options and approve the one-time helper; AwakeMate then keeps the Mac awake with the lid shut while Deno runs, and dims the built-in screen so it is not draining the battery under the lid. It works on most Apple Silicon Macs (Apple forces sleep on some, so close your lid once to confirm). It works on battery too, but real work drains it faster, so keep it on power for long runs. See how it works.