check-script-wrapper

Wraps commands and GUI apps to require NordVPN before launching on macOS.

Setup

git clone <repo-url> # depends on whether you prefer SSH or HTTPS
cd check-script-wrapper
./setup.sh
source ~/.zshrc

setup.sh adds the wrappers/ directory to your PATH and installs vpn_check as a command.

Command-line wrappers

Wraps a CLI command so it checks VPN before running.

Wrap a command

./new_wrapper.sh <command>
# e.g. ./new_wrapper.sh ssh

Creates wrappers/<command>. Any invocation of <command> will now fail if VPN is off.

Unwrap a command

./unset_wrapper.sh <command>
# e.g. ./unset_wrapper.sh ssh

Removes wrappers/<command>, restoring the original.

Limitation

The command-line wrapper only checks VPN at launch time. If VPN disconnects while the process is running, the process is not killed.

GUI app wrappers

Wraps a macOS .app bundle. The real app is moved to ~/hidden_from_spotlight/ and a lightweight wrapper app is placed in ~/Applications/.

Warning: Please ensure the app's update mechanism is not affected by the script moving the real app to a different location.

Wrap an app

./new_app_wrapper.sh /Applications/SomeApp.app

• Moves the real app to ~/hidden_from_spotlight/SomeApp.app
• Creates a wrapper at ~/Applications/SomeApp.app
• The wrapper shows an alert and refuses to open if VPN is off

After running, follow the next steps the script prints.

Unwrap an app

./unset_app_wrapper.sh <AppName>
# e.g. ./unset_app_wrapper.sh SomeApp

After unwrapping, remove the app from NordVPN's Kill Switch app list if it was added.

To see all currently wrapped apps:

ls ~/hidden_from_spotlight