GoKawiilDeveloper builds open-source Magic Move alternative for animating code after switching from macOS to Linux
After moving his daily workflow from a MacBook to a Framework 16 running CachyOS Linux, a developer found no adequate replacement for Apple Keynote's Magic Move feature when animating code snippets in presentations. He describes building his own tool from first principles to handle smooth, token-aware transitions between code blocks, something Keynote fumbles because it treats code as plain glyphs rather than structured syntax.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
Technical speakers rely heavily on clean code animations to explain complex concepts, and the lack of good cross-platform tooling for this has forced many into fragile manual workarounds. A from-scratch, syntax-aware approach could give Linux and non-Apple users a viable, open alternative long tied exclusively to Keynote's ecosystem.
- The developer fully switched from dual-boot Ubuntu/Windows to CachyOS Linux in late 2025.
- Keynote's Magic Move fails at code animation because it manipulates glyphs, not syntax structure.
- The project aims to build a code-aware animation tool from first principles as a Linux-friendly alternative.
Framework Laptop 16 — The author's daily driver is a Framework 16, the modular laptop with swappable expansion cards and user-upgradeable parts that made their jump to CachyOS Linux painless. If you want a machine you can repair, upgrade, and run Arch-based distros on without fighting the hardware, this is the one the article is written on.
See Framework Laptop 16 on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: rahulrav.com, 2026-09-07
Published there as: “Magic Move for Code Snippets from first principles”
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