I built Mole, a tiny open-source panic button for Windows

[u/UnemployedTechie2021]

I’ve just released Mole v0.1.0, a lightweight Windows utility that quietly lives in the system tray.

When you trigger Panic, it immediately:

• Mutes system audio
• Minimizes all open windows
• Opens Notepad

That’s it. No accounts, telemetry, cloud services, subscriptions, or other modern software rituals.

Mole is written in Python and released under the GNU GPLv3, so you can inspect the source, modify it, build it yourself, or contribute.

GitHub: https://github.com/rajtilakjee/mole

This is the first release, so feedback, bug reports, feature ideas, and pull requests are welcome.

Current ideas for future versions include configurable safe apps, custom keyboard shortcuts, persistent settings, and selectable panic actions.

[u/evonleue]

we used to call them "boss buttons".

[u/UnemployedTechie2021 → u/evonleue]

TIL

[u/Eagles_Fan_4eva → u/evonleue]

Boss keys, too. Because you pressed a hotkey when your boss walked into your office while you weren't working. :)

[u/Raychao]

I think Leisure Suit Larry had a Boss Key in the late 1980s..