packal.org

An Alfred workflow is a user-contributed add-on that extends the Alfred launcher on macOS with new commands and automations — for example, searching LastPass, sending a quick note to Notion, or killing a process on a specific port. You find and install one by downloading it from a workflow repository and opening the downloaded file so Alfred imports it. The main caveat today: Packal, the long-standing repository of Alfred 2 workflows and themes, has been archived and is no longer maintained, and its own notice directs users to the Alfred Gallery for workflows and themes.

Workflows vs. themes: what each one changes

Both are distributed as add-ons for Alfred, but they do different jobs.

If you want Alfred to do something new, you want a workflow. If you only want it to look different, you want a theme.

Where to browse for workflows

Packal's archive page lists what the repository held — 1,637 workflows and 211 themes — along with samples such as a Jira task manager, a LastPass search, a Notion quick-note sender, a dice roller, and a background remover that calls the removebg API. It also shows contributor rankings (vitor with 52 contributions, raguay with 51, deanishe with 33) and offers RSS for new workflows.

Because Packal is archived, treat it as a historical catalog rather than a live source: listings may be outdated and links may not be maintained. For current workflows and themes, use the Alfred Gallery, which Packal's own notice names as the replacement.

How to install a workflow

1. Download the workflow file from the gallery or repository listing. Alfred workflows are typically distributed as .alfredworkflow files.
2. Open the downloaded file. Alfred handles the import; you should see an import confirmation showing the workflow's name.
3. Confirm the import so the workflow is added to Alfred's workflow list.
4. Trigger it using the keyword or hotkey described on the workflow's page — for example, typing the workflow's keyword in Alfred and pressing Return.
5. Check permissions if prompted. Workflows that talk to external services (such as a password manager or an image API) may need you to supply credentials or grant access before they run.

Themes follow the same download-and-open pattern, but after import you select the theme in Alfred's appearance settings rather than triggering it with a keyword.

When a new workflow doesn't appear or run

Work through these checks in order:

• Did the import actually complete? Re-open the .alfredworkflow file and confirm the import dialog appears; a cancelled import leaves nothing installed.
• Is the workflow enabled? Open Alfred's workflow list and confirm the workflow is present and not disabled.
• Are you using the right trigger? Check the workflow's page for its exact keyword or hotkey — a keyword you haven't typed correctly won't match.
• Does it depend on something external? Workflows that call an API or another app (a password manager, Notion, an image service) need that service configured or reachable; a missing credential is a common reason a workflow imports but fails at run time.
• Is the workflow itself current? A workflow sourced from an archived catalog may target older Alfred versions or discontinued services. If it fails after the checks above, look for the same function in the Alfred Gallery instead.

Choosing where to get workflows

Use the Alfred Gallery as your default source, since it is the maintained destination Packal points to. Consult Packal's archive when you want to see what a specific workflow or theme historically was, or to identify a contributor whose work you want to look up — but verify availability elsewhere before relying on it.

Alfred 2 workflows are user-contributed add-ons that extend the Alfred launcher with new commands and automations, while themes change how Alfred looks. You get them by browsing a repository, downloading the workflow or theme file, and opening it so Alfred imports it. The main thing to know today is that Packal, the long-standing repository for Alfred 2 workflows and themes, has been archived and is no longer maintained; its own notice directs users to the Alfred Gallery for workflows and themes. Use Packal only as a historical catalog, and get current items from the Alfred Gallery.

What a workflow does versus what a theme does

The two are different kinds of add-on, even though repositories list them side by side.

A workflow is functional: after installing, you type its keyword in Alfred to trigger it. A theme is cosmetic: it changes colors and styling, not behavior. Packal's own description frames both as ways to "extend" Alfred 2, and its listings show the split clearly — workflows like a Jira task manager or a Notion quick-note sender sit under Workflows, while color schemes sit under Themes.

How to browse and install from Packal

Packal presents workflows and themes in browsable sections, with Random Workflows, New Workflows, Random Themes, and Top Contributors on its home page. At the time of its archive notice it listed 1,637 workflows and 211 themes.

To install from a repository like this:

1. Browse or search the Workflows or Themes section and open an item's page.
2. Download the workflow or theme file to your Mac.
3. Open the downloaded file. Alfred imports workflows when you open the file; themes are applied through Alfred's appearance settings.
4. Trigger the workflow by typing its keyword in Alfred, or select the theme in Alfred's preferences to confirm it applied.

The expected result is a new keyword or command in Alfred (for a workflow) or a changed look (for a theme). If nothing happens, the file may not have been associated with Alfred, or the item may target a different Alfred version.

What to do now that Packal is archived

Packal's page states plainly that it "has been archived and is no longer maintained" and points to the Alfred Gallery for workflows and themes. That changes how you should use it:

• For new installs, start at the Alfred Gallery. It is the maintained destination named by Packal itself.
• Treat Packal as a reference. Its listings and contributor rankings (vitor with 52 contributions, raguay with 51, deanishe with 33, among others) are useful for discovering what exists and who built it, but archived items may not be updated.
• Check compatibility before relying on an old item. A workflow written for Alfred 2 may need adjustment on later Alfred versions; the item's page is the place to check what it targets.

How to judge a workflow or theme before installing

Because repositories are user-contributed — Packal describes all its workflows and themes as user-contributed — a quick check saves cleanup later:

• Read what it actually does. "Copy File Contents" and "RemoveBG" (which uses the removebg API) tell you their function and, in the second case, that an external service is involved.
• Note external dependencies. Workflows that call an API, like RemoveBG, need credentials or a service account; ones that talk to Jira or Notion need those accounts configured.
• Check the contributor. Packal's Top Contributors list is a rough signal of who has shipped repeatedly.
• Prefer maintained sources for anything you'll depend on. An archived listing is fine for a look; the Alfred Gallery is the better bet for something you'll use daily.

Common install and compatibility snags

• The file opens in the wrong app. Workflow files need to be opened by Alfred; if your Mac doesn't associate them, open Alfred and import from there.
• The keyword does nothing. Confirm the workflow is enabled in Alfred's workflow list, and that you're typing the exact keyword it defines.
• A workflow asks for an API key or account. Items like RemoveBG or the Notion sender won't work until that service is configured; this is expected, not a bug.
• An old Alfred 2 item behaves oddly. Since Packal is archived, its items aren't updated; check whether a current version exists in the Alfred Gallery before troubleshooting further.
• A theme doesn't appear. Themes are applied through Alfred's appearance settings, not by triggering a keyword; select it there to confirm.

The short version: workflows add capabilities, themes change looks, both are installed by downloading and opening the file, and the maintained place to get them now is the Alfred Gallery rather than the archived Packal.

A Jekyll theme is a packaged set of layouts, includes, stylesheets, and sometimes plugins that controls how a Jekyll site looks and is structured. You use one by declaring it in _config.yml and letting Jekyll pull its files in at build time, then overriding individual files in your own project when you need changes. This applies to any Jekyll site, including project homepages such as the OpenBVE Project homepage, which is built on Jekyll and lists theme and themes among its site keywords.

What a theme actually controls

A theme is not a single file. It is a bundle of the parts that determine presentation and page structure:

• Layouts — the HTML wrappers that pages and posts are rendered into (for example a default page layout and a post layout).
• Includes — reusable fragments such as headers, footers, and navigation.
• Stylesheets and assets — the CSS, and often fonts or images, that style the output.
• Optionally, plugins and configuration defaults — some themes ship a gemspec and default settings.

Because layouts and includes live in the theme, swapping themes can change the structure of every page at once, not just its colors.

Theme vs. template vs. plugin

These three are often confused, so keep the boundaries clear:

A theme can contain templates, and a theme can depend on plugins, but a template alone is not a theme and a plugin alone does not restyle your site.

Installing a theme

There are two common routes.

Gem-based theme

Add the theme to your Gemfile:

gem "jekyll-theme-example"

Then run bundle install. Jekyll resolves the theme from the installed gem, so you do not copy its files into your project.

Remote theme

If the theme is hosted on a Git repository and you use the jekyll-remote-theme plugin, you can point at it instead of installing a gem:

plugins:
  - jekyll-remote-theme
remote_theme: owner/repo

This is useful when you cannot or do not want to publish or install a gem.

Configuring the theme

Declare the theme in _config.yml:

theme: jekyll-theme-example

For a remote theme, use remote_theme as shown above instead of theme. After changing _config.yml, restart the local server so the new setting is picked up. The expected result is that pages render using the theme's layouts without any layout files present in your own project.

Overriding theme files without editing the gem

Never edit files inside an installed gem — your changes are lost on update. Instead, recreate the file at the same path in your own project. Jekyll prefers your local copy over the theme's version.

For example, to change a theme's default layout, create _layouts/default.html in your project and edit that. The same applies to _includes/, _sass/, and assets/. Copy only the files you actually need to change.

When a theme does not apply

Common causes and what to check:

• Theme not declared or misspelled — confirm the exact name in _config.yml matches the gem or repository.
• Gem not installed or not in the bundle — run bundle install and check the Gemfile.
• Remote theme plugin missing — remote_theme requires jekyll-remote-theme in plugins.
• Server not restarted — configuration changes need a restart, not just a rebuild.
• Local file shadowing the theme — an old layout or include in your project may be overriding the theme unintentionally.
• Build errors from missing plugins — if the theme depends on plugins, they must be available in your build environment.

If the site builds but looks unstyled, check that the theme's stylesheet is being referenced and that asset paths are correct.

An Alfred workflow is a user-contributed add-on that extends the Alfred launcher on macOS with new commands and automations. If you used Packal to find them, note that Packal has been archived and is no longer maintained; its own notice directs users to the Alfred Gallery for workflows and themes. Use the Gallery for anything you intend to install today, and treat Packal as a historical catalog.

What an Alfred workflow actually is

A workflow is a bundle of one or more commands that Alfred exposes through its search bar. Each workflow defines its own keyword or trigger, and running it can do anything from opening a URL to sending a note to another service. Because workflows are contributed by users rather than shipped by Alfred, the catalog is broad and uneven: some are polished utilities, others are small personal scripts.

Themes are a separate customization type. A theme changes how Alfred looks, not what it can do, so browsing themes and browsing workflows are different tasks even when they sit in the same repository.

Why Packal is no longer the place to browse

Packal describes itself as the repository for Alfred 2 workflows and themes, with all items user-contributed. Its archive notice states plainly that the site is archived and unmaintained and points to the Alfred Gallery instead. The catalog it still displays — 1,637 workflows and 211 themes — is therefore a snapshot, not a live index.

That matters for two practical reasons:

• Freshness. New and updated workflows are not being added to Packal, so anything you find there may be outdated relative to the Alfred version you run.
• Support. An archived site cannot help with installation problems or broken workflows.

You can still read Packal's listings to understand what kinds of workflows exist. The "New Workflows" section, for example, shows entries such as a Jira task manager, a tool that copies a file's contents without opening it, a quick-note sender for Notion, and a port killer. Those examples are useful for recognizing the pattern — a keyword plus a focused action — but they are not a recommendation to install from that source.

How to find and install a workflow from the Alfred Gallery

The exact menu labels and install prompts depend on your Alfred version, so verify them in the app rather than relying on a fixed click path. The general sequence is:

1. Browse the Alfred Gallery and open the listing for a workflow you want. Read what it does and what it requires, since some workflows depend on external services or API keys.
2. Download the workflow file from its listing.
3. Open the downloaded file. Alfred handles workflow files itself; opening one typically prompts you to import it.
4. Confirm the import and check that the workflow appears in Alfred's workflow list.
5. Test the trigger. Run the keyword or hotkey the workflow documents and confirm you get the expected result.

Verifying it worked

A successful import shows the workflow in Alfred's list with its name and any configured keywords. If the trigger does nothing, the usual causes are a missing dependency the listing mentioned, a keyword that collides with another workflow, or permissions the workflow needs but hasn't been granted. Re-read the listing before assuming the workflow is broken.

Common sticking points

• Skipping the requirements. Workflows that call an external API need credentials configured after import; the workflow will import cleanly and still fail until you add them.
• Assuming Packal links still work. Because the site is archived, older tutorials and bookmarks may point there. Go to the Gallery instead of troubleshooting a dead download.
• Confusing themes with workflows. If you downloaded something to change Alfred's appearance, look for it under themes, not workflows.

Choosing between the two sources

If you only need to grasp the concept, Packal's listings are a readable sample. If you intend to install and rely on a workflow, start at the Alfred Gallery.

Alfred 2 workflows are user-contributed extensions that add custom commands and actions to the Alfred 2 launcher on Mac OS X. You obtain them by downloading a workflow file and importing it into Alfred 2; the historical repository Packal is now archived, so the Alfred Gallery is the current place to browse for workflows and themes.

What a workflow actually is

A workflow is a package that extends Alfred 2 beyond its built-in search. Once installed, it can respond to keywords you type in Alfred, act on the selected file or text, or run a sequence of steps in the background. Packal's own description frames workflows and themes as user-contributed additions that "extend the Mac OS X application Alfred 2."

Themes are the visual counterpart: they change how Alfred looks rather than what it does. Packal listed both in the same catalog, which is why the two are often mentioned together.

Where to find workflows now

Packal was the long-standing repository for Alfred 2 workflows and themes. Its page now states plainly that it "has been archived and is no longer maintained," and directs visitors to the Alfred Gallery for workflows and themes. At the time of archiving, Packal listed 1,637 workflows and 211 themes, so it remains a useful reference for names and ideas even though it is no longer the place to download from.

If you follow a link to an old Packal listing, treat it as documentation rather than a download source, and search the Alfred Gallery for the same or an equivalent workflow.

How to install a downloaded workflow

1. Get the workflow file. Download it from the Alfred Gallery. Workflows are typically distributed as a .alfredworkflow file.
2. Open the file. Double-clicking a .alfredworkflow file hands it to Alfred, which opens an import prompt.
3. Confirm the import. Alfred shows the workflow's name and contents; accept it to add the workflow to your collection.
4. Check for required setup. Many workflows depend on something external — an API key, a companion app, or a login. Packal's catalog shows the range: RemoveBG calls the removebg API, Lastpass Search queries LastPass, and Fast note to notion sends items to a Notion page. Each of these needs its own configuration before it will work.
5. Trigger the workflow. Type its keyword in Alfred and run it.

Verifying it works, and common snags

Run the workflow once with a simple input and confirm you get the expected result — a list of matches, an opened URL, or a confirmation message.

If nothing happens, check these in order:

• The keyword isn't recognized. The workflow may not have imported, or its keyword may differ from what you assumed. Open Alfred's preferences and confirm the workflow is listed and enabled.
• The workflow runs but fails partway. This usually means missing configuration — an API key, an account login, or a helper app. Re-read the workflow's own description for its requirements.
• The workflow targets a different Alfred version. Packal's catalog is specifically for Alfred 2. A workflow built for a later Alfred release may not behave the same way, so check compatibility before relying on it.
• The download link is dead. This is expected for archived Packal entries; find the workflow in the Alfred Gallery instead.

A practical starting point

If you're new to this, pick one narrow task you repeat often — sending a quick note somewhere, searching a service, or toggling a setting — and install a single workflow for it. Packal's random and new workflow listings show how varied the catalog is, from a Jira task manager to a dice roller. Start with one, confirm it works end to end, and only then add more; troubleshooting is far easier when you've changed one thing at a time.