#mac

My New Mac Setup (2018-2020)

quick checklist for setting up a new macbook

swyxOct 31, 2018Updated Jul 5, 20216 min read

I have updated my list for 2021 here.

I set up a new Mac for work today. Here's what I did immediately:

Browser: Download Chrome, set to default.
Log in to:
- Twitter
- Github (more setup instructions below)
- Gmail
Settings:
- Disable Spotlight search for all miscellaneous crap except apps and system preferences
  - including stupid Developer option
- Disable Ask Siri
- Big cursor
- Trackpad -> Scroll & Zoom - Natural off
- Trackpad -> Point & Click -> Look up & data detectors off
- turn on Airdrop
- (if using windows keyboard) remap alt and cmd https://superuser.com/questions/158561/how-can-i-remap-windows-and-alt-keys-in-os-x
Finder:
- show filename extensions
- show dotfiles (just hold Cmd + Shift + . (dot) in a Finder window)
- show path bar
Keyboard:
- remap command+Q to literally anything else
- copy picture of selected area to clipboard -> Cmd+E
Dock:
- Remove everything from the Dock except: Finder, System Preferences and Trash
- Turn Hiding on
Chrome extensions:
- to try: https://github.com/iamadamdev/bypass-paywalls-chrome/
- https://github.com/round/Twitter-Links-beta
- Morpheus Dark theme
- 1password
- Display Anchors
- React Devtools
- Refined Github
- Code Copy
- Video Speed Controller
- Palettab
- Privacy Badger
- RescueTime
- uBlock Origin
- Octolinker
- async render toolbox (i made this)
Terminal environments
- My dotfiles (vimrc, zshrc, .gitignore_global): https://gist.github.com/sw-yx/7fa1009e460ecb818d5e6d9ca4616a05
- ZSH (first usage of git will prompt you to install git - takes 15 minutes)
- git config --global user.name "swyx"
- git config --global user.email shawnthe1@gmail.com
  - Font - Inconsolata for Powerline
  - autosuggestions
  - syntax highlighting
  - may need to chmod stuff or warnings show at start of every session
```
$ sudo chmod -R 755 /usr/local/share/zsh
$ sudo chown -R root:staff /usr/local/share/zsh  
```
- Hyper Terminal
  - settings: shell: '/bin/zsh'
  - settings: fontFamily: '"Inconsolata for Powerline", Menlo, "DejaVu Sans Mono", Consolas, "Lucida Console", monospace',
  - Fig - context-aware autocomplete for terminal. Waitlisted now, but my version is here
    - More CLI tools recommended by Brendan Faik (founder of Fig) - bat, exa, ripgrep, and other Rust CLI alternatives. Also zsh abbreviations
- Homebrew - i have a bunch more stuff in brew list but i'm not sure what i use actively. You can mass install these: brew install $(cat packages.txt)
```
bat             gdbm            libuv           python@3.9
brotli          gh              libyaml         readline
c-ares          go              mpdecimal       ruby
deno            gradle          nghttp2         sqlite
diff-so-fancy   icu4c           node            xz
fnm             jemalloc        openjdk         yarn
fzf             libev           openssl@1.1     z
```
- brew install bat
- Github CLI: brew install github/gh/gh
  - you need to login to git - if you have 2fa enabled, you cant use your normal github password. try pushing to a repo and enter in a Personal Access Token for password.
  - then run gh auth login
  - add GitHub SSH key (not optional)
- brew install fzf - usage example is here
- yarn note brew install yarn --ignore-dependencies since i use nvm
  - you may need to work around Mac OS Sierra and install node first
- brew install z - REALLY GOOD TRY IT
- brew install python
- brew install ruby
- brew install deno
- brew install gradle
- pip3 install --user powerline-status
- go to a neutral folder and git clone https://github.com/powerline/fonts && cd fonts && ./install.sh
  - brew install node Node.js/NPM
- npm login
- sudo npm install netlify-cli -g
- npm i -g sign-bunny fortune-node parrotsay
- npm install -g undollar for removing $
- sudo npm install -g @aws-amplify/cli
- amplify configure
- sudo npm install -g trash-cli
  - fnm faster alternative to nvm: curl -fsSL https://fnm.vercel.app/install | bash or brew install fnm
  - [Anaconda](https://www.anaconda.com/download/#macos
  - Docker Desktop
  - brew install java - Java Development Kit
  - brew install [go](https://golang.org/dl/) dont forget export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/go/bin
  - fontFamily: '"Inconsolata for Powerline", Menlo, "DejaVu Sans Mono", Consolas, "Lucida Console", monospace',
  - brew install [diff-so-fancy](https://www.npmjs.com/package/diff-so-fancy) - git config --global core.pager "diff-so-fancy | less --tabs=4 -RFX"

You can also diff with this bash function dif() { git diff --color --no-index "$1" "$2" | diff-so-fancy; } or with VSCode code --diff file1.js file2.js.

You can also try https://github.com/dandavison/delta

Emojis: https://matthewpalmer.net/rocket/
Password Manager: https://www.1password.com/ (i have a company account)
Window Manager: https://www.spectacleapp.com/
- launch at login
Clipboard Manager: https://clipy-app.com/
Loom: https://www.loom.com/desktop
Screenshots: https://cleanshot.com/ (previously used https://zapier.com/zappy)
Caffeine (Keep Mac awake for talks): https://intelliscapesolutions.com/apps/caffeine (used to be http://lightheadsw.com/caffeine/)
Video capture: https://getkap.co/
Dual Screen: https://www.duetdisplay.com/
Gifs: Licecap
Slack or Discord
OBS: https://obsproject.com/
SkyFonts: https://www.fonts.com/web-fonts/google
Microsoft Todo: https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1274495053?mt=8
Stretchly: https://hovancik.net/stretchly/
SimpleNote: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simplenote/id692867256?ls=1&mt=12
Superhuman for Mac and https://mail.superhuman.com
Notion: https://www.notion.so/desktop
- https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/notion-web-clipper/knheggckgoiihginacbkhaalnibhilkk?hl=en
App Search/Utils: https://www.alfredapp.com/
- set to Alfred Dark
- airdrop to iphone/ipad
- Cupcake Ipsum
Editor: Download VS Code (I used to use Insiders but the popups are super annoying). use Settings Sync to sync across machines
- have to set up powerline fonts "Meslo LG M for Powerline" (download)
- auto-close-tag v0.5.6
- auto-rename-tag v0.0.15
- Bookmarks v9.1.0
- code-settings-sync v3.1.2
- debugger-for-chrome v4.10.2
- es7-react-js-snippets v1.8.7
- graphql-for-vscode v1.12.1
- mdx v0.1.0
- prettier-vscode v1.6.1
- python v2018.9.2
- python v0.2.3
- rainbow-brackets v0.0.6
- shades-of-purple v3.17.0
- vscode-graphql v0.1.5
- vscode-import-cost v2.9.0
- vscode-styled-components v0.0.23
- vscode-wakatime v1.2.3
- TabNine AI completions
- GitHub Copilot

Other good "new laptop setup" lists: