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:
- 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
- Disable Spotlight search for all miscellaneous crap except apps and system preferences
- 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
-
- 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
- More CLI tools recommended by Brendan Faik (founder of Fig) -
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
orbrew 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 forgetexport 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"
-
fnm faster alternative to nvm:
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
- 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
Top comments (10)
Thanks! Another tool that's I love is hyperswitch (bahoom.com/hyperswitch) to easily switch between the windows of the same app.
can't you just do "command + `"?
This shortcut has never worked on my Mac. I thought it was caused by my azerty keyboard layout and I changed the shortcut in my MacOS settings, but it still didn't work.
too bad.
"...remap command+Q to literally anything else..."
As a Windows user I don't know how many times I closed all browser windows of my friends trying to make an @ sign which is AltGr+Q in Turkish Q keyboards.
Thanks for sharing your setup! I didn't know about cursor size, look up & data detectors, and I feel stupid for not realizing there was a path bar in Finder (unless it's a recent addition).
apple picks some bad defaults.
I dont get it ...
I'd never have guessed that cmd-q might be an issue, what's your alternative shortcut for that?
Thanks. Learned about a few more tools to try out - namely Rocket and Clipy.