This document describes how I set up my developer environment on a new MacBook.
The steps below were tested on macOS Monterey (12.03), but should work for more recent versions as well.
Contributing: If you find any mistakes in the steps described below, or if any of the commands are outdated, do let me know!
System update
First thing you need to do, on any OS actually, is update the system! For that: Apple Icon > About This Mac then Software Update....
Apple M1 chips
Install the Rosetta2 emulator for the new ARM silicon (M1 chip). Install Rosetta2 using the terminal:
softwareupdate --install-rosetta --agree-to-license
Key Points
- In general, binaries built just for x86 architecture will automatically be run in x86 mode
- You can force apps in Rosetta 2 / x86 mode by right-clicking app, click Get Info, check "Open using Rosetta"
- You can force command-line apps by prefixing with
arch -x86_64
, for examplearch -x86_64 go
Running a shell in this mode means you don't have to prefix commands:
arch -x86_64 zsh
thengo
or whateverCheck which architecture the command support
file $(which git)
Check which architecture your term is running
echo $(arch)
System preferences
If this is a new computer, there are a couple of tweaks I like to make to the System Preferences. Feel free to follow these, or to ignore them, depending on your personal preferences.
In Apple Icon > System Preferences:
- Trackpad > Tap to click
- Trackpad > Tracking speed > Fast (all the way to the right)
- Mouse > Tracking speed > Fast (all the way to the right)
- Keyboard > Key Repeat > Fast (all the way to the right)
- Keyboard > Delay Until Repeat > Short (all the way to the right)
- Dock > Size -> Small; Magnification -> Large
Finder Preferences
- Preferences -> advanced -> show all filename extensions
- View -> Show Path bar
- View -> Show Status bar
Security
I recommend checking that basic security settings are enabled. You will be happy to have done so if ever your Mac is lost or stolen.
In Apple Icon > System Preferences:
- Users & Groups: If you haven't already set a password for your user during the initial set up, you should do so now
- Security & Privacy > General: Require password immediately after sleep or screen saver begins (you can keep a grace period of a couple minutes if you prefer, but I like to know that my computer locks as soon as I close it)
- Security & Privacy > FileVault: Make sure FileVault disk encryption is enabled
- iCloud: If you haven't already done so during set up, enable Find My Mac
Homebrew
Package managers make it so much easier to install and update applications (for Operating Systems) or libraries (for programming languages). The most popular one for macOS is Homebrew.
Install
An important dependency before Homebrew can work is the Command Line Developer Tools for Xcode. These include compilers that will allow you to build things from source. You can install them directly from the terminal with:
xcode-select --install
Once that is done, we can install Homebrew by copy-pasting the installation command from the Homebrew homepage
x86
This will install the Homebrew under Rosetta. The x86 one under /usr/local
arch -x86_64 /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install.sh)"
Follow the steps on the screen. You will be prompted for your user password so Homebrew can set up the appropriate permissions.
Once installation is complete, you can run the following command to make sure everything works:
Homebrew installer in native mode
Not under Rosetta. Native one under /opt/homebrew
. completely separate from the x86 one under /usr/local
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install.sh)
The brew version will be picked depending on what arch you are running the brew command
brew doctor
Usage
To install a package (or Formula in Homebrew vocabulary) simply type:
brew install <formula>
To see if any of your packages need to be updated:
brew outdated
To update a package:
brew upgrade <formula>
Homebrew keeps older versions of packages installed, in case you want to rollback. That rarely is necessary, so you can do some cleanup to get rid of those old versions:
brew cleanup
To see what you have installed (with their version numbers):
brew list --versions
Homebrew Services
A nice extension to Homebrew is Homebrew Services. It will automatically launch things like databases when your computer starts, so you don't have to do it manually every time.
Homebrew Services will automatically install itself the first time you run it, so there is nothing special to do.
After installing a service (for example a database), it should automatically add itself to Homebrew Services. If not, you can add it manually with:
brew services <formula>
Start a service with:
brew services start <formula>
At anytime you can view which services are running with:
brew services list
iTerm2
Since we're going to be spending a lot of time in the command-line, let's install a better terminal than the default one.
brew install --cask iterm2
You can now launch iTerm, through the Launchpad for instance.
Natural text editing
To improve the experience in the terminal enable the Natural text editing option
Preferences -> profiles -> keys -> Key Mappings -> Presents -> Add Natural text editing
Warp Terminal
I started using Warp terminal instead of Iterm2. I think worth check it out.
brew install --cask warp
Install oh-my-zsh
ZSH is already preinstalled in the latest versions of macOS. I also install https://ohmyz.sh/ as it allows for more configuration and is required in some cases.
sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.github.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/master/tools/install.sh)"
Install the Oh My Zsh plugins below
brew install zsh-autosuggestions
brew install zsh-syntax-highlighting
To activate the plugins, add the following at the end of your .zshrc:
source /usr/local/share/zsh-autosuggestions/zsh-autosuggestions.zsh
source /usr/local/share/zsh-syntax-highlighting/zsh-syntax-highlighting.zsh
Add the source ~/.bash_profile
to .zshrc, this way you will leverage the configuration from that file
Change the ZSH theme. Replace the ZSH_THEME
with ZSH_THEME="gnzh"
.
You will also need to force reload of your .zshrc:
source ~/.zshrc
Stats bar
Display macOS system monitor in your menu bar
brew install stats
Create ssh key
Execute the command below to begin the key creation. Press enter all the way to the end
ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "your_email@example.com"
Add the new SSH key to the local SSH agent.
ssh-add --apple-use-keychain ~/.ssh/id_rsa
Get the generated public key
cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub
Show all hidden files
Use the command line to show all hidden files as the files you are searching for are going to be hidden by default.
defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles true
killall Finder
Git
macOS comes with a pre-installed version of Git, but we'll install our own through Homebrew to allow easy upgrades and not interfere with the system version. To do so, simply run:
brew install git
When done, to test that it installed fine you can run:
which git
The output should be /usr/local/bin/git
.
Let's set up some basic configuration. Download the .gitconfig file to your home directory:
cd ~
curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nicolashery/mac-dev-setup/master/.gitconfig
It will add some color to the status
, branch
, and diff
Git commands, as well as a couple aliases. Feel free to take a look at the contents of the file, and add to it to your liking.
Next, we'll define your Git user (should be the same name and email you use for GitHub and Heroku):
git config --global user.name "Your Name Here"
git config --global user.email "your_email@youremail.com"
They will get added to your .gitconfig
file.
On a Mac, it is important to remember to add .DS_Store
(a hidden macOS system file that's put in folders) to your project .gitignore
files. You also set up a global .gitignore
file, located for instance in your home directory (but you'll want to make sure any collaborators also do it):
cd ~
curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nicolashery/mac-dev-setup/master/.gitignore
git config --global core.excludesfile ~/.gitignore
Visual Studio Code
With the terminal, the text editor is a developer's most important tool. Everyone has their preferences, but if you're just getting started and looking for something simple that works, Visual Studio Code is a pretty good option.
Go ahead and download it. Open the .dmg file, drag-and-drop in the Applications folder, you know the drill now. Launch the application.
If you remember only one keyboard shortcut in VS Code, it should be Cmd+Shift+P. This opens the Command Palette, from which you can run pretty much anything.
Let's open the command palette now, and search for Shell Command: Install 'code' command in PATH
. Hit enter when it shows up. This will install the command-line tool code
to quickly open VS Code from the terminal. When in a projects directory, you'll be able to run:
cd myproject/
code .
Vim
Although VS Code will be our main editor, it is a good idea to learn some very basic usage of Vim. It is a very popular text editor inside the terminal, and is usually pre-installed on any Unix system.
For example, when you run a Git commit, it will open Vim to allow you to type the commit message.
Vim's default settings aren't great, and you could spend a lot of time tweaking your configuration (the .vimrc
file). But if you only use Vim occasionally, you'll be happy to know that Tim Pope has put together some sensible defaults to quickly get started.
Using Vim's built-in package support, install these settings by running:
mkdir -p ~/.vim/pack/tpope/start
cd ~/.vim/pack/tpope/start
git clone https://tpope.io/vim/sensible.git
With that, Vim will look a lot better next time you open it!
Python
Before starting the set up, let's look at some issues with M1 architecture.
- Update the Python pip that comes in the system. You will need it to install some x86 Python dependencies
arch -x86_64 /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/usr/bin/python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip
Troubleshooting
The pip
command from pyenv
doesn't support the x86 architecture and you might have problems installing some dependencies. Ex. cv2
If you have problems installing dependencies. Use the pip from the system
arch -x86_64 /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/usr/bin/python3 -m pip install DEP
It is recommended creating a python environment with
/Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/usr/bin/python3 -m venv .venv
arch -x86_64 zsh
source .venv/bin/activate
pip install DEP
IDEA
We need to be able to set the arch -x86_64
when running python scripts from the IDE. In order to do so we need to replace the python bin with this script.
#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -e
arch -x86_64 original_python_bin "$1" "$2" "$3" "$4" "$5" "$6" "$7" "$8" "$9"
Notice that the original python
bin was renamed to original_python_bin
Back to the Python instalation
macOS, like Linux, ships with Python already installed. But you don't want to mess with the system Python (some system tools rely on it, etc.), so we'll install our own version using pyenv. This will also allow us to manage multiple versions of Python (ex: 2.7 and 3) should we need to.
Install pyenv
via Homebrew by running:
brew install pyenv
When finished, you should see instructions to add something to your profile. Open your .bash_profile
in the home directory (you can use code ~/.bash_profile
), and add the following line:
if command -v pyenv 1>/dev/null 2>&1; then eval "$(pyenv init -)"; fi
Save the file and reload it with:
source ~/.bash_profile
Before installing a new Python version, the pyenv wiki recommends having a few dependencies available:
brew install openssl readline xz
We can now list all available Python versions by running:
pyenv install --list
Look for the latest 3.x version (or 2.7.x), and install it (replace the .x.x
with actual numbers):
pyenv install 3.x.x
List the Python versions you have locally with:
pyenv versions
The star (*
) should indicate we are still using the system
version, which is the default.
pyenv global 3.x.x
You can switch your current terminal to another Python version with:
pyenv shell 3.x.x
You should now see that version when running:
python --version
In a project directory, you can use:
pyenv local 3.x.x
This will save that project's Python version to a .python-version
file. Next time you enter the project's directory from a terminal, pyenv
will automatically load that version for you.
For more information, see the pyenv commands documentation.
pip
pip was also installed by pyenv
. It is the package manager for Python.
Here are a couple Pip commands to get you started. To install a Python package:
pip install <package>
To upgrade a package:
pip install --upgrade <package>
To see what's installed:
pip freeze
To uninstall a package:
pip uninstall <package>
virtualenv
virtualenv is a tool that creates an isolated Python environment for each of your projects.
For a particular project, instead of installing required packages globally, it is best to install them in an isolated folder, that will be managed by virtualenv
. The advantage is that different projects might require different versions of packages, and it would be hard to manage that if you install packages globally.
Instead of installing and using virtualenv
directly, we'll use the dedicated pyenv
plugin pyenv-virtualenv which will make things a bit easier for us. Install it via Homebrew:
brew install pyenv-virtualenv
After installation, add the following line to your .bash_profile
:
if which pyenv-virtualenv-init > /dev/null; then eval "$(pyenv virtualenv-init -)"; fi
And reload it with:
source ~/.bash_profile
Now, let's say you have a project called myproject
. You can set up a virtualenv for that project and the Python version it uses (replace 3.x.x
with the version you want):
pyenv virtualenv 3.x.x myproject
See the list of virtualenvs you created with:
pyenv virtualenvs
To use your project's virtualenv, you need to activate it first (in every terminal where you are working on your project):
pyenv activate myproject
If you run pyenv virtualenvs
again, you should see a star (*
) next to the active virtualenv.
Now when you install something:
pip install <package>
It will get installed in that virtualenv's folder, and not conflict with other projects.
You can also set your project's .python-version
to point to a virtualenv you created:
pyenv local myproject
Next time you enter that project's directory, pyenv
will automatically load the virtualenv for you.
Anaconda and Miniconda
The Anaconda/Miniconda distributions of Python come with many useful tools for scientific computing.
You can install them using pyenv
, for example (replace x.x.x
with an actual version number):
pyenv install miniconda3-x.x.x
After loading an Anaconda or Miniconda Python distribution into your shell, you can create conda environments (which are similar to virtualenvs):
pyenv shell miniconda3-x.x.x
conda create --name mycondaproject
conda activate mycondaproject
Install packages, for example the Jupyter Notebook, using:
conda install jupyter
You should now be able to run the notebook:
jupyter notebook
Deactivate the environment, and return to the default Python version with:
conda deactivate
pyenv shell --unset
Known issue: gettext
not found by git
after installing Anaconda/Miniconda
If you installed an Anaconda/Miniconda distribution, you may start seeing an error message when using certain git
commands, similar to this one:
pyenv: gettext.sh: command not found
The `gettext.sh' command exists in these Python versions:
miniconda3-latest
If that is the case, you can use the following workaround:
brew install gettext
Then add this line to your .bash_profile
:
# Workaround for: https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv/issues/688#issuecomment-428675578
export PATH="/usr/local/opt/gettext/bin:$PATH"
pipx
pipx is a tool to help you install and run end-user applications written in Python.
brew install pipx
pipx ensurepath
AWS CLI
Download the pkg installer using the curl command.
curl "https://awscli.amazonaws.com/AWSCLIV2.pkg" -o "AWSCLIV2.pkg"
Run the standard macOS installer program, specifying the downloaded .pkg file as the source.
sudo installer -pkg ./AWSCLIV2.pkg -target /
If you don't have root permission check here how to install to the current user without sudo
Node.js
The recommended way to install Node.js is to use nvm (Node Version Manager) which allows you to manage multiple versions of Node.js on the same machine.
Install nvm
by copy-pasting the install script command into your terminal.
Once that is done, open a new terminal and verify that it was installed correctly by running:
command -v nvm
View the all available stable versions of Node with:
nvm ls-remote --lts
Install the latest stable version with:
nvm install node
It will also set the first version installed as your default version. You can install another specific version, for example Node 10, with:
nvm install 10
And switch between versions by using:
nvm use 10
nvm use default
See which versions you have install with:
nvm ls
Change the default version with:
nvm alias default 10
In a project's directory you can create a .nvmrc
file containing the Node.js version the project uses, for example:
echo "10" > .nvmrc
Next time you enter the project's directory from a terminal, you can load the correct version of Node.js by running:
nvm use
npm
Installing Node also installs the npm package manager.
To install a package:
npm install <package> # Install locally
npm install -g <package> # Install globally
To install a package and save it in your project's package.json
file:
npm install --save <package>
To see what's installed:
npm list --depth 1 # Local packages
npm list -g --depth 1 # Global packages
To find outdated packages (locally or globally):
npm outdated [-g]
To upgrade all or a particular package:
npm update [<package>]
To uninstall a package:
npm uninstall --save <package>
Yarn
Is a alternative package manage to npm
npm install --global yarn
Java
The recommended way to install Java is to use SDKman (Software development kit Management) which allows you to manage multiple versions of Java on the same machine and
Install
curl -s "https://get.sdkman.io" | bash
Usage
The following command will show you which versions of Java are available to install:
sdk list java
You can find the latest version in that list and install it with (replace .x.x
with actual version numbers):
sdk install java 19.x.x
Select the version you want to use
sdk use java 11.x.x
Java version per Project
Want to switch to a specific JDK or SDK every time you visit a project? This can be achieved through an .sdkmanrc
file in the base directory of your project. This file can be generated automatically by issuing the following command
sdk env init
To switch to the configuration present in your .sdkmanrc file, simply issue the following command:
sdk env
Managing Java tools
Check all Java softwares available here
Install Maven
sdk install maven
Install VisualVM
sdk install visualvm
Postman
Postman is an API platform for building and using APIs. It is a very useful tool to work with different APIs(REST, Graphql and gRPC)
brew install --cask postman
AltTab
AltTab brings the power of Windows’s “alt-tab” window switcher to macOS.
brew install --cask alt-tab
After installed, use option + tab to navigate through the opened windows
Zoom
Video communication and virtual meeting platform
brew install --cask zoom
Slack
Team communication and collaboration software
brew install --cask slack
Docker
Docker is a set of platform-as-a-service (PaaS) products that use OS-level virtualization to deliver software in packages called containers.
Install
Download the version of docker for osx you want, check here
Create an account here
Then you can download here
Follow all the steps and congrats!You should have downloaded docker
Kubernetes
We will quickly and easily get a Kubernetes cluster up and running by running a kind
Kubernetes cluster. Kind is a Kubernetes cluster that leverages Docker to run a cluster.
brew install kind
// Create a new cluster
kind create cluster --name myloca
Deploy a sample workload(Nginx)
kubectl apply -f https://k8s.io/examples/application/deployment.yaml
// See the pods created
kubectl get po
PostgreSQL
PostgreSQL is a popular relational database, and Heroku has first-class support for it.
Install PostgreSQL using Homebrew:
brew install postgresql
It will automatically add itself to Homebrew Services. Start it with:
brew services start postgresql
If you reboot your machine, PostgreSQL will be restarted at login.
GUI
You can interact with your SQL database by running psql
in the terminal.
If you prefer a GUI (Graphical User Interface), Postico has a simple free version that let's you explore tables and run SQL queries.
Redis
Redis is a fast, in-memory, key-value store, that uses the disk for persistence. It complements nicely a database such as PostgreSQL. There are a lot of interesting things that you can do with it. For example, it's often used for session management or caching by web apps, but it has many other uses.
To install Redis, use Homebrew:
brew install redis
Start it through Homebrew Services with:
brew services start redis
I'll let you refer to Redis' documentation or other tutorials for more information.
Elasticsearch
Elasticsearch is a distributed search and analytics engine. It uses an HTTP REST API, making it easy to work with from any programming language.
You can use elasticsearch for things such as real-time search results, autocomplete, recommendations, machine learning, and more.
Install
Elasticsearch runs on Java, so make sure you have installed Java already.
Next, install Elasticsearch with:
brew install elasticsearch
Usage
Start the Elasticsearch server with:
brew services start elasticsearch
Test that the server is working correctly by running:
curl -XGET 'http://localhost:9200/'
(You may need to wait a little bit for it to boot up if you just started the service.)
Elasticsearch's documentation is more of a reference. To get started, you can also take a look at Elasticsearch: The Definitive Guide.
GUI
You can interact with the Elasticsearch server using curl
, or anything that can send an HTTP request.
However, if you prefer a graphical interface, you can take a look at Dejavu. You can easily install it via the Dejavu Chrome Extension.
Top comments (0)