My New Mac Setup (2018-2020)

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 [e-mail]

    • 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:

• https://github.com/minamarkham/formation
• Tania Rascia's setup
• Nick Nisi's dotfiles
• Mathias Bynens macos defaults

Comments

[Sunny Singh]

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).

[swyx]

apple picks some bad defaults.

[jwe]

I dont get it ...

[Martin Raag]

Thanks. Learned about a few more tools to try out - namely Rocket and Clipy.

[Benjamin Michel]

Thanks! Another tool that's I love is hyperswitch (bahoom.com/hyperswitch) to easily switch between the windows of the same app.

[swyx]

can't you just do "command + `"?

[Benjamin Michel]

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.

[swyx]

too bad.

[Antonio Radovcic]

I'd never have guessed that cmd-q might be an issue, what's your alternative shortcut for that?

[Guney Ozsan]

"...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.