macOS Machine Setup

macos-setup.md

Mac OS Dev Machine Setup

General

For latest settings refer to this comment

For previous settings check this Gist revisions

Remarks

• always read and follow Homebrew formulae installation instructions
• NEVER utilize prebundled binaries from Apple (ruby, python, postgres)
  • use virtual environments whenever possible (chruby, virtualenv, nvm, etc)

TODO

• translate OS settings into defaults calls
• save all dot files; see https://github.com/jansedivy/dotfiles

M2 Pro

• Pair keyboard
• Set my password
• Displays arrangement, Menubar to external (make it main), Builtin display resolution: More space
• Dock to the side (depending on where Mac is)
• Dock > Magnification On (50%)
• Desktop > Windows > Close windows when quitting an application Off
• Desktop background > Use stacks
• Set computer name (Zuse-XXX)
• Customise Modifier key: Caps Lock = Control (both internal & external keyboards)
• Left top hot corner = lock
• Touch ID - setup both pointer fingers (don’t forget to name them)
• Trackpad
  • Swipe between pages > Three Fingers
  • Click > Light
  • Silent clicking
  • Tap to click
  • App Expose > Down Three Fingers
• Appearance > Show scroll bars when scrolling
• Control Center > Clock options > Display time with seconds
• Accessibility > Zoom > Use scroll gesture with modifier key (Control) to zoom
• Keyboard
  • Text input > Turn off Correct spelling automatically, Turn off Capitalise words automatically
  • Keyboard navigation (Tab to focus controls)
  • Shortcuts -> Input sources -> Select previous source -> Alt + Space, Select next source -> Shift + Alt + Space
• Sign in to Apple ID
  • HW security key needed
• Set AirDrop discoverability to Everyone
• Enable unlimited bash history to keep all commands since first boot
• Install https://brew.sh
• Install https://cli.github.com/manual/
• gh auth login
  • Choose github.com, SSH, generate new key, no passphrase, web authentication
• gh repo clone LeZuse/homedir ~/homedir
• Double check contents of homedir/dotfiles/Brewfile* files
• brew bundle -v --file=dotfiles/Brewfile.core
• Follow all caveats: brew caveats `brew list`
• Switch to iTerm
  • Settings > Profiles > Colors > Foreground > 190 green
  • General > Command > Custom shell > /opt/homebrew/bin/bash (path to brew installed bash)
• Install & update MDM managed apps - Kandji Self Help app
  • 1Password, Zoom, Slack
• Add 1Password Vaults using Setup Code from iPhone
  • Enable Apple Watch Unlock
• Open installed apps and setup respectively
  • KeepingYouAwake -> Start at Login
  • MonitorControl -> Start at Login, disable Volume control
  • SoundSource -> Start at Login
  • Zoom -> Automatically join audio, Mute my mic when joining, Background blur, Always show meeting controls, Show meeting timers, Stop video and audio when display off, Stop my video when joining a meeting, Hide non-video participants, Always display participant name
• Safari > View > Show Status bar
• Safari > General > Safari opens with last session windows, Tabs > Compact, Always show titles, Advanced > Default encoding: Unicode, Show Develop menu
• Finder > General > New Finder windows show > $HOME
• brew bundle -v --file=dotfiles/Brewfile.dev
• Open installed apps and setup respectively
  • Notion -> Dark theme
• Update to latest Mac OS
• Apple ID
  • iCloud Mail > Off
  • Calendar -> Off
• Messages > Enable Messages in iCloud, Reachable at: all except work & apple custom domain test, Turn off Play sound effects
• Calendar > Accounts > Add Google calendar account, Alerts > Google > Events > 5 min before, Advanced > Turn on timezone support, Delete default On My Mac Calendar, for each calendar > Get Info > Disable/Enable alerts & availability, General > Show 16 hours at a time, View > Show Declined Events
• Mail > Accounts > Add Gmail account (work & personal), Viewing > Move discarded into > Archive, Show most recent at the top, Delete default On My Mac SentLater mailbox, General > New message notifications > VIPs
• Open all iCloud apps, check synced data, setup
  • Photos, Passwords, Keychain, Contacts, Reminders, Notes, Safari (tabs & bookmarks), Stocks, Home, Wallet (add daily card)
• Notes > Edit > Spelling > Turn on Correct spelling automatically
• Touch ID > Unlock with Apple Watch
• Notifications
  • Turn off badges: Mail
  • Turn off sound: Calendar
• Screen time > Turn on
• Dock
  • Pin Desktop folder (easy screenshot access)
• brew bundle -v --file=dotfiles/Brewfile.misc
• RescueTime > Turn off UI sounds
• mkdir ~/Projects
• Activity Monitor > Dock Icon > Show CPU History
• Install SCM breeze https://github.com/scmbreeze/scm_breeze#installation

TODO

• Login in Logi Options+ to sync settings
• Symlink shell profile rc files (incl brew PATH)
• Get back to all brew caveats
• Apple ID with HW keys
• Install 1Password for Safari - it actually works pretty well without it
• Enter Sublime Text license from 1pass
• Check for not installed apps in apps.txt, user_apps.txt, mas_apps.txt
• https://github.com/dolmen/github-keygen
• Remember password for SSH keys (Github etc)
• Setup scm_breeze
• Dock icons
• Spotlight enabled folders
• Menubar icons & apps
• Add aliases to Mail accounts
• Organize the UI of Mail app (favorites and header)
• Finder sidebar Favorites
• Figure out how to sync Sublime settings
• Check why Keyboard Input Sources are not syncing over iCloud (US & Czech querty)
• Control centre widgets
• Set faster key repeat using defaults write
• Convert all manual steps above into defaults write commands
• Add czech qwerty layout

needs old Mac:

• Figure out how to preserve Zoom settings
• Figure out how to preserve Notifications settings

suggests best DNS servers
https://code.google.com/archive/p/namebench/

Spellcheck & correction settings
https://apple.stackexchange.com/a/411622/62041

Storing secrets securely
https://scriptingosx.com/2021/04/get-password-from-keychain-in-shell-scripts/
https://gist.github.com/willgarcia/7347306870779bfa664e - homebrew token needs no scopes, for private repos only repo

CLI apps compilation
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18483460

https://packagecontrol.io/docs/syncing
https://github.com/mfuentesg/SyncSettings

notification settings management
https://github.com/jacobsalmela/NCutil

mail app addresses
https://support.moonpoint.com/os/os-x/applescript/mail_accts/

Sublime settings
https://github.com/LeZuse/sublime-config

https://github.com/mikeroyal/Apple-Silicon-Guide

MacOS Sonoma

• Disable the new cursor (buggy in Notes) https://stackoverflow.com/a/77296786/303016
• Wallpaper > Shuffle Landscape > Every 12 hours

Managing multiple git identities within .gitconfig file.

You can set this one up per-folder but I prefer mine to be set per wildcard of remote origin URL like so, example:
contents of my global ~/.gitconfig

[includeIf "hasconfig:remote.*.url:**github.com:*/*.git"]
	path = .gitconfig_personal

[includeIf "hasconfig:remote.*.url:**github.com:productboard/*.git"]
	path = .gitconfig_productboard

contents of ~/.gitconfig_productboard:

[user]
	email = xxx.xxxx@productboard.com
	name = John Does
    signingKey = xxx

contents of ~/.gitconfig_personal

# ... you get the idea

Display resolution etc
https://github.com/jakehilborn/displayplacer

Simple auto bootstrap script
https://github.com/karstenmueller/macos-bootstrap

OSS version of "Hide my email"
https://github.com/simple-login/app

CLI for Reminders
https://github.com/caroso1222/rmind

Online account hardening (not tied to a single machine)
https://github.com/p4gs/online-account-and-password-manager-hardening-guide

• part 1: https://sensiblesecurity.xyz/p/protecting-against-a-password-manager
• part 2: https://sensiblesecurity.xyz/p/protecting-against-a-password-manager-8f6