This writeup targets macOS Sequoia and is for people like me who got used to other operating systems but have to tolerate macOS's brain damage for work.
System Settings → Battery → Options... → Prevent automatic sleeping on power adapter when the display is off (on)
Install and use Fermata to keep laptop awake on battery without an external monitor attached.
System Settings → Trackpad → Point & Click → Tap to click (on)
System Settings → Trackpad → Scroll & Zoom → Natural scrolling (off)
- System Settings → Accessibility → Pointer Control → Trackpad Options... → Use trackpad for dragging (on)
- System Settings → Accessibility → Pointer Control → Trackpad Options... → Dragging style → With Drag Lock
sudo trimforce enable defaults write -g NSWindowShouldDragOnGesture -bool true
defaults write -g NSWindowShouldDragOnGestureFeedback -bool false sudo xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /file/path codesign --force --deep -s - /path/to/The.appThanks @glennbrown for the tip.
System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources → British — PC → Edit... →
- Correct spelling automatically (off)
- Capitalise words automatically (off)
- Add full stop with double-space (off)
- Use smart quotes and dashes (off)
Settings → Profiles → Default → General → Keys → General → Left option (⌥) → Esc+
By default, Ctrl-Space is bound as a keyboard shortcut to switch Input Sources (essentially keyboard layouts), which means that Emacs will not see it. You can turn this off in System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → Input Sources (in sidebar). Ctrl-Space will immediately be available in Emacs.
Create an AppleScript:
do shell script "open -b com.microsoft.edgemac --args --enable-features=msEdgeMouseGestureDefaultEnabled,msEdgeMouseGestureSupported,msSpawnNtpOnLastTabClose"File → Export... → Export As: ~/Applications/Launch Microsoft Edge with Feature Flags.app
File Format: Application
Drag into Dock. Right-click, Options → Open at Login
Use this icon to start Edge.
KeeWeb Connect works on the Chromium browsers but not Firefox for some reason. Install KeepassXC-Browser and KeepassXC,
connect KeepassXC-Browser to KeepassXC, delete KeepassXC, then edit
~/Library/Application Support/Mozilla/NativeMessagingHosts/org.keepassxc.keepassxc_browser.json and make it look like this
{
"allowed_extensions": [
"keepassxc-browser@keepassxc.org"
],
"description": "KeePassXC integration with native messaging support",
"name": "org.keepassxc.keepassxc_browser",
"path": "/Users/agurdasani/Applications/KeeWeb.app/Contents/MacOS/util/keeweb-native-messaging-host",
"type": "stdio"
} Install Karabiner-Elements. In its Settings, add a Complex Modifications rule like this
{
"description": "Send Shift + Ctrl + f13 on Right Command to emulate Compose Key (http://lolengine.net/blog/2012/06/17/compose-key-on-os-x)",
"manipulators": [
{
"from": { "key_code": "right_option" },
"to": [
{
"key_code": "f13",
"modifiers": ["left_control", "left_shift"],
"repeat": false
}
],
"type": "basic"
}
]
} This makes the Right Option (⌥) key send Shift + Ctrl + F13 instead.
Create a ~/Library/KeyBindings/DefaultKeybinding.dict file (see other file in this Gist).
Log out and back in again. Right Option is now a compose key, e.g.
- Right Option + - + > gives a right arrow.
- Right Option + = + / gives ≠.
- Right Option + - + - + - gives —.
- Right Option + - + - + . gives –.
- Right Option + < + 3 gives ♥.
- Right Option + " + u gives ü.
- Right Option + / + l gives ł.
. . . so apps can be updated without requiring elevation.
In Finder, Go → 🏠 Home, then View → Show View Options → Show Library folder (on).
Then go to Library and drag Applications into the Favorites on the left.
For .dmg, .zip etc. Archives that contain .app bundles directly, drag those on top of this favorite Applications entry instead of /Applications.
For .pkg unfortunately there is no choice.
For the same reason, it may be preferable to install Brew casks using brew install --appdir ~/Applications --cask.
(Thanks @glennbrown for the tip!)
- Fermata: to keep the Mac awake with power supply and external displays unplugged (for instance, to keep a call or network connection going).
- Better Display: to be able to turn particular screens on and off and for handy controls for things like display brightness even for external monitors.
- Maccy: Clipboard manager, very useful for recalling items copied into the clipboard earlier. Not dissimilar to the Clipboard History functionality available in Alfred, or on Windows and Plasma, Windows + V.
- Karabiner-Elements: Very handy for remapping keys, even on a per-keyboard level, so you can use different mappings for the internal keyboard and any external keyboards. Useful for fixing the location of `/~ and ISO \/| keys with the less-braindead British—PC keyboard layout, so the internal keyboard on UK models actually works like an ISO British layout keyboard as opposed to Apple's bastardized version.
- Rectangle: offers the ability to adjust the snapping/tiling layouts available when snapping windows to the edge of the screen (like Windows' Aero Snap and Plasma's equivalent), assign keybindings, and save and restore tiled window layouts.
- Amphetamine: offers a wide variety of choices in keeping a Mac and its display awake and unlocked.
- Homebrew: Full fledged package manager for different OSes including macOS. Necessary for any non-trivial work done on the command line.