New Mac Setup

I tend to refresh my personal laptop every 3 or 4 years and each time I try to refine the setup process. I've started now to used Homebrew to install all the applications I use.

First you need to install Homebrew, so from Terminal...

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Then the first application to install is my preferred terminal which it iTerm2

  • brew install --cask iterm2

With iTerm2 installed I can close Terminal and carry on install my other application from iTerm2.

Here's my current shopping list of apps to install. This is likely to grow!

  • brew install --cask alfred

  • brew install --cask appcleaner

  • brew install git

  • brew install --cask tower

  • brew install --cask visual-studio-code

  • brew install --cask stay

  • brew install docker

  • brew install --cask brave-browser

  • brew install --cask firefox

  • brew install --cask microsoft-edge

  • brew install --cask google-chrome

  • brew install commandbox

  • brew install --cask arq

  • brew install --cask fantastical

  • brew install --cask 1password

  • brew install --cask 1password-cli

  • brew install --cask google-drive

  • brew install --cask dropbox

  • brew install --cask azure-data-studio

  • brew install --cask figma

  • brew install --cask insomnia

  • brew install --cask slack

  • brew install --cask spectacle

  • brew install --cask vnc-viewer

  • brew install --cask zoom

Some of my app aren't available via Homebrew to I have to install these manually. Those being...

Then it's onto the macOS System Preferences. I'm not sure if it's possible to script this? I guess it must but I haven't managed to research that yet. So this is a growing list of my preferred configuration:

  • Change admin password
  • Add Touch ID finger prints - right hand second finger and thumb
  • General > change default browser - Brave
  • Dock & Menu Bar
    • Size > large
    • Magnification > on max
    • Automatically hide and show the Dock
  • Language & Region
    • Region > United Kingdom
  • Network
    • Wifi
  • Bluetooth > On
  • Trackpad
    • Tap to click > on

The following are a collection of hacks to change default the behaviours.

To stop the MacBook starting up with the lid is opened - sudo nvram AutoBoot=%00