Setting Up a Mac in 2022

System Preferences

• Disable "Natural" Mouse Scoll Direction
  • System Preferences > Mouse > Uncheck Scroll Direction: Natural
• Use function keys without fn key
  • System Preferences > Keyboard > Check Use F1, F2 etc. keys as standard function keys
• Remove text replacements
  • System Preferences > Keyboard > Text > Remove “omw”, Uncheck everything on the right
• Remove all items from dock
  • Right-click app icon > Options > Uncheck keep on dock
• Hide dock
  • Right-click on empty space on the dock > turn hiding on
• Show file extensions
  • Open finder (open any directory) > cmd + , to open settings > advanced tab > check show all filename extensions

Homebrew (Package Manager)

• follow instructions on brew's home page
  • run the following in the terminal:
  • /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Install and Replace Default Applications

• Section TL;DR

brew install alfred iterm2 brave-browser visual-studio-code

Replace Spotlight Search with Alfred 4

Alfred is an ... app which boosts your efficiency ...

• Install Alfred 4
  • brew install alfred
• Change Spotlight's default hotkeys
  • Open Spotlight
  • default: cmd + space
  • Open Spotlight-specific preferences
  • cmd + ,
  • Go to shortcuts page
  • click Keyboard Shortcuts...
  • Change shortcuts for "Show Spotlight Search" or disable it (I use cmd + shift + space)
• Setup Alfred
  • Open Alfred
  • type alfred in spotlight search
  • Go through setup, give it appropriate permissions
  • Change Alfred hotkey to cmd + space
  • in alfred, hit cmd + , to open settings
  • in general tab, click on Alfred Hotkey:
  • Add Downloads directory to config
  • in Alfred, go to Features tab
  • in Search Scope, click the + button near the bottom-right

Replace Terminal with iTerm2

• Install iTerm2
  • brew install iterm2
  • iterm2 > preferences (cmd + ,) > keys > Check show/hide all windows with a system-wide hotkey

Replace Safari with Brave

• brew install brave-browser

Replace TextEdit with Visual Studio Code

• brew install visual-studio-code

Terminal Setup

• remove last login message
  • touch ~/.hushlogin
• replace default zsh
  • brew install zsh
• install zsh theme manager (oh-my-zsh)
  • sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/master/tools/install.sh)”
• remove default theme
  • comment this (line 5): # ZSH_THEME="robbyrussell”
• install theme (powerlevel10k)
  • brew install romkatv/powerlevel10k/powerlevel10k
• apply theme
  • append to bottom: source /usr/local/opt/powerlevel10k/powerlevel10k.zsh-theme
• restart terminal (IMPORTANT)
• powerlevel10k should take you through its wizard, and install a powerline font (MesloLGS NF)
• apply new font to iTerm
  • open iTerm (cmd + space, if following previous setup)
  • open settings (cmd + ,)
  • profile > text > font > click change font ... > select MesloLGS NF
• apply new font to Visual Studio Code
  • open Visual Studio Code
  • open settings (cmd + ,)
  • scroll to font and type MesloLGS NF
• Setup zsh autocompletions, syntax highlighting
  • brew install zsh-autosuggestions
  • brew install zsh-syntax-highlighting
  • add to bottom of zshrc
    • source /usr/local/share/zsh-autosuggestions/zsh-autosuggestions.zsh
    • source /usr/local/share/zsh-syntax-highlighting/zsh-syntax-highlighting.zsh
  • configure suggestion strategy (append anywhere on zshrc)
    • ZSH_AUTOSUGGEST_STRATEGY=(completion history)

Misc

Git

• brew install git
• create ssh key (https://docs.github.com/en/authentication/connecting-to-github-with-ssh/generating-a-new-ssh-key-and-adding-it-to-the-ssh-agent)
  • ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your_email@example.com"
• ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519
• enable zsh plugin for ssh-agent
  • add ssh-agent between round brackets where plugins are defined
  • e.g. plugins=(git ssh-agent)

node / nvm

fast version manager (alternative to nvm)

• Install
  • brew install fnm
• Make avaialable to zsh
  • append to zshrc: eval "$(fnm env)"
• Show available node versions
  • fnm list-remote
• Install a node version
  • fnm install <node-version>
• Make a version of node the default
  • fnm default <node-version>
• Check if node was install correctly
  • node --version