Mac-Setup

A list of useful tools and configurations for a Mac setup (more features for developers).

Homebrew

The first step to this setup is to install Homebrew.

Homebrew is a package manager for macOS. It allows you to install and manage software packages from the command line. We will be using it for all the installations. All details here.

Tip

I highly recommend you to use Homebrew to install your apps instead of the app store or the packages by yourself. It is a lot easier and cleaner (sometimes safer).

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

Classic tools

Warning

Each section has a script to install all the tools at once. You may use it if you want to install everything at once, but I recommend you to go through the list to understand what you are installing and how to use it.

Productivity

If you just want to install everything at once, and then come back to the list to explore the tools and their functionality, you can use the following command:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/MorganKryze/Mac-Setup/main/src/productivity.sh)"

Or if you downloaded the repository, you can use the following command:

zsh src/productivity.sh

Raycast is an app that replaces the spotlight search on your Mac. It is a productivity tool that allows you to search for files, apps, and more. It also has a lot of plugins that you can use to customize it to your needs. (Free | Open source)

brew install raycast

Maccy is a clipboard manager that allows you to keep track of your clipboard history. It is a very useful tool that can save you a lot of time. (Free | Open source)

brew install maccy

Arc is a Safari replacement that is faster and more privacy-focused. It is a great tool to use if you are looking for a new browser based on chromium, open-source version of chrome. (Free | Proprietary)

brew install arc

Notion is a note-taking app that allows you to take notes, create to-do lists, and more. (Free but has paid plans | Proprietary)

brew install notion

Pomatez is a pomodoro timer that allows you to manage your time and focus on your work. (Free | Open source)

brew install pomatez

Dropzone is a file manager that allows you to manage your files and automatize actions. (Free but has paid plans| Proprietary)

brew install dropzone

Note

For Dropzone, the installation gives you 14 days of free trial for the pro version. After that, just keep the free version or buy the pro version.

CheatSheet is a tool that allows you to display all the shortcuts of the app available. (Free | Proprietary)

brew install cheatsheet

Photo & Video

The script to install all the tools at once is the following:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/MorganKryze/Mac-Setup/main/src/photo_video.sh)"

Or if you downloaded the repository, you can use the following command:

zsh src/photo_video.sh

ImageOptim is a tool that allows you to compress images and remove metadata. (Free | Open source)

brew install imageoptim

VLC is a media player that allows you to play videos and music. (Free | Open source)

brew install vlc

Draw.io is a diagram editor that allows you to create diagrams and flowcharts. Can be used, online, on desktop or even in VsCode (just download the extension). (Free | Open source)

brew install drawio

Inkscape is a vector graphics editor that allows you to create and modify images from various formats. (Free | Open source)

brew install inkscape

Canva is a graphic design platform that allows you to create and modify presentations, banners, posts or any kind of visuals. It is available online too. (Free but has paid plans| Proprietary)

brew install canva

Messaging

The script to install all the tools at once is the following:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/MorganKryze/Mac-Setup/main/src/messaging.sh)"

Or if you downloaded the repository, you can use the following command:

zsh src/messaging.sh

Thunderbird is an email client that allows you to manage your emails. (Free but has paid extension for microsoft 365 emails | Open source)

brew install thunderbird

Signal is a messaging app that allows you to send encrypted messages. (Free | Open source)

brew install signal

Discord is a messaging app that allows you to communicate with your friends and colleagues in a server organized platform. (Free | Proprietary)

brew install discord

Bonus

Capture screenshot to jpg format instead of png. Run this command:

defaults write com.apple.screencapture type jpg

Security

The script to install all the tools at once is the following:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/MorganKryze/Mac-Setup/main/src/security.sh)"

Or if you downloaded the repository, you can use the following command:

zsh src/security.sh

Bitwarden is a password manager that allows you to store and manage your passwords securely. (Free but has paid plans| Open source)

brew install bitwarden

Tip

You may also take the bitwarden extension on your browser, but do not activate the autofill option to prevent any security breach. Some website may hide the password field and the autofill option may fill it without your consent and let them collect these data.

LuLu is a firewall that allows you to control the traffic of your apps and processes. (Free | Open source)

brew install lulu

OverSight is a tool that allows you to monitor your webcam and microphone. (Free | Open source)

brew install oversight

KnockKnock and BlockBlock are complementary tools that allow you to monitor your system for persistent malware. (Free | Open source)

brew install knockknock blockblock

Reikey is a tool that allows you to monitor your system for keyloggers. (Free | Open source)

brew install reikey

ClamAV is an antivirus that allows you to scan your files and folders for viruses. (Free | Open source)

Caution

This is not a real-time antivirus, it is only a scanner. You may use it to scan your files and folders, but it will not protect you from viruses in real-time.

brew install clamav

Proton VPN is a VPN that allows you to protect your privacy and security. proton is for me very reliable and non intrusive, they let you use the Netherlands servers for free without displaying intrusive popups at each restart. (Free but has paid plans| Proprietary)

brew install protonvpn

Tip

You may use it as a service using sudo brew services start clamav.

Utility

The script to install all the tools at once is the following:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/MorganKryze/Mac-Setup/main/src/utility.sh)"

Or if you downloaded the repository, you can use the following command:

zsh src/utility.sh

Onyx is a maintenance tool that allows you to clean your system and optimize it. (Free | Proprietary)

brew install onyx

AppCleaner is a tool that allows you to uninstall apps and their files by scanning your system and the app dependencies. (Free | Proprietary)

brew install appcleaner

Tip

I recommend using Homebrew by default, but AppCleaner is a good alternative for manual uninstall.

MonitorControl is a tool that allows you to control the brightness and volume of your external monitors. (Free | Open source)

brew install monitorcontrol

Stats is a tool that allows you to display your computer stats on the menu bar. (Free | Open source)

brew install stats

Though DevToys is a wonderful tool for programmers, it has several features that can be useful for everyone. It is a collection of tools that can be used to improve your productivity. (Free | Open source)

brew install devtoys

KeyboardCleanTool is a tool that allows you to disable your keyboard and trackpad to clean them. (Free | Proprietary)

brew install keyboardcleantool

MediaMate is a tool that allows you to control your media keys on your keyboard. (Free for trial but 7€ lifetime | Proprietary)

brew install mediamate

Lunar is a tool that allows you to control the brightness of your external monitors. (Free with limited but enough features, else 27€ lifetime | Proprietary)

brew install lunar

Rectangle is a window manager that allows you to manage your windows on your Desktop with your keyboard. (Free | Open source)

Warning

If you consider using Yabai (tiling manager availabe in the developper tools section), you MUST NOT use Rectangle. It will conflict with Yabai and may cause some issues.

brew install rectangle

Fun & Games

The script to install all the tools at once is the following:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/MorganKryze/Mac-Setup/main/src/games.sh)"

Or if you downloaded the repository, you can use the following command:

zsh src/games.sh

Steam is a gaming platform that allows you to play games on your Mac. (Free | Proprietary)

brew install steam

OpenEmu is a gaming platform that allows you to play retro games on your Mac. (Free | Open source)

brew install openemu

Cmatrix is a tool that allows you to display the matrix on your terminal. (Free | Open source)

brew install cmatrix

Developper tools

The script to install all the tools at once is the following:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/MorganKryze/Mac-Setup/main/src/devtools.sh)"

Or if you downloaded the repository, you can use the following command:

zsh src/devtools.sh

Warning

You will need more than just executing this script to set up the tools. Please go though this section to understand how to use and configure the tools.

Terminal configuration

We see how to use and setup the .zshrc and .zshenv files.

Both files are located in your home directory(~) and are used to configure your shell (terminal) and its tools and shortcuts. It is a hidden file, but you can view it by typing ls -a in your terminal.

Here is an example of a .zshrc file:

# This file contains the configuration for the Zsh shell.
# It sets up various aliases, plugins, and custom functions.

# Clears the terminal
clear && printf '\e[3J'

# Oh-my-zsh
ZSH_THEME="bira"
plugins=(
        git
        zsh-autosuggestions
        zsh-syntax-highlighting
)
source $ZSH/oh-my-zsh.sh

# homescreen customization
neofetch

# Display the" current directory files
alias dr="lsd -lah"

# Display the" current directory files in a tree
alias dt="lsd --tree ."

# Open a project in Visual Studio Code and close the terminal
alias opn="code .;exit;"

# Reopen a project in Visual Studio Code
alias reopn="code -r ."

# Yabai functions for tiling management
source ~/Yabai-Setup/src/yabai-setup.sh

Here is an example of a .zshenv file:

# This file contains the environment variables for the Zsh shell.
export ZSH="$HOME/.oh-my-zsh"

# Flutter tools
export PATH="$PATH:/Users/your-user/Documents/.../SDK/flutter/bin"
export PATH="$PATH":"$HOME/.pub-cache/bin"

# .NET tools
export PATH="$PATH:/Users/your-user/.dotnet/tools"

# Keys
export OPENAI_API_KEY=your_openai_key

# Rust tools
. "$HOME/.cargo/env"

# Z plugin
. /opt/homebrew/etc/profile.d/z.sh

Caution

Do not copy and paste these file directly into your terminal. Go throuh the process below to install the tools and then add the aliases and plugins to your .zshrc file when asked to. The .zshenv file is only an example, do not copy and paste it without updating the paths and keys you want to use.

Oh My Zsh

By default, the pre-configured shell on MacOS is zsh. Oh My Zsh is an open source, community-driven framework for managing your zsh configuration. It comes bundled with a ton of helpful functions, helpers, plugins, themes, and a few things that make you shout... "Oh My Zsh!". (Free | Open source)

sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/master/tools/install.sh)"

For the Theme part, I use bira, but you have a lot of choice. You can find them here. Do not forget to add it in your .zshrc file!

For the plugins, I use git, zsh-autosuggestions (gives you history of your commands) and zsh-syntax-highlighting (highlights in green if your command is valid). Once installed, you have to add them in the plugins section of your .zshrc file (like in the example above).

neofetch

neoFetch is a command-line system information tool. It displays information about your system next to an image, generally your OS logo, or any ASCII file of your choice. This is only cosmetic and informative. (Free | Open source)

brew install neofetch

Tip

You will need to add neofetch to your .zshrc file to display it at the start of each terminal session.

lsd

lsd is a modern ls command with a lot of options and visuals. (Free | Open source)

brew install lsd

Tip

You may use lsd with all of the built-in flags or define your own aliases in your .zshrc file to make your life easier.

z

z is a tool that allows you to navigate through your directories with ease. It is a must-have tool for developpers. (Free | Open source)

brew install z

statistics

htop is a tool that allows you to monitor your system's performance. (Free | Open source)

brew install htop

btop displays a monitor of ressources usage on your terminal. (Free | Open source)

brew install btop

yabai

Yabai is a tiling window manager for macOS. It let you control your windows with your keyboard and gain a lot of time. To download and use it, I made this repository.

Git and versionning

Git is a free and open source distributed version control system designed to handle everything from small to very large projects with speed and efficiency. (Free | Open source)

brew install git

To visualize a control panel of your git workspace, you can use lazygit. (Free | Open source)

brew install lazygit

If you are using GitHub, you may want to use the GitHub CLI to manage your repositories and issues. (Free | Proprietary)

brew install gh

Then you may authenticate yourself with the following command:

gh auth login

Tip

To make your git workspace easier to manage, I made this repository.

Environment managment

Tip

To make your developpment environment easier to manage, I made this repository.

Miniconda is a free minimal installer for conda. It is a small, bootstrap version of Anaconda that includes only conda, Python, the packages they depend on, and a small number of other useful packages, including pip, zlib and a few others. You may use it to create development environments for many language including Python, R, Ruby, Lua, Scala, Java, JavaScript, C/ C++, C#... (Free | Proprietary

brew install miniconda

Then init conda with the following command:

conda init "$(basename "${SHELL}")"

Containers

Docker is a set of platform as a service products that use OS-level virtualization to deliver software in packages called containers. Containers are isolated from one another and bundle their own software, libraries and configuration files; they can communicate with each other through well-defined channels. (Free | Open source)

brew install docker

To manage and visualize your containers, you can use lazydocker (same use as lazygit). (Free | Open source)

brew lazydocker

Dev apps

Visual Studio Code is a source-code editor developed by Microsoft for Windows, Linux and macOS. It includes support for debugging, embedded Git control, syntax highlighting, intelligent code completion, snippets, and code refactoring. (Free | Open source)

brew install visual-studio-code

UTM is a virtual machine app that allows you to run any kind of VMs on your Mac. It is a great tool to test your apps on different OS or to use Windows on your Mac. (Free | Open source)

brew install utm

UTM goes along with CrystalFetch, a tool that allows you to download the latest Windows images for UTM. (Free | Open source)

brew install crystalfetch

VsCode extensions

General

• Better comments
• Bracket pair colorizer
• Code spell checker
• Error lens
• Edit csv
• DotENV
• Image preview
• Image Viewer
• Live Share
• Live Server
• Material Icon Theme
• PDF Preview
• Prettier
• Reload
• Todo Tree

GitHub

• GitHub Actions
• GitHub Copilot
• GitHub Copilot Chat
• Git History

Markdown

• Markdown All in One
• Markdown Preview Enhanced
• Markdownlint
• Markdown PDF
• Markdown Preview Mermaid Support
• Mermaid Markdown Syntax Highlighting
• MyST-Markdown

API

• Thunder Client

.NET

• C#
• C# Extensions
• C# Dev Kit
• C# Snippets
• .NET Install Tool
• Learn Authoring Pack

Python

• Python
• Black Formatter
• isort
• Jupyter
• Pylance
• Python Environment Manager
• Python Extension Pack
• Python Indent

Dart/Flutter

• Flutter
• Dart Data Class Generator