tonghuikang / macOS_setup

Thank you Apple for making me reset my computer for >10 times over three years

macOS setup

[TOC]

Recommended first processes

Initiation

• You should be given a freshly reformatted Mac with the latest OS installed.
• Do not enable Siri and Apple Pay.
• Do log in to your Apple ID if that is your intention.
• Do not forget the computer password, just write it down somewhere first.
• Please restart the computer to ensure that your password still works.

Essential apps

• (You should install these apps first to make installing easier)
• Google Chrome (the web browser you will be using anyway)
• Telegram (for me to send notes to myself)

iCloud

• Create an iCloud account, remember the username and password

• If you cannot create iCloud account, try doing that in the App Store

• Please restart the computer to ensure that your password still works

• Enable Find My Mac

Application setup

Personal preferences

• Hot corners (mission control, desktop, launchpad, sleep)
• Dock preferences (delete everything else, do not show recent applications in Dock)
• Clock (24-hour, show seconds)
• Keep computer awake unless locked (energy saver, screensaver)
• Keyboard
  • Key Repeat (Fast), Delay Until Repeat (Short)
  • Customise Control Strip - Remove Siri
  • Text - uncheck "Add full stop with double-space", "Use smart quotes"
  • Modifer keys - Caps lock to Escape
    • If you want to swap - install Karabinder Elements
• Finder (Favourites - home folder, Desktop, Downloads, relevant repositories)
• Trackpad - Uncheck "Swipe between pages"
• Accessibility
  • Zoom (not the app) > Use scroll gesture (Command) > Advanced > Appearance > Continuously with pointer
  • Pointer Control > Trackpad Options > Enable dragging (three finger drag)

Apps to download in your computer

• Chrome (if not already downloaded) (stop asking to save password, use LastPass)
• Telegram (if not already downloaded)
• Typora (save images to ./assets, enable math processing)
• Zoom (download virtual background)
• Logitech Options (I own a MX Anywhere 2S)
• VS Code
• Dropbox (log in and sync)

Allow screen recording for certain apps

• (This is so that you have less panic when you really need to screen record with those apps)
• Relevant apps: Google Chrome, Zoom, Slack, QuickTime Player
• Attempt to record screen with the app. Then go to Security & Privacy > Privacy > Screen Recording > Enable

Development setup

iTerm2 setup

• https://medium.com/ayuth/iterm2-zsh-oh-my-zsh-the-most-power-full-of-terminal-on-macos-bdb2823fb04c
• Set up your aliases - following is mine .zshrc

Applications to install with brew

• (brew should be already installed together with zsh)
• brew install git wget htop
• brew cask install smcfancontrol

Java installation

• (tbc)

Anaconda installation

• brew cask install anaconda
• echo 'export PATH="/usr/local/anaconda3/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc

# if there are permission issues
# sudo chown -R tonghuikang /usr/local/anaconda3
# sudo chown -R tonghuikang ~/

• For installation for individual environments please refer to python.md

Issues

Email app keep popping up on disconnection (reference tbc)

Miscellaneous

How to fix your computer

• (no longer required for M1 laptops)
  • reset NVRAM or PRAM https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204063
  • reset the SMC https://support.apple.com/en-sg/HT201295
• run diagnostics https://support.apple.com/en-sg/HT202731
• reset the computer if all else fails https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT208496