A note to enhance macOS experience

macOS.md

bootstrap

• nix: https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs
• homebrew: https://brew.sh/
• fluid: https://fluidapp.com/
  • https://www.noisli.com/

(almost) mouseless

• alfred4: https://www.alfredapp.com/
• keytty: https://keytty.com/
• amethyst: https://ianyh.com/amethyst/
• vimac: https://vimacapp.com/
  • be careful of the default binding, C-j overtakes the key from https://github.com/christoomey/vim-tmux-navigator
  • it is now Homerow

key customizing

• karabiner: https://pqrs.org/osx/karabiner/
  • https://pqrs.org/osx/karabiner/complex_modifications/

focus and break

• justfocus: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/just-focus/id1142151959?mt=12
• unsplash wallpapers: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/unsplash-wallpapers/id1284863847?mt=12
• noisli: https://www.noisli.com/

terminal and editors

• iterm2: https://iterm2.com/
• terminal buddies
• editor buddies

dev

• secretive: https://github.com/maxgoedjen/secretive
• postman: https://www.getpostman.com/
• docker for mac: https://docs.docker.com/docker-for-mac/
• multipass: https://multipass.run/
  • it also has status bar UI like docker for mac

text and font

• rocket: https://matthewpalmer.net/rocket/
• jetbrains mono: https://www.jetbrains.com/lp/mono/

Security

Enable Touch ID to replace password typing for sudo

• https://www.reddit.com/r/MacOS/comments/hxbw6s/til_you_can_use_touch_id_instead_of_your_password/
• https://andre.arko.net/2020/07/10/sudo-with-touchid-and-apple-watch-even-inside-tmux/
• https://www.hein.dev/blog/2020/01/using-touchid-tmux-pam_reattach/
• https://github.com/fabianishere/pam_reattach
• https://gist.github.com/bulletinmybeard/fa17ad819e23f3d8629aa723982d4703

SSH

Manage SSH Keys in the Secure Enclave

https://github.com/maxgoedjen/secretive

Prevent SSH Disconnection

both as a client or server

Turn this option on, Prevent automatic sleeping on power adapter when the display is off - https://apple.stackexchange.com/a/452273/368485

Multi Users

Screen Sharing to Another Account on Same Mac

Go to https://gist.github.com/ryuheechul/3918366306f6b7f02c250dcb0cbee4ec#file-self-vnc-md

Fast user switching

-- copied from https://apple.stackexchange.com/a/434000/368485 and edited

tell application "System Events"
    tell application process "Control Center"
        click (first menu bar item of menu bar 1 ¬
            whose value of attribute "AXIdentifier" is "com.apple.menuextra.user")
        click (first button of window "Control Center" whose name is "Target User Name")
    end tell
end tell
-- Copy and paste this into at Run AppleScript on Shortcuts and change the name for the target user

---

next> https://github.com/ryuheechul/my-gists

self-vnc.md

Screen Sharing to Another Account on Same Mac

After macOS Ventura for some reason, I experienced sluggish connection with non 5900 ports which is explained in this page. So I came up with a new way - https://github.com/ryuheechul/provision/tree/main/lima/screenshare which seems to work better.

Using SSH (simple)

discovered at https://youtu.be/WcytVLxoIkU from one terminal session, ssh localhost -L 5901:localhost:5900 from another, open 'vnc://localhost:5901'

https://apple.stackexchange.com/a/151160

Using ncat - https://superuser.com/a/841606/1174289

#!/usr/bin/env bash

# let's say it's self-vnc.sh

target=5901
source=5900

bash -c "sleep 0.5; open 'vnc://localhost:${target}'" &
ncat --sh-exec "ncat 0.0.0.0 ${source}" -l "${target}" --keep-open

# and run `chmod +x self-vnc.sh; ./self-vnc.sh`

# `socat` equivalent if were to use `socat` instead of `ncat` - https://www.linuxshelltips.com/socat-command-examples/
socat TCP4-LISTEN:${target},fork,reuseaddr TCP4:localhost:${source}

More advanced example

Using the all method above we can create a function that can be sourced from either bash or zsh.

function _pf_w_ncat_or_ssh () {
    test -z "${target}" && echo '$target is not set' && exit 1
    test -z "${source}" && echo '$source is not set' && exit 1

    # favor `ncat` in case you have the binary installed
    command -v ncat >/dev/null && {
        echo '`ncat` detected; using `ncat`'
            ncat --sh-exec "ncat 0.0.0.0 ${source}" -l "${target}" --keep-open
    # fallback to `ssh` in case you don't have `ncat` installed
    } || {
        echo '`ncat` not detected; fallback to `ssh`'
        test -z "${host}" && echo '$host is not set' && exit 1

        echo "${target} port is being forwarded to ${host}:${source}"

        # `exec bash -c ...` is what "prevent to enter" the shell since that's not the reason that ssh is being used
        ssh "${host}" -L "${target}":localhost:"${source}" \
            "exec bash -c 'echo "CTRL + C to exit" && cat'"
    }
}

function self-vnc () {
    host=localhost # change this to something else especially if you have a convinient alias for localhost ~/.ssh/config
    target=5901 # whatever port you want to expose to
    source=5900 # this should not be changed

    # run this for the convinience
    bash -c "sleep 0.5; open 'vnc://localhost:${target}'" &

    # actual port-forwarding function
    _pf_w_ncat_or_ssh
}

# source these two functions from zsh or bash
# and run `self-vnc` to port-forward and open "Screen Sharing" app.

Another Way with Packet Filtering

• https://superuser.com/questions/1554930/macoscatalina-permanent-port-forwarding
  • https://gist.github.com/novemberborn/aea3ea5bac3652a1df6b
  • https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/308182/how-to-launch-pf-at-startup
  • https://stackoverflow.com/questions/28063598/error-while-executing-plist-file-path-had-bad-ownership-permissions

The essence of it (without the launchctl)is like following.

1. create the pf file. sudo touch /etc/pf-self-vnc.conf

2. write the following to the file above (at least one line).

# 5901 to 5900
rdr pass inet proto tcp from 127.0.0.1 to 127.0.0.1 port 5901 -> 127.0.0.1 port 5900
# 5902 to 5900
rdr pass inet proto tcp from 127.0.0.1 to 127.0.0.1 port 5902 -> 127.0.0.1 port 5900

3. run Packer Filter via the command, sudo pfctl -ef /etc/pf-self-vnc.conf

there is also a note for Windows