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New computer setup
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install.markdown

New Machine

Updated this for the first time in awhile in late 2020.

System Preferences

  • Enable iCloud
  • Disable iCloud mail
  • Display to medium
  • Turn up trackpad speed
  • Trackpad to light
  • Turn up keyboard repeat speeds
  • Caps lock to escape
  • Use keyboard navigation to move focus between controls
  • Disable Touch Bar typing suggestions
  • Require password after 5 seconds
  • Turn on FileVault
  • Turn on firewall

Safari

  • Disable password and credit card auto fill in Safari
  • Show full address
  • Enable developer tools
  • Enable status bar

Download from web

Download from App Store

  • Contrast
  • Day One
  • Deliveries
  • Final Cut Pro X
  • Logic
  • Pixelmator
  • Redacted

Finder

  • Show status bar
  • Sort by name in all folder
  • Desktop sort by grid
  • New Finder window opens Home

Notes

  • Turn up font size to the middle option

Terminal

  • Turn up font size to 15
  • Hide marks

Developer

  • Install dot files 
     $ cd ~
 $ git init
 $ git remote add origin https://github.com/soffes/dotfiles.git
 $ git pull origin main
 $ ~/Scripts/install.sh
  • Install Homebrew 
     $ /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
 $ brew install zsh git rbenv python redis postgresql ffmpeg imagemagick node
 $ brew services start postgresql
 $ brew services start redis
  • Install Ruby 
     $ rbenv install 3.0.2
 $ rbenv global 3.0.2
 $ gem install bundler

Menu Bar

  • Remove flag
  • Remove AirPlay
  • Hide day of the week

Music

  • Disable song notifications

Messages

  • Disable sound effects
  • Turn on iCloud messages
  • Turn on read receipts

Mail

  • Discard messages to Archive
  • Change default send from account
@levifig
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levifig commented Aug 28, 2010

This is so handy. I do most of these steps myself and I used to do the crazy batch slipstreaming on my old Windows CDs so they'd configure⁄install everything silently, so this type of stuff really rings a bell! ;)

PS: You should really look into replacing Quicksilver with Alfred. It rocks! :D

@soffes
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soffes commented Aug 28, 2010

Thanks man! I like Quicksilver :)

@jakemarsh
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I had an idea.

Theoretically, couldn't you do a fresh install, follow each one of these steps, to the 'T', then backup to a blank external drive (that matches the size of your laptop's HD), then once everything is completely backed up, label that drive (IRL), and put it somewhere safe. Then every time you did a fresh install, you could just restore to that and be done in one step, (Minus any updates that had come along) ?

(Sorry if any of that sounds illegible, i'm dealing with some ugly food poisoning right now, so I tend to ramble).

@soffes
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soffes commented Sep 12, 2010

That's an awesome idea. I wonder if you could do it with a sparse image on a large external and then use Disk Utility on the install DVD to restore it.

@levifig
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levifig commented Sep 12, 2010

And share the sparse image? ;)

PS: I do wonder if that would be legally advisable though… :p

@soffes
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soffes commented Sep 12, 2010 •
edited

Distributing OS X would not be legal :)

@jakemarsh
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I think you could make that work. That would be epic. I don't fresh reinstall often enough. Perhaps I will start doing so at a regular intervals now.

@stig
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stig commented Oct 7, 2010

Isn't this what Time Machine is for?

@soffes
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soffes commented Oct 7, 2010

I like to start fresh :)

@ericboehs
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Wow. Spot on. I do have difference but this is so close. Here's a few things I do different. I'll try to go in some sort of order:

  • Enable "Tap to Click" in Trackpad preferences
  • Leave sound in menubar (I alt-click it often to change sound sources... between ACD, Astro Mixamp, and Internal I have a lot of sound IO)
  • Remove WiFi icon from dock after about a month -- and then Network PP for the one offs
  • Instead of 15, I setup BetterTouchTool for the Magic Trackpad (where I define dozens of gestures)
  • I don't install Growl as Dropbox does. (brew install growlnotify if you must)
  • I don't switch Spotlight to option space as I got used to QuickSilver's Ctrl-Space back in the day
  • Set Alfred to Ctrl-Space and install powerpack. (Enable Clipboard History and set it to a month)
  • Instead of Wallet I install 1Password (which it auto detects that my keychain is in Dropbox)
  • Nix Coda (I've got a license but don't enjoy it)
  • Nix CoverSutra (I'm all Rdio now)
  • Nice find on Chax, I've now switched. I can't think of a reason to use Adium anymore aside OTR chat
  • Nix Cloud App now that they are charging for more than 10 uploads a day. I already pay for a service to publicly host files (Dropbox). If you want an easy image uploader use GrabBox (uses Dropbox); and if you want a custom domain for dropbox files, check this out.
  • I'm using AppCleaner instead of AppZapper. I can't decide if it's with the $$.
  • I store my dotfiles in my Dropbox and symlink them.
  • I'm not using zsh (maybe one day)
  • I don't install any files from disk (although I need to get the creative suite)

Here are some other Apps I install as well:

And a few others that I rarely use. (FlashMount, Navicat Lite, Sequal Pro, The Unarchiver, VLC, Wireshark)

I need to make my own gist it looks like. :) Oh and I'm digging the textmate stuff I'm going to have to give this a run.

Few questions:

  • Regarding the JSON extension, you are aware Chrome sync syncs extensions, right? If you're just documenting your Chrome extensions surely you have others? Where's AutoPager, iReader, Gmail Notifier, Instapaper, etc?
  • How are you liking Alfred? Are you using the power pack? What made you switch from Launchbar? (I'm not liking Alfred's file navigation)
  • Why Wallet? Have you checked out 1Password? My favorite feature is the bookmarklet for iPhone (synced via MobileMe). I have a Thanksgiving license if you want to try it.
  • Are you using CloudApp's premium offering?
  • Where's ruby 1.9.2? :)
  • You're using Terminal.app? What fonts do you use? Do you change the color schema? Do you remove the scrollbar?
  • What's your backup solution? Time Machine? Any offsite?
  • How often do you use Charles? What do you primarily use it for?

@soffes
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soffes commented Nov 30, 2010

Eric, thanks for the awesome comment.

Can't stand tap to click. Good call on removing Growl.

  • I like Alfred a lot. I bought PowerPack and I really like it. I didn't really like Launchbar. I recently switched to Alfred from Quicksilver. It is 100% awesome.
  • I like Wallet. I got it in MacHeist awhile ago. It's pretty and simple (the opposite of 1Password). Their iPhone app is great too.
  • I was the first person to get CloudApp's pay account. I'm a big fan. Totally worth it.
  • My biggest Rails project doesn't work in 1.9.2 (it's a client app) otherwise I would do it. I actually install both and just choose 1.8.7 for now. I have REE on Heroku for that app, so I use that version.
  • I do use Terminal. I do Monaco 12 in every editor as well as Terminal. I just copy the default them and change the font. I leave everything else the same. I know iTerm is a little faster, but I like Terminal better.
  • TimeMachine and an external in my fireproof safe.
  • I don't use Charles that much. It's great for debugging stuff that doesn't have a console. I used it the most when I was doing websockets stuff. It's also great for lots of network snooping (say you want to use the Google Reader undocumented API)

@levifig
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levifig commented Nov 30, 2010

Hey Eric, sweet comment! A lot closer to my setup actually (except I love CloudApp and was using some Pro features—eg. custom domain—before it was a public thing; totally worth it)… :)

I'm curious: Notifo has a desktop app? And how can I forward my Notified Pro notifications to it? :o Thanks. :)

Also, iTerm FTW :)

@levifig
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levifig commented Nov 30, 2010

Never mind, found the desktop app: http://notifo.com/desktop :)
Thanks for letting me know about it… :D

@ericboehs
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Notified Pro != Notify Pro... It's rather confusing..

http://is.gd/hYKIZ

Oh and yea, they have a desktop app. It's just a simple notifier.. User/pass and that's it.

@levifig
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levifig commented Nov 30, 2010

Oh, gotcha!!
Wish the desktop app (Notifo) could run without the menu item (just a daemon at startup)… :\

@ericboehs
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Check out the linux python script then. I'm sure it could be modified to use growlnotify. Throw it into Lingon and you're iconless.

Or you could set the menu icon to a transparent png and call it a day.

@levifig
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levifig commented Nov 30, 2010

Thanks for the tips Eric. :)

@andwang
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andwang commented Nov 17, 2011

Thanks Sam for sharing this. The part about turning brightness made me laugh. That is totally how you do it.

@soffes
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soffes commented Nov 17, 2011

@andwang haha you and your barely readable colors and brightness :P

@levifig
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levifig commented Nov 17, 2011

@samsoffes DUDE: I do the exact same thing every time I use someone else's computer!!!! I don't understand how anyone can work on any Apple screen without full brightness!!!!

@andwang
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andwang commented Nov 17, 2011

Sam, I've since been converted . I am turning my brightness to 100% since you and I chatted.

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