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macOS Set Up Notes

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System Apps

Dock

To remove all apps from the Dock (by writing an empty array to the Dock’s persistent-apps list):

defaults write com.apple.dock persistent-apps -array

killall Dock

To add small spacers to the Dock to help organize it:

alias add_dock_space='defaults write com.apple.dock persistent-apps -array-add '\''{tile-data={}; tile-type=small-spacer-tile;}'\''; killall Dock;'

add_dock_space

Also helpful: Add Desktop folder to the Dock (drag and drop it next to Downloads)

My Dock Arrangement

Finder (unmovable, always first), Mission Control (if on VM, helps with app switching), Web Browser, Slack, Small Spacer, VS Code, Terminal (or Ghostty), Small Spacer, Notes, System Settings.

Finder

  • Menu Bar -> View -> Turn on “Show Status Bar” and “Show Path Bar”
  • Choose Finder > Settings, then click Advanced. Select or deselect “Show all filename extensions.”

Terminal

  • Use Cmd + I to quickly open Inspector which allows you to change the profile (theme) of the window. Very helpful for multiple windows, to quickly tell which one is which.
  • Additional themes to download: Rickey_Terminal_Profiles.zip

Caps Lock Behaviour

An annoying caps lock delay exists. The real way is to fix it by running:

hidutil property --set '{"CapsLockDelayOverride":10}'

To run it at log-in every time: Create an Automator app that runs a “Script” with the above content, save it as remove_caps_lock_delay.app, and add it to your log-in items.

Keyboard Shortcuts

For using with a Windows-layout Keyboard

Because the Cmd Key is not vertically aligned with letter key “X”, it feels “weird” to use a normal keyboard for macOS. Therefore, it’s easier to keep some Windows-isms and the muscle memory as they work 80% of the time.

  • In Settings, Modifier Keys, swap Control as Command, and Command as Control (to use Logitech Keyboard)
  • Configure Mission Control to trigger on Control + Tab (which mimicks Windows alt+tab / Win+tab)
  • Prefer to use Logitech software as it gives a more pleasant mouse acceleration profile
  • Alternatively, use Linear Mouse: https://linearmouse.app/

Additional Apps

Window Tiling (Rectangle)

As of macOS 15 Sequoia there is now Window tiling using fn + control + arrow keys, but it still does not maximize window or move it between displays. To remove the gap between Windows: Turn off “Tiled windows have margins” in Settings.

Install Rectangle: https://rectangleapp.com/

Key Management

  • Use Secretive to manage SSH keys via the computer’s built-in Secure Enclave
  • But sadly it does not work with VS Code DevContainers, so you might end up either (1) do the remote operations on the host macOS envrionemtn only, which is annoying; or (2) needing to use ssh-agent to load a private key from ~/.ssh anyways…

Chrome Tab Management

Always have too many goddamn Chrome tabs open. Also works for Windows/Linux.

  1. Install Search Bookmarks, History and Tabs Extension
  2. Configure the extension to open with Cmd+Shift+A (so it is the same shortcut as Chrome’s built-in tab search)
  3. For additional options like increase the history span it searches, add a custom config

Clipboard Management

  1. Install https://maccy.app/ so you can keep multiple things in the clipboard and paste things from the past as needed.
  2. Enable “Paste automatically” in Maccy Preferences.
  3. Set Cmd + Shift + X as the keyboard shortcut to trigger (personal preference – so it matches with what I use in Klipper on KDE)

Example use case: Keep a commonly used string or some content readily available for pasting

Developer Tools

  • Docker Desktop seems to work fine, but Podman also exists. No strong feelings but for personal projects just use Docker for better ecosystem/content/support.

Cover Image: Mac OS X Lion Wallpaper. My first functional Hackintosh was Mac OS X Lion on a ThinkPad T420.