There isn't really much you'll need. Perhaps a number keypad if you're getting a MacBook. The biggest thing you'll need a handful of software packages. iTerm is the Terminal emulator of choice....
There isn't really much you'll need. Perhaps a number keypad if you're getting a MacBook.
The biggest thing you'll need a handful of software packages. iTerm is the Terminal emulator of choice. You'll probably want to have Homebrew to install the Linux software you are used to, and if any of those tools are graphical you will also want XQuartz (Though it's been so long that I'm not sure if Homebrew will just install it for you. You may also want a graphical compression archive program, and I personally like Keka, though there are plenty of options.
Honestly, more than anything, you probably just need to spend some time getting used to MacOS's quirks. IMHO it really hasn't changed much since 2016 except for the applications bundled with it.
I second the Keka recommendation. Grabbed it so I could compress folders without including .DS_Store, but it's quickly become my go-to app for compression.
I second the Keka recommendation. Grabbed it so I could compress folders without including .DS_Store, but it's quickly become my go-to app for compression.
For the mouse, you'll almost definitely want SensibleSideButtons so your back and forward buttons do what they're supposed to—they don't by default. iTerm2 Homebrew (UNIXy package manager) Once...
For the mouse, you'll almost definitely want SensibleSideButtons so your back and forward buttons do what they're supposed to—they don't by default.
iTerm2
Homebrew (UNIXy package manager)
Once you're setup with Homebrew, you'll be right at home in the command line. You'll find a lot of the included versions of classic UNIX tools (like bash and vim) are pretty out of date, so you'll want to replace them with their Homebrew versions.
Take some time to learn keyboard shortcuts too, here's some:
Command + Tab cycles between apps
Command + ` cycles between windows of an app
Command + Q fully quits an app
Command + W closes a tab/window but doesn't quit the app
Command + Space opens up Spotlight system search (try out its built-in calculator!)
I really, really love using macOS when I'm in the terminal because of Cmd+C/V for copying and pasting, leaving Ctrl+C etc to the shell for its own stuff. It's so irritating to me when I use Linux that I have to use Ctrl+Shift+C.
I also see that the Keychron K2 is a Mac layout keyboard, that's good. It's much more ergonomic and reachable to have the Super (Command key) directly next to the spacebar.
Disable caps lock and remap it to Control or Command, I use mine for Control.
Some other good shortcuts: ⌘L to go to your URL bar in Chrome and Safari. ⌘, to open preferences for the front application. ⌘T to open a new tab in most applications. ⌘⇧. to toggle the visibility...
Some other good shortcuts:
⌘L to go to your URL bar in Chrome and Safari.
⌘, to open preferences for the front application.
⌘T to open a new tab in most applications.
⌘⇧. to toggle the visibility of hidden files in Finder.
⌘⇧4 to capture a portion of the screen with the cursor.
Add [Space] to this to capture an individual window with beautiful transparency behind it.
And, if you're typographically inclined:
⌥⇧8 for °
⌥- for an en-dash (–)
⌥⇧- for an em-dash (—)
Bind any other useful characters you find useful in System Preferences → Keyboard → Text. For example, I have cmd; bound to ⌘. mu; bound to μ, fstop; bound to ƒ, etc.
Finally, download Magnet. It's a paid application in the Mac App Store which manages window tiling and alignment—which is in my view the one missing part of macOS.
One thing I’ll suggest is a software tip that makes things a lot easier if you’re jumping around directories a lot. If you have an open/save dialog open, you can drag any file from any Finder...
One thing I’ll suggest is a software tip that makes things a lot easier if you’re jumping around directories a lot.
If you have an open/save dialog open, you can drag any file from any Finder window or title bar into the open/save box and it will automatically switch the box to that folder with the item you just dragged selected.
I deal with video files spread across folders all day and this is a massive time saver so you don’t have to constantly jump between folders in the open/save boxes.
I use itsycal to have a calendar on the clock in the tray. Iterm2 as the terminal emulator If you have a touchpad you can check out better touch tool You’ll probably know which editor you’ll want...
I use itsycal to have a calendar on the clock in the tray.
Iterm2 as the terminal emulator
If you have a touchpad you can check out better touch tool
You’ll probably know which editor you’ll want to use - it’s most likely available on Mac OS too...
Some people use Alfred for os wide search but for me spotlight is fine (I think it’s Option and space to open it)
Better touch tool let’s you snap windows to the side, I don’t know any other window managers
Seconding home brew as well. Maybe Macports for other apps. I never needed xquartz
If your monitor is ok the hub it should work
Also: change the settings so you can run apps from unknown developers
I think there were other settings but I don’t remember them... if you encounter any issues I can help you on the start though
Edit:
Also learn the touch pad gestures. The touchpad is seriously the best in class. And the gestures help with working. You Might need to enable them in the settings. My most used are 3 fingers up or down
Are you actually building Mac or iOS applications, or doing something less Mac-specific like web development? I've used Macs for development for a long time without actually writing Mac apps. It's...
Are you actually building Mac or iOS applications, or doing something less Mac-specific like web development? I've used Macs for development for a long time without actually writing Mac apps.
It's already a Unix so you don't need much. On a new machine I would install Chrome, git, VS Code, and whatever development SDK I'm using, and be reasonably happy. If you want to work offline you will need to download enough in the way of docs to get by, but that's not Mac-specific. I try to avoid Homebrew but I'm weird that way; often install instructions for developers assume you have it, so it's probably the path of least resistance.
The expectation is that you're just going to stick with the default "window manager" and get used to it, but there are settings to customize it. I move the app dock on the right side, make the icons smaller, and remove apps I never use. There are a few other things I forget that I always do; look around in the control panels for anything that looks interesting.
If you're into tiling window managers, I found Amethyst (an xmonad replacement) and yabai / skhd (bspwm / sxhkd ports). It looks like most other MacOS window managers are centered around extending...
If you're into tiling window managers, I found Amethyst (an xmonad replacement) and yabai / skhd (bspwm / sxhkd ports).
It looks like most other MacOS window managers are centered around extending (rather than replacing) Apple's default window manager with keyboard shortcuts, snapping windows, and the like. @skybrian's list looked fairly comprehensive.
I mean, to be fair, think about the IT staff. Employee computers naturally have metric tons of sensitive information, and it is important to sufficiently control access. If one employee downloads...
No, that's what's so funny to me about the whole thing... we're building web apps that are deployed on GKE
I mean, to be fair, think about the IT staff. Employee computers naturally have metric tons of sensitive information, and it is important to sufficiently control access.
If one employee downloads a clipboard manager they use, but which actually got hijacked, and is now sending malicious users everything on their clipboard, that's a disaster.
Macos has better IT controls than Linux distros, and keeping one universal platform means a 50 to 66% reduction in their workload.
My workplace is also a Mac (also iPhone only) shop, and as an android user it's mildly annoying to keep around a company iPhone, but I get it. It makes sense from the company's perspective. Macbooks are great machines, too, when you're not the one paying for them.
I don't think the architecture of the user interface and OS are quite the same as Linux so I was quoting "window manager" as a Linux-specific term. But it seems that there are Mac utilities called...
I don't think the architecture of the user interface and OS are quite the same as Linux so I was quoting "window manager" as a Linux-specific term. But it seems that there are Mac utilities called window managers and they seem to be about managing windows? I've never used them.
Other commenters have already addressed most of the big points (iTerm2, homebrew, you may have to run xcode-select --install once to get some command-line tools installed). People recommend Albert...
Other commenters have already addressed most of the big points (iTerm2, homebrew, you may have to run xcode-select --install once to get some command-line tools installed).
People recommend Albert as a Spotlight replacement all the time, and I have it—even the paid extra features—and I've never bothered to learn how to do anything in it that Spotlight doesn't do. Your mileage may vary.
Only going to add a few less common suggestions that I get a lot of value out of:
Spectacle is a keyboard-based window mover/resizer. I use it to quickly put windows side by side and move things around—constantly. (It's technically no longer being developed. I have never encountered any bugs or issues (including multi-monitor support) that make me need to switch, but there's a successor called Rectangle also available.)
numi incredibly useful quick notebook-style calculator; you can define variables and have dependent calculations that automatically update if you update the variable
I'd also second itsycal and pair it with the builtin Calendar app which is quite good.
Keychron K2 is a great little keyboard. The screenshot selector key is a game changer if you find yourself having to share screenshots often. Familiarize yourself with System Preferences >...
Keychron K2 is a great little keyboard. The screenshot selector key is a game changer if you find yourself having to share screenshots often.
Familiarize yourself with System Preferences > Security & Privacy because a lot of apps get blocked and you'll have to manually allow them or toggle permissions for them. I greatly appreciate the stringent permissions system in MacOS, but it's definitely a PITA sometimes.
Some software suggestions:
MTMR - Lets you make the touchbar useful
Sensible Sidebuttons - Lets you use the forward/backward buttons found on most mice
HaptiKey - Gives the touchbar some much-needed feedback when a button is pressed. This functionality is part of MTMR as well. Somehow I ended up with both!
PresButan - Lets you use return and delete like you'd expect inside Finder.
IIRC, there is a shortcut you can do that will let you do this a lot faster. I think you had to shift-click and select Open from the context menu. It's been a while since I had to do this, though,...
Familiarize yourself with System Preferences > Security & Privacy because a lot of apps get blocked and you'll have to manually allow them or toggle permissions for them.
IIRC, there is a shortcut you can do that will let you do this a lot faster. I think you had to shift-click and select Open from the context menu. It's been a while since I had to do this, though, so I wouldn't be surprised if I got it wrong or they simply took it away.
It's contextual-click. If you have a multi-button mouse, it's right-click by default. If you don't have a multi-button mouse it's control-click by default. On a trackpad, it would be control-click...
It's contextual-click. If you have a multi-button mouse, it's right-click by default. If you don't have a multi-button mouse it's control-click by default. On a trackpad, it would be control-click as well.
FWIW, if you're an emacs user, the emacs key bindings work by default in most apps. macOS applications don't need to do anything to support it, it just happens by default. It may not work in apps...
FWIW, if you're an emacs user, the emacs key bindings work by default in most apps. macOS applications don't need to do anything to support it, it just happens by default. It may not work in apps that aren't native, like electron apps, etc.
MacsFanControl: I don't like to work on a hot computer, specially when I have the laptop on my lap. This app allows me to have a more aggressive fan profile. More noise sometimes, but it runs way...
MacsFanControl: I don't like to work on a hot computer, specially when I have the laptop on my lap. This app allows me to have a more aggressive fan profile. More noise sometimes, but it runs way cooler. It's free, but only the paid version allows you to automate things.
Turbo Boost Switcher: It disables Intel's Turbo Boost, increasing the battery life with minimal speed reductions (with my workload at least). The paid version lets me automate things (eg: enable only if an app is open, disable when on battery, etc). Some info about it here: https://marco.org/2015/06/07/disabling-turbo-boost
Magnet: For window resize/management, similar to what you can find on Windows 10. Paid (App Store).
I've been using company-issued Macbooks for web (and related) dev for the better part of a decade now. Many of my recommendations mirror others' here, in no particular order: iTerm2 - Terminal...
I've been using company-issued Macbooks for web (and related) dev for the better part of a decade now. Many of my recommendations mirror others' here, in no particular order:
iTerm2 - Terminal Emulator - The built-in isn't bad, but this one is great.
Homebrew - Package Manager (CLI) - This should take care of most of your dev related installation needs. There's also MacPorts and a few others, but everyone I know, myself included, has settled on Homebrew. I don't remember the last time I couldn't find a package I was looking for.
1Password - Password Manager - Web dev tends to involve a lot of accounts with various services, so a good password manager is a must. If you've got a cross-platform setup already, probably not worth switching, but 1Password is really nice on macOS (it's perfectly usable on Windows, just not as slick)
MacDown - Markdown Editor - Nice, open sourced MD editor with live preview and all of that jazz. If I recall, I liked Mou better, but it's not free while MacDown is.
Textual - IRC Client - Really nice IRC client. There's also Colloquy. Both are open source, and I know at least with Textual you can build from source with very minor adjustments instead of paying for the pre-built app.
The Unarchiver - Unarchiving Utility - Unarchive practically anything.
I think other tools like editor/IDE are going to depend on your stack. I like Visual Studio Code for frontend (html, css, javascript/react) and currently use Intellij Idea for this project's scala backend (I've heard you can get scala going in VSCode, but I haven't tried it).
The built-in screenshotting as mentioned is great, so learn those key combos. Spend some time playing with all of the preferences, like tap-to-click, two-finger-tap-to-"right"-click, different multi-finger gestures to do stuff like show all windows, hotcorners of the screen doing things, etc.
edit: Also Spotlight has gotten a lot better. Command+space brings up a small search bar on the screen (drag to reposition) and from there you can search for and preview docs (grouped by type), launch apps, do simple calculations, currency or unit conversions, and probably more. For my basic usage, I don't need Alfred or Quicksilver anymore.
If you're already a tmux user on linux, take a look at alacritty for terminal emulation. brew cask install alacritty to get the mac-native app build and it's configured and used just like the...
If you're already a tmux user on linux, take a look at alacritty for terminal emulation. brew cask install alacritty to get the mac-native app build and it's configured and used just like the linux version.
There isn't really much you'll need. Perhaps a number keypad if you're getting a MacBook.
The biggest thing you'll need a handful of software packages. iTerm is the Terminal emulator of choice. You'll probably want to have Homebrew to install the Linux software you are used to, and if any of those tools are graphical you will also want XQuartz (Though it's been so long that I'm not sure if Homebrew will just install it for you. You may also want a graphical compression archive program, and I personally like Keka, though there are plenty of options.
Honestly, more than anything, you probably just need to spend some time getting used to MacOS's quirks. IMHO it really hasn't changed much since 2016 except for the applications bundled with it.
I second the Keka recommendation. Grabbed it so I could compress folders without including .DS_Store, but it's quickly become my go-to app for compression.
For the mouse, you'll almost definitely want SensibleSideButtons so your back and forward buttons do what they're supposed to—they don't by default.
Once you're setup with Homebrew, you'll be right at home in the command line. You'll find a lot of the included versions of classic UNIX tools (like bash and vim) are pretty out of date, so you'll want to replace them with their Homebrew versions.
Take some time to learn keyboard shortcuts too, here's some:
I really, really love using macOS when I'm in the terminal because of Cmd+C/V for copying and pasting, leaving Ctrl+C etc to the shell for its own stuff. It's so irritating to me when I use Linux that I have to use Ctrl+Shift+C.
I also see that the Keychron K2 is a Mac layout keyboard, that's good. It's much more ergonomic and reachable to have the Super (Command key) directly next to the spacebar.
Disable caps lock and remap it to Control or Command, I use mine for Control.
Some other good shortcuts:
Screen capture in macOS are amazing. You can even screenshot the Touch Bar with these functions. The most useful one for me is:
And, if you're typographically inclined:
Bind any other useful characters you find useful in System Preferences → Keyboard → Text. For example, I have
cmd;bound to ⌘.mu;bound to μ,fstop;bound to ƒ, etc.Finally, download Magnet. It's a paid application in the Mac App Store which manages window tiling and alignment—which is in my view the one missing part of macOS.
One thing I’ll suggest is a software tip that makes things a lot easier if you’re jumping around directories a lot.
If you have an open/save dialog open, you can drag any file from any Finder window or title bar into the open/save box and it will automatically switch the box to that folder with the item you just dragged selected.
I deal with video files spread across folders all day and this is a massive time saver so you don’t have to constantly jump between folders in the open/save boxes.
You can also press command-shift-G in that environment (or any file-browsing environment) to manually enter a new path, with autocomplete.
Yeah, whenever I use Windows, that's one of the first things I miss.
I use itsycal to have a calendar on the clock in the tray.
Iterm2 as the terminal emulator
If you have a touchpad you can check out better touch tool
You’ll probably know which editor you’ll want to use - it’s most likely available on Mac OS too...
Some people use Alfred for os wide search but for me spotlight is fine (I think it’s Option and space to open it)
Better touch tool let’s you snap windows to the side, I don’t know any other window managers
Seconding home brew as well. Maybe Macports for other apps. I never needed xquartz
If your monitor is ok the hub it should work
Also: change the settings so you can run apps from unknown developers
I think there were other settings but I don’t remember them... if you encounter any issues I can help you on the start though
Edit:
Also learn the touch pad gestures. The touchpad is seriously the best in class. And the gestures help with working. You Might need to enable them in the settings. My most used are 3 fingers up or down
Are you actually building Mac or iOS applications, or doing something less Mac-specific like web development? I've used Macs for development for a long time without actually writing Mac apps.
It's already a Unix so you don't need much. On a new machine I would install Chrome, git, VS Code, and whatever development SDK I'm using, and be reasonably happy. If you want to work offline you will need to download enough in the way of docs to get by, but that's not Mac-specific. I try to avoid Homebrew but I'm weird that way; often install instructions for developers assume you have it, so it's probably the path of least resistance.
The expectation is that you're just going to stick with the default "window manager" and get used to it, but there are settings to customize it. I move the app dock on the right side, make the icons smaller, and remove apps I never use. There are a few other things I forget that I always do; look around in the control panels for anything that looks interesting.
If you're into tiling window managers, I found Amethyst (an xmonad replacement) and yabai / skhd (bspwm / sxhkd ports).
It looks like most other MacOS window managers are centered around extending (rather than replacing) Apple's default window manager with keyboard shortcuts, snapping windows, and the like. @skybrian's list looked fairly comprehensive.
I mean, to be fair, think about the IT staff. Employee computers naturally have metric tons of sensitive information, and it is important to sufficiently control access.
If one employee downloads a clipboard manager they use, but which actually got hijacked, and is now sending malicious users everything on their clipboard, that's a disaster.
Macos has better IT controls than Linux distros, and keeping one universal platform means a 50 to 66% reduction in their workload.
My workplace is also a Mac (also iPhone only) shop, and as an android user it's mildly annoying to keep around a company iPhone, but I get it. It makes sense from the company's perspective. Macbooks are great machines, too, when you're not the one paying for them.
I don't think the architecture of the user interface and OS are quite the same as Linux so I was quoting "window manager" as a Linux-specific term. But it seems that there are Mac utilities called window managers and they seem to be about managing windows? I've never used them.
Other commenters have already addressed most of the big points (iTerm2, homebrew, you may have to run
xcode-select --installonce to get some command-line tools installed).People recommend Albert as a Spotlight replacement all the time, and I have it—even the paid extra features—and I've never bothered to learn how to do anything in it that Spotlight doesn't do. Your mileage may vary.
Only going to add a few less common suggestions that I get a lot of value out of:
I'd also second itsycal and pair it with the builtin Calendar app which is quite good.
You shouldn't. You should be able to just launch Xcode and it will offer to install them on first launch.
I suppose that works, but I never have any occasion to open Xcode!
Spectacle is the most important app on MacOS.
I use magnet and SteerMouse - both of which are somewhat niche but I find them invaluable
Keychron K2 is a great little keyboard. The screenshot selector key is a game changer if you find yourself having to share screenshots often.
Familiarize yourself with System Preferences > Security & Privacy because a lot of apps get blocked and you'll have to manually allow them or toggle permissions for them. I greatly appreciate the stringent permissions system in MacOS, but it's definitely a PITA sometimes.
Some software suggestions:
IIRC, there is a shortcut you can do that will let you do this a lot faster. I think you had to shift-click and select Open from the context menu. It's been a while since I had to do this, though, so I wouldn't be surprised if I got it wrong or they simply took it away.
It's contextual-click. If you have a multi-button mouse, it's right-click by default. If you don't have a multi-button mouse it's control-click by default. On a trackpad, it would be control-click as well.
So did Apple, apparently!
FWIW, if you're an emacs user, the emacs key bindings work by default in most apps. macOS applications don't need to do anything to support it, it just happens by default. It may not work in apps that aren't native, like electron apps, etc.
MacsFanControl: I don't like to work on a hot computer, specially when I have the laptop on my lap. This app allows me to have a more aggressive fan profile. More noise sometimes, but it runs way cooler. It's free, but only the paid version allows you to automate things.
Turbo Boost Switcher: It disables Intel's Turbo Boost, increasing the battery life with minimal speed reductions (with my workload at least). The paid version lets me automate things (eg: enable only if an app is open, disable when on battery, etc). Some info about it here: https://marco.org/2015/06/07/disabling-turbo-boost
Magnet: For window resize/management, similar to what you can find on Windows 10. Paid (App Store).
I've been using company-issued Macbooks for web (and related) dev for the better part of a decade now. Many of my recommendations mirror others' here, in no particular order:
I think other tools like editor/IDE are going to depend on your stack. I like Visual Studio Code for frontend (html, css, javascript/react) and currently use Intellij Idea for this project's scala backend (I've heard you can get scala going in VSCode, but I haven't tried it).
The built-in screenshotting as mentioned is great, so learn those key combos. Spend some time playing with all of the preferences, like tap-to-click, two-finger-tap-to-"right"-click, different multi-finger gestures to do stuff like show all windows, hotcorners of the screen doing things, etc.
edit: Also Spotlight has gotten a lot better. Command+space brings up a small search bar on the screen (drag to reposition) and from there you can search for and preview docs (grouped by type), launch apps, do simple calculations, currency or unit conversions, and probably more. For my basic usage, I don't need Alfred or Quicksilver anymore.
If you're already a tmux user on linux, take a look at alacritty for terminal emulation.
brew cask install alacrittyto get the mac-native app build and it's configured and used just like the linux version.