There are some things in life that just can't be automated... or aren't 100% worth the time :(
This document covers that, at least in terms of setting up a brand new Mac out of the box.
Before starting, I completed Apple's mandatory macOS setup wizard (creating a local user account, and optionally signing into my iCloud account). Once on the macOS desktop, I do the following (in order):
- Install Ansible (following the guide in README.md)
- Sign in to App Store (since
mas
can't sign in automatically) - Clone mac-dev-playbook to the Mac:
git clone [email protected]:geerlingguy/mac-dev-playbook.git
- Drop
config.yml
from~/Dropbox/Apps/Config
to the playbook (copy over the network or using a USB flash drive). - Run the playbook.
- If there are errors, you may need to finish up other tasks like installing 'old-fashioned' apps first (since I try to place Photoshop in the Dock and it can't be installed automatically). Then, run the playbook again ;)
- Start Synchronization tasks:
- Open Photos and make sure iCloud sync options are correct
- Open Music, make sure computer is authorized, and set Library sync options
- Open Dropbox, sign in, and set up sync
- Install or complete setup for old-fashioned apps:
- Open Creative Cloud, sign in, and install needed apps
- Open iStat Menus and configure CPU/Net/Temp Combined view
- (If required:)
- Install Elgato Stream Deck
- Open Livestream profile inside
~/Dropbox/Apps/Config/Stream Deck
- Open Livestream profile inside
- Install Elgato Key Light Air (Control Center)
- Install Autodesk Fusion 360
- Install Microsoft Office Home & Student 2019 (https://account.microsoft.com/services/)
- Install Fritzing
- Install Elgato Stream Deck
- Configure FastMail account:
- Log into Fastmail
- Go to settings, then Privacy & Security
- Create a new app password, and on that page, download the configuration file
- Open the downloaded profile, then go to System Preferences, and Device Management
- Double-click on the Fastmail profile
- Click 'Install...' and install it
- Configure which accounts are enabled in the 'Internet Accounts' System Preferences pane
- Open Calendar and enable personal Google CalDAV account (you have to manually sign in).
- Manually copy
~/Development
folder from another Mac (to save time). - Manual settings to automate someday:
- Finder:
- Disable click-to-show Desktop:
defaults write com.apple.WindowManager EnableStandardClickToShowDesktop -bool false
- Disable click-to-show Desktop:
- System Preferences:
- Accessibility > Display > Reduce transparency
- Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts... > Modifier Keys... > Caps Lock to Esc
- Keyboard > Key repeat rate to 'Fast', Delay until repeat to 'Short'
- Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access > enable "Terminal"
- Safari:
- View > Show Status Bar
- Preferences > Advanced > "Show full website address"
- Preferences > Advanced > "Show features for web developers"
- Install the 'Return YouTube Dislike' Userscript in Userscripts
- Dock:
- Add jgeerling, Downloads, Applications, and shared "mercury" folders
- Finder:
- Final Cut Pro
- Install FxFactory and sign in: https://fxfactory.com
- Copy contents of
~/Development/youtube/fcpx
into respective directories
- These things might be automatable, but I do them manually right now:
- Configure Time Machine backup drive
- Install Wireguard VPN configurations (if needed)
The following tasks have to wait for the initial Dropbox sync to complete before they'll succeed. So ideally I'll stick this all in a post-provision script but somehow flag it not to run on first provision.
# ZSH Aliases.
ln -s /Users/jgeerling/Dropbox/Apps/Config/.aliases /Users/jgeerling/.aliases
# Electrum BTC Wallet (open Electrum first).
ln -s /Users/jgeerling/Dropbox/Apps/Electrum/default_wallet /Users/jgeerling/.electrum/wallets/default_wallet
# SSH setup.
ssh-keygen # and create a default key to set up .ssh folder
sudo ln -s /Users/jgeerling/Dropbox/Apps/Config/ssh/config ~/.ssh/config
# TODO - Manually copy any shared SSH keys that are needed.
# Ansible setup.
sudo mkdir -p /etc/ansible
sudo ln -s /Users/jgeerling/Dropbox/Apps/Config/ansible/ansible.cfg /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg
sudo ln -s /Users/jgeerling/Dropbox/Apps/Config/ansible/hosts /etc/ansible/hosts
sudo ln -s /Users/jgeerling/Dropbox/VMs/roles /etc/ansible/roles
mkdir -p /Users/jgeerling/.ansible
ln -s /Users/jgeerling/Dropbox/Apps/Config/ansible/galaxy_token /Users/jgeerling/.ansible/galaxy_token
ln -s /Users/jgeerling/Dropbox/Apps/Config/ansible/mm-vault-password.txt /Users/jgeerling/.ansible/mm-vault-password.txt
ln -s /Users/jgeerling/Dropbox/VMs/ansible_collections /Users/jgeerling/.ansible/collections
# Final Cut Pro setup. (Open Motion first)
cp -r /Users/jgeerling/Dropbox/Apps/Config/Motion/Motion\ Templates.localized/ /Users/jgeerling/Movies/Motion\ Templates.localized/
cp -r /Users/jgeerling/Dropbox/Apps/Config/Motion/Text\ Styles/ /Users/jgeerling/Library/Application\ Support/Motion/Library/Text\ Styles.localized/
# Sequel Ace favorites. (Open Sequel Ace first)
cp /Users/jgeerling/Dropbox/Apps/Config/Sequel\ Ace/Favorites.plist /Users/jgeerling/Library/Containers/com.sequel-ace.sequel-ace/Data/Library/Application\ Support/Sequel\ Ace/Data/Favorites.plist
# Font setup.
cp ~/Dropbox/Apps/Config/Fonts/* ~/Library/Fonts/
# Vim setup.
mkdir -p ~/.vim/autoload
mkdir -p ~/.vim/bundle
cd ~/.vim/autoload
curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tpope/vim-pathogen/master/autoload/pathogen.vim > pathogen.vim
cd ~/.vim/bundle
git clone https://github.com/preservim/nerdtree.git
- Sign out of Adobe Creative Cloud
- Sign out of Panic Sync in Transmit
- Deauthorize Apple Music in iTunes/Music App
- Make sure anything new merged into
~/Dropbox/Apps/Config
:- Fonts from ~/Library/Fonts
- Motion Plugins from ~/Movies/Motion
- Final Cut Pro Text Styles in ~/Library/Application Support/Motion/Library/Text Styles
- Sequel Ace shortcuts from ~/Library/Containers/com.sequel-ace.sequel-ace/Data/Library/Application\ Support/Sequel\ Ace/Data/Favorites.plist
- Follow Apple's guide here