Ask HN: Must have tools for a new MacBook

A window manager. I use Moom.

- As few additional apps as possible, since any additional software introduces security, maintenance and cognitive burden.

Homebrew Package Manager

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homebrew_(package_manager)

Maybe XCode Developer Tools

https://mac.install.guide/commandlinetools/index.html

Also for me: Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Office, Latex

Applet to keep your screen awake, owly is what I use: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/owly-prevent-display-sleep/id8...

Magnet for window management

Iterm2 for terminal

Zsh and oh-my-zsh for nice looking terminal and easy ways to change theming etc.

Here’s the list from when I got mine:

Things installed on new MacBook:

- Spotify

- Xcode tools

- Vs code

- iterm2

- Home-brew

- Zsh and ohmyzsh

- Emacs (mainly for org mode)

- Firefox

- Chrome

- Node

- Steam

- Python 3.10

- R language

Just set up a new M1 last week.

IntelliJ, git (and Xcode tools), VS Code, Wireshark, KeyStore Explorer, Divvy, Homebrew, fish shell, maven/gradle, Parallels.

Usually iTerm2 but trying to give Terminal.app another chance.

I wouldn’t use iTerm2 instead of the default terminal because it’s a lot slower.

Karabiner for key remapping, and Goku for making it nerdy and text based rather than GUI and XML:

https://www.swyx.io/karabiner_lindquist

I use:

Istat, Bartender, AltTab, Paste, 1Password, The Clock, Hammerspoon, Tripmode, DaisyDisk, Charles, TinkerTool.

yabai for keyboard driven window management.

https://github.com/koekeishiya/yabai

Better touch tools is a must. My computer feels broken without it. https://folivora.ai/

The same with Alfred.

My two cents:

- Alfred (super charged application launcher)

- Dash (API Documentation Browser)

- Karabiner (key remapping)

- Keyboard Maestro (Automation tool)

- SizeUp (window manager)

- iTerm2

- 1Password (Password manager)

Inspiration:

[1] https://works-for-me.github.io/

[2] https://usesthis.com/

[3] https://github.com/nikitavoloboev/my-mac-os

There’s a simple thing called “Show Desktop.app” which does as the name suggests. I created a shortcut on the desktop in the far right corner with an invisible icon and Unicode whitespace name, so that now I have a “show desktop” button in the bottom right corner of my screen just like windows. Can’t live without it.

- Rectangle Pro

- Alfred or Raycast (both have also awesome clipboard management as bonus)

- iTerm or Warp terminal

- Chrome

- Bitwarden

- VSCode

- 50 bash scripts on $HOME/bin

just set up a new m1 this week:

apple command line tools, emacs for os x, warp, rosetta terminal (for installing intel stuff), homebrew, the silver searcher, keyboard maestro, alfred, rescue time, docker, bartender, paw, tableplus, hopper disassembler, proxyman, textual, dash, nordvpn

Rectangle (It's a window manager)

Chrome

Firefox

VSCode

My extensions for various web browsers

Homebrew

Other then that it's just what I end up needing in the course of work.

Here is my list:

- Xcode and commandline tools,

- iTerm2,

- Emacs,

- Tiles,

- AppCleaner,

- VLC,

- Firefox plus Dev. Edition,

- Vivaldi,

- MacPass,

- Hush,

- Wipr,

- The Unarchiver,

- Pages, Numbers, Keynote,

- GarageBand and iMovie,

- Iosevka fonts.

Flycut as a light weight clipboard manager: https://github.com/TermiT/Flycut

Figterm for terminal command autocomplete with interactive drop downs: https://fig.io/

$ brew list -1

  ==> Formulae
  bash
  bash-completion
  bat
  flyctl
  kubectx
  kubernetes-cli
  mosh
  ripgrep   # way better grep
  starship  # awesome terminal prompt
  wget
  
  ==> Casks
  aldente   # stop your mac from charging beyond a configurable charge level
  bitwarden
  brave-browser
  ears      # switch audio source/output quickly
  kitty     # awesome terminal
  raycast   # spotlight/alfred replacement
  rectangle # window manager (successor to the unmaintained spectacle)
  shottr    # screenshotting app
  signal
  spotify
  stats     # hardware stats in the menu bar
  visual-studio-code
  vlc
  zoom

https://github.com/jaywcjlove/awesome-mac is a list of all the cool stuff you could need on a new mac organized by category.

Brew was the first thing to go on mine

oh-my-zsh

https://ohmyz.sh/

Some of the apps I download on a fresh mac.

==> Casks

1password

anki

bartender

bitwarden

brave-browser

calibre

cryptomator

deepl

docker

exifcleaner # Cleans images metadata

fantastical

firefox

flux

freetube # Privacy respecting youtube client

imageoptim

karabiner-elements

keka

knockknock

libreoffice

little-snitch

microsoft-teams

obsidian

oversight

postman

protonmail-bridge

protonvpn

raycast

rectangle

shottr

signal

slack

spotify

tableplus

thunderbird

tor-browser

transmission

tresorit

vlc

vscodium # Microsoft-free VSCode

I maintain my mac's configs in a dotfile repo, feel free to check it out for more configurations: https://github.com/mansour-ahmed/dotfiles

These are the ones I use the most

-Notion for note taking

-TickTick for to-do (though I'm currently developing my own to-do app)

-Fig for autocomplete in the terminal

-iTerm with zsh and ohmyzsh

-f.lux for eye care

-Hazel to dim windows other than the current active

-Alfred as spotlight replacement

-CleanShotX for screenshots and recording

-CommandQ to have a timer if you accidentally hit Cmd + Q

-1Password as password manager

-aText for text shorcuts

-Menuwhere to get the menu of the current app with a shortcut

-Hookshot for window management

-ColorSlurp as color picker

-EasyFind to search for files and folder

-Calibre to read epub and ebooks and manage books library

-Contexts as window switcher (Cmd + Tab replacement)

-DaisyDisk as disk space usage calculator

-Fork as git client (Tower and GitKraken are pretty good too)

-Postman as http client

-Rocket for easy emoji access

-TinkerTool modify macOS preferences not visible in user preferences

-VLC as video player

-VOX as music player

-VS Code and JetBrains Rider for development