My macOS on Steroids

This is my almanac for setting up a new macOS machine to my workflows.

Initial System Setup

Step 1: Basic macOS Configuration

Before installing any applications, let's configure macOS for optimal productivity:

Wallpapers & Visual Setup

Desktop Wallpapers

My collection of desktop wallpapers:

Twitter Banners

For your Twitter account banners and social media:

Profile Pictures

For consistency across all your accounts:

Installing Homebrew & Core Applications

Step 1: Install Homebrew

Homebrew is the essential package manager for macOS. It simplifies installing and managing applications.

After installation, add Homebrew to your PATH:

Step 2: Install Essential Applications

Now let's install all the applications you'll need. I've organized them by category with detailed explanations:

One-Command Installation

Install everything at once with this single command:

Core Command Line Tools

Browsers

Development Tools

Productivity & System Tools

File Management

Office & Documents

Communication

Creative & Media Tools

Media Players

Security & Privacy

Terminal Setup with Oh My Zsh

Step 1: Install Oh My Zsh

Oh My Zsh is a framework for managing your Zsh configuration with tons of helpful features.

Step 2: Install Powerlevel10k Theme

The most powerful and customizable Zsh theme:

Then edit your ~/.zshrc:

Step 3: Install Essential Zsh Plugins

zsh-autosuggestions

Suggests commands as you type based on your history:

zsh-syntax-highlighting

Provides syntax highlighting for your shell commands:

zsh-fast-syntax-highlighting

Faster and more feature-rich syntax highlighting:

zsh-autocomplete

Real-time auto-completion as you type:

Enabling the Plugins

Edit your ~/.zshrc file and update the plugins line:

Apply the changes:

Step 4: Advanced Terminal Tools Setup

Initialize Shell History with Atuin

Set up magical shell history sync:

Configure Zoxide for Smart Navigation

Initialize zoxide in your shell:

Setup FZF Integration

Add fuzzy finding to your shell:

macOS UI Customization (Advanced)

For power users who want to customize the macOS interface:

• JankyBorders - Add colored borders around windows
• SketchyBar - Highly customizable status bar
• Simple Bar - Alternative clean status bar
• fzf-git - Enhanced Git workflows with fuzzy finding

iTerm2 Configuration

Essential iTerm2 Settings

Configure iTerm2 for the optimal terminal experience:

Enable Natural Text Editing

Transparency and Blur Settings

Auto-Activate Python Virtual Environments

Add this to your ~/.zshrc for automatic virtual environment activation:

# Auto-activate Python virtual environment if .env or .venv exists (no auto-deactivate)

function auto_activate_env() {
  local dir=$PWD
  while [ "$dir" != "/" ]; do
    if [ -d "$dir/.venv" ]; then
      source "$dir/.venv/bin/activate"
      echo "✅ Activated virtual environment ($dir/.venv)"
      return
    fi
    dir=$(dirname "$dir")
  done
}

autoload -U add-zsh-hook
add-zsh-hook chpwd auto_activate_env

# Also activate immediately on shell startup
auto_activate_env

# pnpm
export PNPM_HOME="/Users/wimpy/Library/pnpm"
case ":$PATH:" in
  *":$PNPM_HOME:"*) ;;
  *) export PATH="$PNPM_HOME:$PATH" ;;
esac
# pnpm end

Hyper Key Setup & Macros

Ultimate Productivity Shortcuts

Using BetterTouchTool's Hyper Key (⌘⌥⌃⇧). Never use your eyes for navigation (vision search is slow), use your muscle memory:

Development Environment Setup

Node.js & npm

Install Node Version Manager (nvm) for managing Node.js versions:

Install the latest LTS Node.js:

Python Environment

Install pyenv for Python version management:

Install Python:

Git Configuration

Set up your Git identity and preferences:

SSH Keys for GitHub

Generate and add SSH keys for secure GitHub access:

System Maintenance

Regular Updates

Keep your system and applications up to date:

Essential Extensions & Productivity Tools

Raycast Extensions

Supercharge your macOS workflow with these must-have Raycast extensions:

• GitHub - Search repos, issues, and PRs
• Linear - Task management integration
• Kill Process - Quickly terminate hanging processes
• Clipboard History - Access your clipboard history
• Window Management - Alternative to Rectangle
• Speedtest - Quick internet speed tests
• Color Picker - Pick colors from anywhere

VS Code Extensions

These are some very useful VScode Extensions:

Core Productivity Extensions

• All Autocomplete - Enhanced autocomplete across all files
• AutoClose Find - Automatically close find dialog when you stop typing
• Better Comments - Styled comments with alerts, todos, and highlights
• Code Spell Checker - Catch spelling errors in your code
• Color Highlighter - Highlight color values in your code
• Error Lens - See errors and warnings inline with your code
• Path Intellisense - Autocomplete for file paths
• Todo Highlight - Highlight TODO, FIXME comments

Theme & Icons

• Dracula Theme Official - The perfect dark theme for long coding sessions
• Material Icon Theme - Beautiful file and folder icons

Git Integration

• GitLens - Supercharge Git capabilities with blame annotations
• Git History - View git log, file history, and compare branches

Code Quality & Formatting

• ESLint - JavaScript/TypeScript linting
• Prettier - Code Formatter - Opinionated code formatter

Python Development

• Python - Core Python language support
• Pylance - Fast, feature-rich Python language server
• Python Debugger - Debug Python code with breakpoints
• isort - Sort Python imports automatically

Web Development

• Live Server - Launch local development server with live reload

Data & Documentation

• Rainbow CSV - Highlight CSV files with colors
• Markdown Preview Enhanced - Enhanced markdown preview with math support

Final Tips & Tricks

Quick Look Enhancements

Enhance Quick Look (spacebar preview) with plugins:

Touch ID for sudo

Enable Touch ID for sudo commands:

Show Path Bar in Finder

Faster Dock Auto-Hide

Paste Without Formatting (Essential for Cursor)

Set up ⌘⇧V for paste without formatting - crucial when working in Cursor:

Reference: Reddit guide on paste without formatting

CleanShot X Auto Copy Setup

Enable auto copy to clipboard in CleanShot X for seamless screenshot workflow:

Remove Full Screen Shortcut Conflict

Disable ⌘⇧F full screen shortcut to avoid conflicts with code search:

VS Code Auto Close Tags

Enable automatic tag closing in VS Code for faster HTML/JSX editing:

VS Code Block Highlighting & Bracket Colorization

Enhanced code readability with Dracula-themed bracket colors and block highlighting:

{
  // --- Block Highlighter core settings ---
  // Semi-transparent Dracula purple (#bd93f9) with ~10% alpha
  "blockHighlighter.background": [189, 147, 249, 0.10], // RGBA
  "blockHighlighter.isWholeLine": true,
  "blockHighlighter.omit": ["plain", "markdown"],

  // --- Bracket pair colorization (VS Code built-in) ---
  "editor.bracketPairColorization.enabled": true,
  "editor.guides.bracketPairs": "active",
  "editor.guides.bracketPairsHorizontal": "active",

  // --- Theme-scoped workbench colors for Dracula ---
  "workbench.colorCustomizations": {
    "[Dracula]": {
      // Keep the highlight subtle against Dracula background
      "editor.selectionHighlightBackground": "#bd93f933",
      "editor.wordHighlightBackground": "#8be9fd22",
      // Bracket highlights that echo Dracula palette
      "editorBracketHighlight.foreground1": "#bd93f9",
      "editorBracketHighlight.foreground2": "#50fa7b",
      "editorBracketHighlight.foreground3": "#ff79c6",
      "editorBracketHighlight.foreground4": "#8be9fd",
      "editorBracketHighlight.foreground5": "#ffb86c",
      "editorBracketHighlight.foreground6": "#f1fa8c",
      "editorBracketHighlight.unexpectedBracket.foreground": "#ff5555"
    }
  },

  // Optional: fine-tune token colors only when Dracula is active
  "editor.tokenColorCustomizations": {
    "[Dracula]": {
      "textMateRules": [
        { 
          "scope": "punctuation.definition.block", 
          "settings": { "foreground": "#bd93f9" } 
        },
        { 
          "scope": "punctuation.section.block", 
          "settings": { "foreground": "#bd93f9" } 
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

Shortcuts to Live By

These keyboard shortcuts will save you time:

VS Code / Cursor Shortcuts

Dracula Theme Setup

For complete Dracula theming across all your applications, check out my detailed guide:

This guide covers theming for VS Code, iTerm2, browsers with Stylus, Discord, Obsidian, and more!

Conclusion

This setup will give you a powerful, efficient, and beautiful macOS development environment.

"The best time to set up your development environment was when you got your Mac. The second best time is now."