Macbook Air install log

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This is what I do with a new Mac or MacBook based on my experience and needs.

Last update: 2013-2014.

  • Open the box, unpack stuff, got upset that the power supply has a new MagSafe adapter - this means my old power brick will not serve without an adapter.
  • Charge the battery. Set up the basics and register the Mac.
  • Log in for the first time. Change the background, make the dock smaller.
  • Set the trackpad to the tap mode - I prefer light tapping to strong clicking.
  • Remove some apps from the dock that I rarely use: the stock email reader, FaceTime, Contacts, etc. Many of these are integrated in Google apps.

Tweaks

  • Fix Safari (and Chrome) settings to not save passwords, and start with my favorite start page.
  • Move Terminal shortcut to the Dock
  • Terminal->Preferences->Settings->Shell-> change "When the shell exits:" to "Close if the shell exited cleanly"
  • Terminal->Preferences->Settings->Window change width to 120 - I wan to see long messages.
  • System Preferences -> Languages and Text; also in Keyboard, and add and enable options for Latvian text input support.
  • System Preferences -> Keyboard -> Shortcuts -> Full Keyboard Access: in windows and dialogs... [x] all controls

AppStore

Install some apps from the AppStore:

  • TextWrangler - the text editor
  • Evernote - take notes, save in cloud
  • Numbers, Pages, Keynote - Apple office
  • MplayerX - play videos nicely
  • SmartConverter Pro - convert most any video formats to common target formats
  • The Unarchiver - easy zip file management
  • Caffeine - Turn off screen saver
  • Sketchbook Express - drawing program by AutoCad
  • Kindle - read books from Amazon
  • Xcode - for development and command line tools
    • Xcode->Preferences->Downloads-> install Command Line Tools

Other Apps

Install some apps from other sources, or directly from the developer.

  • Google Chrome
  • KeyRemap4MacBook - to rearrange the keyboard. Here are some of my favorite mappings:
    • Control+Arrow to Option_L+Arrow, to get the control to skip words, not desks.
    • Command_R to Option_R, or else I keep pressing command+a to get 'ā' for my Latvian text, but it selects everything instead, and kills the text with the next stroke.
    • Option_R to Forward-Delete, to get my Del key back and close.
    • Z+X to Left click (to make drag and drop easier with the touch pad)
  • Homebrew - the missing package manager for OS X
  • LeapMotion - because I have the gesture input gadget

Wine / Windows apps

  • Irfanview - the easiest photo editor and viewer


Experimental

There are a few things I am not sure will stay long term, but anyway, there they are:

  • nginx - webserver for development needs. Yes, Mountain Lion still has Apache somewhere within, although the enabling checkbox has been removed from the system settings. So, I will try the nginx.
  • node.js - for some experiments.

ToDo

  • Microsoft office
  • Parallels
  • Handbrake
  • Python Launcher?
  • Keyspan Serial Assistant
  • Gimp
  • Google Drive
  • Arduino, Tinkerkit
  • Waspmote?
  • smcFanControl
  • VirtualBox?
  • VLC?
  • EagleCAD
  • DiskRing?

To-not-Do

There are some things that I have decided to stay away based on previous experiences or storage and other restrictions.

  • No MacPorts for now. Will see, how long can I stay this way.