Macbook Air install log
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
- Winebottler - like Wine on Linux
- DropBox
- TotalFinder - makes the Finder suck less
- CyberDuck - for SFTP and other file transfer protocols
- X11 by XQuartz - X-windows (that are NOT bundled with OS X since Mountain Lion)
- FUSE and SSHFS for OSX - to mount my remote (linux) drives over ssh
- 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.