# Setting up a new Mac

I've had somewhat bad luck with computers lately. In late January my work computer stopped charging, and they replaced it with a used model because they were having supply issues. Its replacement had a broken webcam and, as expected for a butterfly mac, inconsistent keyboard. In April the WiFi stopped working, and while I had just [run a cable](https://www.jefftk.com/p/ethernet-is-worth-it-for-video-calls) to my [desk](https://www.jefftk.com/p/making-a-standing-desk) we replaced it again. The supply issues have gotten worse, and my current laptop has some minor issues: inconsistent keyboard, splotchy screen, but otherwise good.

With setting up these two Macs, and a third one for [music](https://www.jefftk.com/p/porting-my-rhythm-setup), all within a short time, I think I now have complete list of the changes I need to make before I'm happy using a Mac. Here's the big list, roughly in the order I'd go through them:

*   System Preferences:
    
    *   Trackpad > secondary click > bottom right corner
        
    *   Keyboard:
        
        *   Key Repeat: Fast
            
        *   Delay Until Repeat: Shorter
            
        *   Modifier Keys > Caps Lock Key: Control
            
        *   Customize Touch Bar > remove Siri
            
    *   Touch ID: add fingerprints, and enable fingerprint unlock
        
    *   Displays > Arrangement > Mirror Displays (keeps me from bending my neck down at my laptop screen by making it redundant)
        
    *   Notifications > Do Not Disturb > uncheck "When Mirroring to TVs and Projectors (makse my notifications still show up with a mirrored display)
        
    *   Sound > Output > Internal Speakers (keeps it from trying to send audio to my speakerless monitor)
        
*   Web Browser:
    
    *   Use Safari to install Chrome
        
    *   Sign into Chrome with my personal account
        
    *   If this is a work laptop, make a second profile for work account
        
*   Backup and Sync:
    
    *   Install [Google Backup and Sync](https://www.google.com/drive/download/backup-and-sync/) and tell it to sync my dotfiles directory only (slow).
        
    *   When that finishes, set up symlinks for each dotfile (ex: `ln -s ~/Google\ Drive/dotfiles/_emacs ~/.emacs`)
        
    *   When that finishes, let Backup and Sync copy down everything else (very slow).
        
*   Terminal:
    
    *   Preferences > Profiles > Keyboard > Use Option as Meta key
        
    *   `defaults write com.apple.Terminal FocusFollowsMouse -string YES`
        
    *   Colors: set terminal to black background, and set this as the default
        
*   Iterm2:
    
    *   [Install](https://www.iterm2.com/downloads.html)
        
    *   Profiles > Keys > Left Optio: Esc+
        
    *   Profiles > Text > Monaco Regular 10pt non-antialiased
        
    *   Profiles > Terminal > Terminal may enable paste bracketing: no
        
    *   Pointer > Focus follows mouse: yes
        
    *   General > Selection > Copy to pasteboard on selection: no
        
    *   Make my preferred terminal layout and save the window arrangement
        
*   Remove everythig from the dock (I start programs with spotlight)
    
*   Install command line tools: run `git`, see it fail, click "yes" on the popup that asks if I'd like the OS to fix things so it will start working.
    
*   Tell `git` who I am: `git config --global --edit`
    
*   Install [Homebrew](https://brew.sh/)
    
*   Install mosh: `brew install mosh`
    
*   Safari > Preferences > Advanced > Show develop in menu bar
    

The symlinking dotfiles saves me quite a lot of configuration, including:

*   [thorough history logging](https://www.jefftk.com/p/you-should-be-logging-shell-history)
    
*   `export EDITOR=emacs`
    
*   All my emacs configuration...
    
*   Reasonable `PS1`
    
*   `~/.inputrc`: `set blink-matching-paren on`
    
*   My `.ssh` directory