Setting Up A New Mac for Development: A Step-by-Step Guide

January 5, 2025 (1w ago)

Here's a quick note documenting how I recently set up my Mac for development use.

1. Install Warp Terminal

Warp is a modern, fast terminal that can replace the default macOS Terminal. You can download and install it from warp.dev.

2. Install Homebrew

Homebrew is an essential package manager for macOS that simplifies software installation.

Installation Steps:

  1. Open Terminal and run:

    /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

  2. Add Homebrew to your PATH:

    echo 'eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

  3. Verify the installation:

    brew doctor

3. Install Essential Packages

Using Homebrew, install commonly used tools like Git:

brew install git

4. Set Up Zsh and Oh My Zsh

Zsh is the default shell on macOS, and Oh My Zsh provides powerful customization options.

Steps to Install Oh My Zsh:

  1. Run the installation command:

    sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/master/tools/install.sh)"

  2. Configure recommended plugins in ~/.zshrc:

    plugins=(git zsh-autosuggestions zsh-syntax-highlighting)

  3. Install the plugins:

    git clone https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-autosuggestions ${ZSH_CUSTOM:-~/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/plugins/zsh-autosuggestions
git clone https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-syntax-highlighting ${ZSH_CUSTOM:-~/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/plugins/zsh-syntax-highlighting

  4. Activate the plugins:

    source ~/.zshrc

Install Powerlevel10k Theme

  1. Clone the Powerlevel10k repository:

    git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/romkatv/powerlevel10k.git ${ZSH_CUSTOM:-~/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/themes/powerlevel10k

  2. Set the theme in ~/.zshrc:

    ZSH_THEME="powerlevel10k/powerlevel10k"

  3. Reload your shell:

    source ~/.zshrc

5. Set Up Git

Git is essential for version control. Here’s how to configure it:

  1. Set up your Git credentials:

    git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "your.email@example.com"
git config --global init.defaultBranch main

  2. Generate an SSH key for GitHub:

    ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your.email@example.com"

  3. Add the key to GitHub:

    pbcopy < ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

Paste the copied key into your GitHub account under SSH and GPG keys.

6. Install a Code Editor

Consider using Cursor, an AI-powered code editor built on Visual Studio Code’s foundation. It offers robust AI features for development and is an excellent alternative to VS Code.

7. Set Up Development Languages

Python

  1. Install pyenv to manage Python versions: 
    brew install pyenv
pyenv install 3.x.x  # Replace with your desired version
pyenv global 3.x.x

Node.js

  1. Use nvm to manage Node.js versions: 
    brew install nvm
mkdir ~/.nvm
echo 'export NVM_DIR="$HOME/.nvm"' >> ~/.zshrc
echo '[ -s "$(brew --prefix nvm)/nvm.sh" ] && \. "$(brew --prefix nvm)/nvm.sh"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc
nvm install --lts
LinkedIn