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My MacBook Setup as a Frontend Engineer
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My MacBook Setup as a Frontend Engineer

Getting a new MacBook is always fun.

Setting everything up again is not.

Over the years I’ve ended up following almost the same setup process whenever I get a new machine, so I decided to write it down.

This post is mostly for my future self, but maybe it will help someone else too.

One simple rule:

# Install everything with Homebrew whenever possible

First Things First

After logging into my Apple account, I spend a few minutes cleaning things up.

  • Remove unused apps from the Dock
  • Keep only the apps I use daily
  • Adjust basic macOS settings

One of the first things I change:

  • Settings → Mouse → Natural Scrolling

It never felt right when using a mouse.

Installing the Basics

The first apps I install are Chrome and Homebrew.

Chrome is my main browser for development.

Then I install Homebrew:

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

Terminal Setup

I prefer iTerm2 over the default Terminal app. After installing, I import Profiles.json from my previous Mac to bring over all my themes and shortcuts.

Having the same colors, shortcuts, and preferences makes the new machine feel familiar immediately.

For the shell, I use Fish.

My terminal stack:

  • Fish
  • Fisher
  • Tide
  • asdf

Font setup:

  • Main font: JetBrains Mono
  • Non-ASCII font: Meslo

Development Tools

For frontend development:

  • JetBrains Toolbox
  • WebStorm
  • Xcode

A few WebStorm settings I always change:

Increase Memory Limit

  • Help → Change Memory Settings

Fix Shortcut Conflicts

Disable:

  • Go to Previous Input
  • Go to Next Input

These shortcuts can interfere with code completion.

Small Tools I Use Daily

  • AltTab gives macOS a better app switcher.
  • Rectangle makes window management much easier.
  • And bat is basically cat, but better.
brew install bat

Git Setup

Before cloning anything, I set up SSH and configure Git:

git config --global core.editor "nano"

Adjust Finder

A few small Finder changes make everyday work easier:

  • Show file extensions
  • Show the status bar
  • Add the dev folder to Favorites
  • Add devices to the sidebar

That’s it

At this point the machine is ready for development.

Nothing fancy. Just the tools I use every day and a setup that has worked well for me over the years.

I’ll probably update this post the next time I get a new MacBook.