Mac Setup for Web Development

My personal macOS setup for web development — Homebrew, iTerm2, Oh My Zsh, Starship, VS Code, Git with delta, Volta for Node, and more.

This is my personal macOS setup for web development. Everything here is scripted in my dotfiles — you can run a single command to apply it all on a fresh machine.

One-Command Install

Clone the repo and run the install script:

git clone https://github.com/liambeeton/dotfiles ~/.dotfiles
cd ~/.dotfiles
./install.sh

Or install directly without cloning first:

curl -#L https://github.com/liambeeton/dotfiles/tarball/master | tar -xzv -C ~/.dotfiles --strip-components=1
~/.dotfiles/install.sh

The script applies macOS defaults, installs Homebrew, CLI packages, GUI apps, Oh My Zsh, VS Code extensions, Git config, and Node via Volta — in order.

Run this on a fresh machine

The install script overwrites .zshrc, .gitconfig, and VS Code settings. It's designed for a clean macOS install — running it on an existing machine may clobber config you want to keep.

MacBook Specification

MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Max)
Apple M4 Max — 16-core CPU, 40-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
128 GB unified memory
8 TB SSD
Liquid Retina XDR display
QWERTY — English (International)
macOS Sequoia

macOS System Preferences

Appearance — Dark Mode; Show Scroll Bars → Always
Dock — Auto-hide; smaller size; remove most apps; Show Percentage for battery
Display — Night Shift
Security — Touch ID; FileVault on
Notifications — Off, except Calendar
Siri — Disabled
Trackpad — Tap to Click; Speed Max; Point & Click → Look up off; Notification Centre off
Keyboard — Disable auto-capitalise, smart quotes, double-space period; Spotlight shortcut off (Raycast takes over)
Mission Control — Hot Corners: all off
Finder — Show all extensions; Show hidden files; New window → Downloads; remove unused sidebar items; Tags off
Accessibility — Scroll Speed: Max

macOS Defaults (Terminal)

These are applied automatically by macos/defaults.sh:

# Screenshots as JPG instead of PNG
defaults write com.apple.screencapture type jpg

# Don't reopen PDFs when opening a new one
defaults write com.apple.Preview ApplePersistenceIgnoreState YES

# Show Library folder
chflags nohidden ~/Library

# Show hidden files
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles YES

# Show path bar and status bar in Finder
defaults write com.apple.finder ShowPathbar -bool true
defaults write com.apple.finder ShowStatusBar -bool true

Run killall Finder after applying these defaults to pick up the changes immediately — no reboot needed.

Hostname

Set the machine name to Nomad:

sudo scutil --set ComputerName "Nomad"
sudo scutil --set HostName "Nomad"
sudo scutil --set LocalHostName "Nomad"

Homebrew

Install Homebrew as the macOS package manager:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
(echo; echo 'eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"') >> ~/.zprofile
eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"
brew update && brew upgrade

CLI Packages

brew install \
  awscli \
  azure-cli \
  difftastic \
  direnv \
  dive \
  dotnet \
  eza \
  flyway \
  git \
  git-delta \
  git-lfs \
  go \
  golangci-lint \
  gotestsum \
  gnupg \
  gradle \
  helm \
  jenv \
  jq \
  k6 \
  kubectl \
  maven \
  minikube \
  mkcert \
  ollama \
  openjdk@11 \
  openjdk@17 \
  openjdk@21 \
  openssl@3 \
  ripgrep \
  starship \
  tailscale \
  tfenv \
  tgenv \
  tree \
  uv \
  wget \
  ykman

GUI Apps

brew install --cask \
  1password \
  arq \
  bartender \
  brave-browser \
  charles \
  claude \
  claude-code \
  discord \
  docker-desktop \
  firefox \
  font-fira-code \
  font-hack-nerd-font \
  font-jetbrains-mono \
  font-source-code-pro \
  foobar2000 \
  google-chrome \
  imageoptim \
  insomnia \
  iterm2 \
  jetbrains-toolbox \
  little-snitch \
  maccy \
  ngrok \
  notion \
  postman \
  protonvpn \
  raycast \
  rectangle \
  slack \
  soapui \
  spotify \
  tailscale-app \
  typora \
  visual-studio-code \
  vlc \
  whatsapp \
  wireshark-app \
  yubico-authenticator \
  zoom

GUI Applications

1Password — password manager; enable Touch ID
Arq — local and cloud backups
Bartender — menu bar management
Raycast — Spotlight replacement; bind to CMD + Space; enable File Search, Snippets, System
Brave — primary browser for personal browsing
Google Chrome — web development; enable dark mode; DevTools → dark mode; Network → Fetch/XHR only
Firefox — secondary browser for dev testing
Charles — HTTP proxy for debugging API traffic
Docker Desktop — containerised databases and services; enable Docker Compose
ImageOptim — compress images before committing
Insomnia — REST and GraphQL API testing
iTerm2 — terminal (see iTerm2 section)
JetBrains Toolbox — manage JetBrains IDEs
Little Snitch — outbound firewall
Maccy — clipboard manager; enable Launch at Login
Notion — notes and project management
Postman — API testing
ProtonVPN — VPN
Raycast — launcher
Rectangle — window management shortcuts
Slack — team messaging
Typora — minimal Markdown editor
Visual Studio Code — primary editor (see VS Code section)
VLC — video player; set as default
Wireshark — network packet analysis
Yubico Authenticator — hardware 2FA with YubiKey
Zoom — video calls

Raycast shortcut

Before binding Raycast to ⌘ Space, disable the Spotlight shortcut first: System Preferences → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → Spotlight → uncheck "Show Spotlight search".

iTerm2

Configuration for a clean, fullscreen terminal experience:

Preferences → General → Window
- Unselect "Native full screen windows"
- Select "Close windows when closing an app"
Appearance → Windows → Hide scrollbars
Tabs → unselect "Show tab bar in fullscreen"
Dimming → unselect all
Profiles → Window: Transparency 30; Style: Full Screen; Screen: Main Screen
Profiles → Advanced: Semantic History → Open with VS Code; Natural Text Editing
Profiles → Text → Font: Hack Nerd Font Mono
Bring to fullscreen: ⌘ + Enter

Oh My Zsh

Install Oh My Zsh and required plugins:

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

# 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-completions \
  ${ZSH_CUSTOM:-${ZSH:-~/.oh-my-zsh}/custom}/plugins/zsh-completions

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

# z — jump to frequently used directories
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rupa/z/master/z.sh -O ~/z.sh

Starship Theme

Starship must be the last line in .zshrc. The config below already has eval "$(starship init zsh)" at the end — don't move it.

Install Starship via Homebrew (already in the brew list above), then activate it:

echo 'eval "$(starship init zsh)"' >> ~/.zshrc

`.zshrc`

export ZSH="$HOME/.oh-my-zsh"

plugins=(
  direnv git kubectl pyenv z
  zsh-autosuggestions zsh-syntax-highlighting
)

fpath+=${ZSH_CUSTOM:-${ZSH:-~/.oh-my-zsh}/custom}/plugins/zsh-completions/src
source $ZSH/oh-my-zsh.sh

# Navigation
alias dev="cd ~/Developer"
alias dot="cd ~/.dotfiles"

# System
alias ip="ipconfig getifaddr en0"
alias hostsconfig="sudo nano /etc/hosts"
alias loc="npx sloc --format cli-table --format-option head --exclude 'build|\.svg$\.xml' ./"

# Zsh config
alias zshconfig="code ~/.zshrc"
alias zshsource="source ~/.zshrc"
alias ohmyzsh="cd ~/.oh-my-zsh"

# SSH
alias sshhome="cd ~/.ssh"
alias sshconfig="code ~/.ssh/config"

# Git
alias gitconfig="code ~/.gitconfig"
alias gits="git status"
alias gitd="git diff"
alias gitl="git lg"
alias gita="git add ."
alias gitc="cz commit"
alias gitf='git commit --fixup $(git log -1 --format=%H)'
alias gitn='git branch | grep -v "develop" | grep -v "master" | grep -v "main" | xargs git branch -D'

# Docker
alias docv="docker ps -a"
alias docu="docker-compose up --build"
alias docb="docker-compose build"
alias docd="docker-compose down -v"
alias docs='docker stop $(docker ps -a -q)'
alias docr='docker rm $(docker ps -a -q)'

source ~/z.sh

# PATH exports
export DOTNET_ROOT=$HOME/.dotnet
export PATH=$PATH:$DOTNET_ROOT:$DOTNET_ROOT/tools
export GOPATH="$HOME/go"
export GOROOT="$(brew --prefix golang)/libexec"
export PATH="$PATH:$GOPATH/bin:$GOROOT/bin"
export PATH="$HOME/.jenv/bin:$PATH"
export PATH="$HOME/.jenv/shims:$PATH"
eval "$(jenv init -)"

# pnpm
export PNPM_HOME="/Users/liam/Library/pnpm"
case ":$PATH:" in
  *":$PNPM_HOME:"*) ;;
  *) export PATH="$PNPM_HOME:$PATH" ;;
esac

eval "$(direnv hook zsh)"
eval "$(starship init zsh)"   # must be last

After any change to .zshrc:

source ~/.zshrc

VS Code

Extensions

Install all extensions automatically:

cat ~/.dotfiles/code/extensions.sh | bash

Extensions included:

Keybindings

[
  { "key": "ctrl+up",   "command": "cursorMove", "args": { "to": "up",   "by": "line", "value": 10 } },
  { "key": "ctrl+down", "command": "cursorMove", "args": { "to": "down", "by": "line", "value": 10 } }
]

Settings

{
    "workbench.colorTheme": "GitHub Dark Default",
    "workbench.iconTheme": "vscode-icons",
    "workbench.sideBar.location": "right",
    "workbench.activityBar.location": "hidden",
    "workbench.statusBar.visible": true,
    "workbench.startupEditor": "none",
    "workbench.editor.showTabs": "none",
    "workbench.editor.enablePreview": false,
    "editor.fontFamily": "Hack Nerd Font Mono",
    "editor.fontSize": 14,
    "editor.tabSize": 2,
    "editor.insertSpaces": true,
    "editor.detectIndentation": false,
    "editor.minimap.enabled": false,
    "editor.stickyScroll.enabled": false,
    "editor.renderWhitespace": "none",
    "editor.formatOnSave": false,
    "editor.inlineSuggest.enabled": true,
    "editor.lineNumbers": "on",
    "workbench.colorCustomizations": {
        "editor.lineHighlightBackground": "#102032"
    },
    "files.associations": {
        ".env*": "makefile"
    },
    "editor.tokenColorCustomizations": {
        "textMateRules": [
            {
                "scope": "string.quoted.double.env, string.quoted.single.env",
                "settings": { "foreground": "#00000000" }
            }
        ]
    },
    "[javascript]": {
        "editor.formatOnSave": true,
        "editor.defaultFormatter": "esbenp.prettier-vscode"
    },
    "[javascriptreact]": {
        "editor.formatOnSave": true,
        "editor.defaultFormatter": "esbenp.prettier-vscode"
    },
    "[typescript]": {
        "editor.formatOnSave": true,
        "editor.defaultFormatter": "esbenp.prettier-vscode"
    },
    "[typescriptreact]": {
        "editor.formatOnSave": true,
        "editor.defaultFormatter": "esbenp.prettier-vscode"
    },
    "[astro]": {
        "editor.formatOnSave": true,
        "editor.defaultFormatter": "esbenp.prettier-vscode"
    },
    "editor.codeActionsOnSave": {
        "source.fixAll.eslint": "explicit"
    },
    "cSpell.enableFiletypes": ["mdx"]
}

Git

Git config is symlinked from ~/.dotfiles/git/.gitconfig:

ln -sfv ~/.dotfiles/git/.gitconfig ~

Key configuration:

# Identity
git config --global user.name "Liam Beeton"
git config --global user.email "liam.beeton@gmail.com"

# Editor
git config --global core.editor "code --wait"

# Default branch
git config --global init.defaultBranch main

# Better diff pager (git-delta)
git config --global core.pager "delta"
git config --global delta.side-by-side true
git config --global delta.line-numbers true
git config --global delta.decorations true

# Use VS Code for diffs and merges
git config --global diff.tool vscode
git config --global merge.tool vscode

# Useful aliases
git config --global alias.st "status"
git config --global alias.lg "log --color --graph --pretty=format:'%Cred%h%Creset -%C(yellow)%d%Creset %s %Cgreen(%cr) %C(bold blue)<%an>%Creset' --abbrev-commit"

Commit Message Template

The commit template at ~/.gitmessage.txt enforces a consistent format:

Imperative mood in subject line (e.g. "Add feature" not "Added feature")
72-character line limit
Separate subject from body with a blank line
Reference issues or tickets in the footer

SSH

One SSH key per service. Example for GitHub:

Save your passphrase first

When prompted, set a strong passphrase and save it in 1Password immediately. You'll need it whenever the SSH agent restarts (e.g. after a reboot).

mkdir -p ~/.ssh
cd ~/.ssh

# Generate key
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "github"
# File name: github
# Set a passphrase and store it in 1Password

Verify the passphrase:

ssh-keygen -y -f github

Add to ~/.ssh/config:

Host *
  AddKeysToAgent yes
  UseKeychain yes
  IdentityFile ~/.ssh/github

Add to macOS keychain:

ssh-add --apple-use-keychain ~/.ssh/github

Add the public key to GitHub:

cat ~/.ssh/github.pub | pbcopy
# Paste at https://github.com/settings/ssh/new

# Or via GitHub CLI
gh auth login
gh ssh-key add ~/.ssh/github.pub -t github

Node.js via Volta

Volta pins Node versions per project and manages global tools cleanly:

# Install Volta
curl https://get.volta.sh | bash
source ~/.zshenv

# Install latest LTS Node
volta install node

Check versions:

node -v && npm -v

Install global npm tools:

npm install -g \
  eslint \
  http-server \
  nodemon \
  pnpm \
  release-it \
  typescript \
  yarn

Pin a Node version to a specific project:

cd my-project
volta pin node@22

This writes a volta field to package.json so anyone on the project gets the same Node version automatically.

Why Volta over nvm?

Volta switches Node versions automatically when you cd into a project — no nvm use needed. The pinned version is stored in package.json so the whole team stays in sync without any extra setup.

Source: github.com/liambeeton/dotfiles

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