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@mwesten
Created February 17, 2013 21:22
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These are some notes I put together prior to and during setting up my new Retina MacBook Pro. If anyone else is setting up a new machine, it may help you with the process.

Prepare Old Machine

  • Verify Disk with Disk Utility—see here
  • Generate a final TimeMachine backup
  • Verify Crashplan backup is complete
  • Create a final SuperDuper! bootable backup
  • Push changes to remote git repos
  • Uninstall Adobe Creative Suiteif you do not do this, you may have license issues

Setup New Machine

Install essential system manipulation tools:

  • Check for OS X software updates
  • Install f.lux: no need to be uncomfortable during this process
  • Install Dropbox
  • Install Moom: setup keyboard shortcuts
  • Install Alfred: install powerpack and custom hacks
  • Install iTerm2
  • Install 1Password: sync with DropBox
  • Install TextExpander: sync with DropBox

Setup OS X essential tweeks:

  • User fonts: Museo and Letter Gothic both essential for me
  • Remap Caplock key to Control key
  • Change Key Repeat and Delay Until Repeat to fast and short respectively in System Preferences > Keyboard
  • Change Trackpad 'swipe between pages' to a three finger gesture
  • Max out Trackpad tracking speed in System Preferences
  • Install QLStephen
  • # Disable the “Are you sure you want to open this application?” dialog
    $ defaults write com.apple.LaunchServices LSQuarantine -bool false
  • # Enable subpixel font rendering on non-Apple LCDs defaults write NSGlobalDomain AppleFontSmoothing -int 2
  • # Disable press-and-hold for keys in favor of key repeat defaults write NSGlobalDomain ApplePressAndHoldEnabled -bool false
  • # Set a blazingly fast keyboard repeat rate defaults write NSGlobalDomain KeyRepeat -int 0
  • # Allow text selection in Quick Look defaults write com.apple.finder QLEnableTextSelection -bool true

Setup Development tools and package management:

  • Install Homebrew

  • Place Homebrew at the top of your path: export PATH=/usr/local/bin:$PATH

  • Run $ brew doctor to detect any problems—I needed to chown 2 directories:

    • $ sudo chown $(whoami) /usr/local/share/man/de
    • $ sudo chown $(whoami) /usr/local/share/man/de/man1
  • Install XCode command line tools or GCC Installer for OS X without Xcode

  • use Homebrew to install a few essentials:

    • git
    • tmux
    • reattach-to-user-namespace
    • MacVim
    • wget
    • autojump
  • Install shell stuff: oh-my-zsh and fish

  • Install dotfiles—write a shell script to do this for you or look at the Dotfiles repo for examples

  • Install Python the right way: see this guide—essentially:

    1.$ brew install python --framework—make sure /usr/local/share/python is in your path so this version of Python gets picked up 2. $ easy_install pip 3. $ pip install virtualenv 4. $ virtualenv --distribute venv # makes a virtual environment 5. $ pip install WHATEVER YOU NEED

  • Install Ruby (do this in Bash)

    1. $ curl -L https://get.rvm.io | bash -s stable --ruby
    2. $ bash < <( curl https://rvm.beginrescueend.com/releases/rvm-install-head )
    3. $ gem install WHATEVER YOU NEED
  • Install Haskell

    1. brew install ghc # might not need to do this if you install haskell-platform?
    2. brew install haskell-platform
  • Install R and/or RStudio if IDEs are your thing

  • Pull/Clone git repos to new machine

  • Install Adobe Creative Suite

Final Backups:

  • Verify Disk with Disk Utility—see here
  • Generate a final TimeMachine backup
  • Migrate old crashplan to new machine—helpful guide here
  • Create a final SuperDuper! bootable backup

Other:

  • Install all other software on an as needed basis. I end up installing a lot less than I would if I just installed what was on my old machine.
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