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+date = 2024-01-09
+title = "Customizing macOS"
+description = ""
+draft = false
++++
+
+I have been using macOS more than Linux lately, so I wrote this post to
+describe some simple options to customize macOS beyond the normal
+built-in settings menu.
+
+While not all-encompassing, the options below should be a good start for
+anyone looking to dive down the rabbit hole.
+
+# Basics
+
+## Package Management
+
+To install a lot of software on macOS, you will need
+[Homebrew](https://brew.sh/). You can use their installation script to
+get started. Simply open the `Terminal` application and paste
+the following snippet:
+
+```sh
+/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
+```
+
+This will allow you to easily install and manage applications and other
+software easily through the `brew` command.
+
+## Terminal
+
+If you\'re serious about customizing your macOS system, I highly
+recommend installing a terminal emulator that you like and if you\'re
+not comfortable on the command line yet, start learning. A lot of
+customization options require you to edit hidden files, which is easiest
+in a terminal.
+
+There are options like iTerm2, Kitty, Alacritty, Hyper, Warp, or the
+built-in Terminal app.
+
+I use [iTerm2](https://iterm2.com/), which can be installed with
+Homebrew:
+
+```sh
+brew install iterm2
+```
+
+![iTerm2](https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20240109-macos-customization/iterm2.png)
+
+To install color schemes, such as the Dracula scheme shown in the
+screenshot above, you visit [iTerm
+Themes](https://iterm2colorschemes.com/) and follow their installation
+instructions to install any of the themes.
+
+# Desktop
+
+## Window Management
+
+[yabai](https://github.com/koekeishiya/yabai) is a tiling window manager
+for macOS. While other window managers exist, I found that most of them
+struggled to create logical layouts and to allow me to easily move
+windows around the screen.
+
+Some advanced settings for yabai are only available if partially disable
+System Integrity Protection (SIP). However, I chose not to do this and
+it hasn\'t affected my basic usage of yabai at all.
+
+Refer to the [yabai
+wiki](https://github.com/koekeishiya/yabai/wiki/Installing-yabai-(latest-release))
+for installation instructions. You will need to ensure that yabai is
+allowed to access the accessibility and screen recording APIs.
+
+You can see a basic three-pane layout atuomatically configured by yabai
+for me as I opened the windows below.
+
+![yabai window
+manager](https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20240109-macos-customization/yabai.png)
+
+## Keyboard Shortcuts
+
+[skhd](https://github.com/koekeishiya/skhd) is a simple hotkey daemon
+that allows you to define hotkeys in a file for usage on your system.
+
+Installation is simple:
+
+```sh
+brew install koekeishiya/formulae/skhd
+skhd --start-service
+```
+
+After installation, be sure to allow `skhd` access to the
+accessibility API in the macOS privacy settings.
+
+You can configure your hotkeys in the `~/.config/skhd/skhdrc`
+file:
+
+```sh
+nano ~/.config/skhd/skhdrc
+```
+
+For example, I have hotkeys to open my browser and terminal:
+
+``` conf
+# Terminal
+cmd - return : /Applications/iTerm.app/Contents/MacOS/iTerm2
+
+# Browser
+cmd + shift - return : /Applications/LibreWolf.app/Contents/MacOS/librewolf
+```
+
+## Widgets
+
+[uebersicht](https://github.com/felixhageloh/uebersicht/) is a handy
+desktop-based widget tool with a plethora of community-made widgets
+available in the [widgets
+gallery](https://tracesof.net/uebersicht-widgets/). You can also write
+your own widgets with this tool.
+
+To install, simply download the latest release from the [uebersicht
+website](https://tracesof.net/uebersicht/) and copy it to the
+Applications folder.
+
+See below for an example of the
+[Mond](https://tracesof.net/uebersicht-widgets/#Mond) widget in action.
+
+![uebersicht desktop
+widgets](https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20240109-macos-customization/uebersicht.png)
+
+## Status Bar
+
+[SketchyBar](https://github.com/FelixKratz/SketchyBar) is a customizable
+replacement for the macOS status or menu bar.
+
+You can browse a discussion where various users shared their
+[configurations](https://github.com/FelixKratz/SketchyBar/discussions/47?sort=top)
+for inspiration or to copy their dotfiles.
+
+See below for a quick (& slightly broken) copy of
+[zer0yu\'s](https://github.com/zer0yu/dotfiles) SketchyBar
+configuration.
+
+![SketchyBar](https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20240109-macos-customization/sketchybar.png)
+
+## Dock
+
+The easiest way to customize the dock is to install
+[uBar](https://ubarapp.com/), which uses a Windows-like menu bar as the
+default style.
+
+However, the built-in macOS dock cannot be disabled and can only be set
+to \"always hidden\". This can be annoying as it will pop out any time
+your mouse cursor passes closely to the dock edge of the screen. Because
+of this, I simply use the built-in dock instead of customizing it with
+third-party software.
+
+Regardless, see below for the default installation style of uBar.
+
+![uBar](https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20240109-macos-customization/ubar.png)
+
+## Application Icons
+
+You can also customize the icon of any application in macOS, which will
+show up in Finder, the Dock, Launchpad, search results, etc. I recommend
+using [macOSicons](https://macosicons.com/) to download icons you want,
+and then apply them by following this process.
+
+1.  Open the Finder application.
+2.  Navigate to the `Applications` folder.
+3.  Right-click an application of your choice, and select
+    `Get Info`.
+4.  Drag the image you downloaded on top of the application\'s icon at
+    the top of information window (you will see a green \"plus\" symbol
+    when you\'re hovering over it).
+5.  Release the new icon on top of the old icon and it will update!
+
+You can see an example of me dragging a new `signal.icns`
+file onto my Signal.app information window to update it below:
+
+![replace macOS
+icons](https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20240109-macos-customization/replace_icon.png)