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|
#+date: <2024-01-09>
#+title: Customizing macOS
#+description:
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
[[https://brew.sh/][Homebrew]]. You can use their installation script to
get started. Simply open the =Terminal= application and paste the
following snippet:
#+begin_src sh
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
#+end_src
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 [[https://iterm2.com/][iTerm2]], which can be installed with
Homebrew:
#+begin_src sh
brew install iterm2
#+end_src
To install color schemes, such as the Dracula scheme, you visit
[[https://iterm2colorschemes.com/][iTerm Themes]] and follow their
installation instructions to install any of the themes.
* Desktop
** Window Management
[[https://github.com/koekeishiya/yabai][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
[[https://github.com/koekeishiya/yabai/wiki/Installing-yabai-(latest-release)][yabai
wiki]] for installation instructions. You will need to ensure that yabai
is allowed to access the accessibility and screen recording APIs.
** Keyboard Shortcuts
[[https://github.com/koekeishiya/skhd][skhd]] is a simple hotkey daemon
that allows you to define hotkeys in a file for usage on your system.
Installation is simple:
#+begin_src sh
brew install koekeishiya/formulae/skhd
skhd --start-service
#+end_src
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:
#+begin_src sh
nano ~/.config/skhd/skhdrc
#+end_src
For example, I have hotkeys to open my browser and terminal:
#+begin_src conf
# Terminal
cmd - return : /Applications/iTerm.app/Contents/MacOS/iTerm2
# Browser
cmd + shift - return : /Applications/LibreWolf.app/Contents/MacOS/librewolf
#+end_src
** Widgets
[[https://github.com/felixhageloh/uebersicht/][uebersicht]] is a handy
desktop-based widget tool with a plethora of community-made widgets
available in the [[https://tracesof.net/uebersicht-widgets/][widgets
gallery]]. You can also write your own widgets with this tool.
To install, simply download the latest release from the
[[https://tracesof.net/uebersicht/][uebersicht website]] and copy it to
the Applications folder.
See below for an example of the
[[https://tracesof.net/uebersicht-widgets/#Mond][Mond]] widget in
action.
** Status Bar
[[https://github.com/FelixKratz/SketchyBar][SketchyBar]] is a
customizable replacement for the macOS status or menu bar.
You can browse a discussion where various users shared their
[[https://github.com/FelixKratz/SketchyBar/discussions/47?sort=top][configurations]]
for inspiration or to copy their dotfiles.
** Dock
The easiest way to customize the dock is to install
[[https://ubarapp.com/][uBar]], 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.
** 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 [[https://macosicons.com/][macOSicons]] 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!
|
