6 ms·

what are your other mandatory installs?

ajdude 3y ago
Not the parent, but one of the first things I usually install on new Mac is Karabiner-Elements. Absolutely needed if you're using a non-mac keyboard.
- c-hendricks 3y ago
  What do you use it for? I use a non-Apple keyboard and just switched the options / command key in System Settings.
  - sharikous 3y ago
    Say you have a laptop and a PC keyboard and want to have different settings for the internal and the external keyboard
    - klausa 3y ago
      The settings in System Settings.app are per-keyboard, so you don't need anything external for that.
    - lobstrosity420 3y ago
      It already lets you have different settings for the internal en external keyboards by default. I use it just like that - vanilla settings on my MacBook built in and for the external keyboard I switch command and option, since it’s a windows keyboard. I don’t want to be inflammatory, but the amount of baby duck syndrome when people say MacOS and Linux are unusable is crazy. Just try to go vanilla for 2 weeks before you install two dozen utilities.
  - spectre3d 3y ago
    I use it to map caps lock to a hyper[1] key, whether it’s an Apple keyboard or not. [1] When I hold caps lock, the computer responds as if I’m holding Command + Option + Control + Shift. (In the “Complex modifications” tab, choose “Add rule” and enable “Change caps_lock to command+control+option+shift.”) LinearMouse seems great, nice that it’s being offered through homebrew as well as a dmg.
  - programmertote 3y ago
    Newbie Mac user here. I just did what you suggested (I believe it's basically what's suggested in this article: https://9to5mac.com/2016/03/17/how-to-remap-windows-keyboard-buttons-match-mac-layout/ https://9to5mac.com/2016/03/17/how-to-remap-windows-keyboard...), but I don't think Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V works on browsers; I still have to use Alt+C and Alt+V to copy paste when using Chrome/Firefox browsers whereas Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V works in PyCharm. What am I missing? Thank you in advance for your suggestion/reply!
    - majormajor 3y ago
      If you run through that guide I think the intended result is that "Alt-C" is going to be your copypaste. E.g. the keys work in the Mac order: CTRL / OPT (ALT) / COMMAND instead of the Windows order (CTRL / WINDOWS / ALT). So using Alt-C should trigger Copy, matching Mac-user muscle memory. Perhaps PyCharm is set to Windows keymappings or such?
    - cpleppert 3y ago
      The mac doesn't use ctrl modifiers to use copy paste. If you remapped Alt/option and windows/command keys on a windows keyboard alt-c & alt-v (i.e. the keys to the right/left of the spacebar) would be recognized as cmd-c and cmd-v on the mac. PyCharm supports a windows and linux keybinding that lets you use ctrl-c and ctrl-v to copy paste but the mac generally uses the cmd key as opposed to the ctrl key. If you want to use ctrl-c and ctrl-v you can remap both of those pretty easily using karabiner elements to cmd-c and cmd-v.
  - sorahn 3y ago
    right-option to forward delete on the internal laptop keyboard. I used to use it to remap capslock to control, but apple has since added that to macOS itself.
  - hibbelig 3y ago
    I use it to have hybrid modifier and regular keys: if I hold down caps lock like a modifier key and strike another key then it behaves like control. If I tap caps lock like I would a letter key then it behaves like escape. Return is another hybrid between itself and control (my keyboard does not have a right control key). Space is another hybrid with a whole lot of bindings when held down. With s it generates space so that I can have key repeat for space (don’t need that often). With hjkl it generates the cursor keys. Does this help?
    - c-hendricks 3y ago
      Okay that's a great suggestion. I didn't mention it but I do also change my caps lock to an extra escape key.
      - reboot81 3y ago
        I use Caps lock as backspace. Go back a webpage, delete last character. Use it all the time. WHO NEEDS TO SHOUT?
  - siriusfeynman 3y ago
    for some reason apple think that the backslash and backtick keys are the opposite of what they actually are on british pc keyboards
faitswulff 3y ago
Rectangle for window management
- biomcgary 3y ago
  Rectangle is the only way I can make reasonable use of my external monitor on MacOS.
- hugi 3y ago
  Yes! I regret the time I spent without Rectangle. Effortlessly managing windows, just throwing them around or between monitors without ever touching the mouse is absolutely priceless.
baq 3y ago
https://alt-tab-macos.netlify.app/ https://alt-tab-macos.netlify.app/
pantulis 3y ago
- BetterTouchTool - Folder Peek
- AlexSW 3y ago
  +1 to BetterTouchTool! I'm mostly a keyboard person (typical 'vim' user etc.) but being able to switch tabs using a two-finger tap left and right on the touchpad is so pleasant that I find it worth the investment for BetterTouchTool alone. Configuring this for the different keybindings of different programs flexibly is really great. And it's a one-time payment including fixes and improvements - I've had it for years.
- guiambros 3y ago
  +1, I can't live without BTT on Mac. From keyboard shortcuts, window management, controlling apps, overall customizations, HUD messages, and much, much more. I wish BTT were multi-OS, so I could just copy the configuration across platforms, instead of having to recreate from scratch (Linux), or not at all (ChromeOS).
wdb 3y ago
Cleanshot X and Swish [2] I really like the gestures that Swish adds. [1] https://cleanshot.com https://cleanshot.com [2] https://highlyopinionated.co/swish/ https://highlyopinionated.co/swish/
nicwolff 3y ago
Zooom/2 even though it's abandonware.
billbrown 3y ago
Alfred, Karabiner-Elements (for the hyper key functionality), Shortcat, TextSniper, Moom, Sublime Text, iTerm 2, my .bash_profile. These are all apps for which I have long-standing muscle memory. If I use a new computer, I'm still pressing the keys but nothing happens and I have to remember how to do the things the normal way.
- thehigherlife 3y ago
  Never heard of Shortcat before, it reminds me of that vim shortcut that used to be popular for firefox back in the day. I can see how that would be really powerful.
- gergi 3y ago
  Each of the features provided by the above apps would also require an app to be installed for Windows, too. Not sure how this can be leveled as an OSX criticism.
bluSCALE4 3y ago
I use SizeUp which gives keyboard shortcuts for what Win key + arrow keys accomplishes. There's probably something better but I'm used to it.
- oidar 3y ago
  There is an open source version of this Rectangle. https://rectangleapp.com https://rectangleapp.com
  - bluSCALE4 3y ago
    Thanks, prefer this much more to SizeUp.
idle_zealot 3y ago
- Karabiner-Elements, primarily to map caps lock to ctrl when pressed with other keys and escape when pressed alone, although I also like to bind right command + asdfhjkl to cursor movement keys home pgdown pgup end left down up right respectively. - yabai/skhd for window management - brew/mas for package management - linearmouse to disable cursor acceleration, scroll acceleration, and inverted scroll direction for mice while keeping all those things on for trackpads. There are other things that I install on my Macs, but these are the programs that I use to fix behavior that I find unacceptable. Additionally I maintain a script of about 50 `defaults write ...` commands so that I don't have to dig around in the settings menus of system applications to configure them to behave sanely (show file extensions and paths, don't reorder Spaces, disable autocorrect, etc).
- fatboy 3y ago
  Could you post that script somewhere for us? I'd be interested to see if there are annoyances I'm just living with in there.
  - idle_zealot 3y ago
    Sure. It's definitely opinionated, but perhaps our opinions align! https://gist.github.com/idle-z/7fc3d3950b02c441ab522a094e5f4350 https://gist.github.com/idle-z/7fc3d3950b02c441ab522a094e5f4...
    - fatboy 3y ago
      Thanks!
ris58h 3y ago
- MiddleClick to middle click with 3 fingers. - Touch-Tab to switch apps with 3 fingers. Both are free and open source.
insin 3y ago
Easy Move+Resize for moving and resizing windows from anywhere in the window

Not the parent, but one of the first things I usually install on new Mac is Karabiner-Elements. Absolutely needed if you're using a non-mac keyboard.

c-hendricks 3y ago
What do you use it for? I use a non-Apple keyboard and just switched the options / command key in System Settings.
- sharikous 3y ago
  Say you have a laptop and a PC keyboard and want to have different settings for the internal and the external keyboard
  - klausa 3y ago
    The settings in System Settings.app are per-keyboard, so you don't need anything external for that.
  - lobstrosity420 3y ago
    It already lets you have different settings for the internal en external keyboards by default. I use it just like that - vanilla settings on my MacBook built in and for the external keyboard I switch command and option, since it’s a windows keyboard. I don’t want to be inflammatory, but the amount of baby duck syndrome when people say MacOS and Linux are unusable is crazy. Just try to go vanilla for 2 weeks before you install two dozen utilities.
- spectre3d 3y ago
  I use it to map caps lock to a hyper[1] key, whether it’s an Apple keyboard or not. [1] When I hold caps lock, the computer responds as if I’m holding Command + Option + Control + Shift. (In the “Complex modifications” tab, choose “Add rule” and enable “Change caps_lock to command+control+option+shift.”) LinearMouse seems great, nice that it’s being offered through homebrew as well as a dmg.
- programmertote 3y ago
  Newbie Mac user here. I just did what you suggested (I believe it's basically what's suggested in this article: https://9to5mac.com/2016/03/17/how-to-remap-windows-keyboard-buttons-match-mac-layout/ https://9to5mac.com/2016/03/17/how-to-remap-windows-keyboard...), but I don't think Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V works on browsers; I still have to use Alt+C and Alt+V to copy paste when using Chrome/Firefox browsers whereas Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V works in PyCharm. What am I missing? Thank you in advance for your suggestion/reply!
  - majormajor 3y ago
    If you run through that guide I think the intended result is that "Alt-C" is going to be your copypaste. E.g. the keys work in the Mac order: CTRL / OPT (ALT) / COMMAND instead of the Windows order (CTRL / WINDOWS / ALT). So using Alt-C should trigger Copy, matching Mac-user muscle memory. Perhaps PyCharm is set to Windows keymappings or such?
  - cpleppert 3y ago
    The mac doesn't use ctrl modifiers to use copy paste. If you remapped Alt/option and windows/command keys on a windows keyboard alt-c & alt-v (i.e. the keys to the right/left of the spacebar) would be recognized as cmd-c and cmd-v on the mac. PyCharm supports a windows and linux keybinding that lets you use ctrl-c and ctrl-v to copy paste but the mac generally uses the cmd key as opposed to the ctrl key. If you want to use ctrl-c and ctrl-v you can remap both of those pretty easily using karabiner elements to cmd-c and cmd-v.
- sorahn 3y ago
  right-option to forward delete on the internal laptop keyboard. I used to use it to remap capslock to control, but apple has since added that to macOS itself.
- hibbelig 3y ago
  I use it to have hybrid modifier and regular keys: if I hold down caps lock like a modifier key and strike another key then it behaves like control. If I tap caps lock like I would a letter key then it behaves like escape. Return is another hybrid between itself and control (my keyboard does not have a right control key). Space is another hybrid with a whole lot of bindings when held down. With s it generates space so that I can have key repeat for space (don’t need that often). With hjkl it generates the cursor keys. Does this help?
  - c-hendricks 3y ago
    Okay that's a great suggestion. I didn't mention it but I do also change my caps lock to an extra escape key.
    - reboot81 3y ago
      I use Caps lock as backspace. Go back a webpage, delete last character. Use it all the time. WHO NEEDS TO SHOUT?
- siriusfeynman 3y ago
  for some reason apple think that the backslash and backtick keys are the opposite of what they actually are on british pc keyboards

faitswulff 3y ago

Rectangle for window management

biomcgary 3y ago
Rectangle is the only way I can make reasonable use of my external monitor on MacOS.
hugi 3y ago
Yes! I regret the time I spent without Rectangle. Effortlessly managing windows, just throwing them around or between monitors without ever touching the mouse is absolutely priceless.

baq 3y ago

https://alt-tab-macos.netlify.app/ https://alt-tab-macos.netlify.app/

pantulis 3y ago

- BetterTouchTool - Folder Peek

AlexSW 3y ago
+1 to BetterTouchTool! I'm mostly a keyboard person (typical 'vim' user etc.) but being able to switch tabs using a two-finger tap left and right on the touchpad is so pleasant that I find it worth the investment for BetterTouchTool alone. Configuring this for the different keybindings of different programs flexibly is really great. And it's a one-time payment including fixes and improvements - I've had it for years.
guiambros 3y ago
+1, I can't live without BTT on Mac. From keyboard shortcuts, window management, controlling apps, overall customizations, HUD messages, and much, much more. I wish BTT were multi-OS, so I could just copy the configuration across platforms, instead of having to recreate from scratch (Linux), or not at all (ChromeOS).

wdb 3y ago

Cleanshot X and Swish [2] I really like the gestures that Swish adds. [1] https://cleanshot.com https://cleanshot.com [2] https://highlyopinionated.co/swish/ https://highlyopinionated.co/swish/

nicwolff 3y ago

Zooom/2 even though it's abandonware.

billbrown 3y ago

Alfred, Karabiner-Elements (for the hyper key functionality), Shortcat, TextSniper, Moom, Sublime Text, iTerm 2, my .bash_profile. These are all apps for which I have long-standing muscle memory. If I use a new computer, I'm still pressing the keys but nothing happens and I have to remember how to do the things the normal way.

thehigherlife 3y ago
Never heard of Shortcat before, it reminds me of that vim shortcut that used to be popular for firefox back in the day. I can see how that would be really powerful.
gergi 3y ago
Each of the features provided by the above apps would also require an app to be installed for Windows, too. Not sure how this can be leveled as an OSX criticism.

bluSCALE4 3y ago

I use SizeUp which gives keyboard shortcuts for what Win key + arrow keys accomplishes. There's probably something better but I'm used to it.

oidar 3y ago
There is an open source version of this Rectangle. https://rectangleapp.com https://rectangleapp.com
- bluSCALE4 3y ago
  Thanks, prefer this much more to SizeUp.

idle_zealot 3y ago

- Karabiner-Elements, primarily to map caps lock to ctrl when pressed with other keys and escape when pressed alone, although I also like to bind right command + asdfhjkl to cursor movement keys home pgdown pgup end left down up right respectively. - yabai/skhd for window management - brew/mas for package management - linearmouse to disable cursor acceleration, scroll acceleration, and inverted scroll direction for mice while keeping all those things on for trackpads. There are other things that I install on my Macs, but these are the programs that I use to fix behavior that I find unacceptable. Additionally I maintain a script of about 50 `defaults write ...` commands so that I don't have to dig around in the settings menus of system applications to configure them to behave sanely (show file extensions and paths, don't reorder Spaces, disable autocorrect, etc).

fatboy 3y ago
Could you post that script somewhere for us? I'd be interested to see if there are annoyances I'm just living with in there.
- idle_zealot 3y ago
  Sure. It's definitely opinionated, but perhaps our opinions align! https://gist.github.com/idle-z/7fc3d3950b02c441ab522a094e5f4350 https://gist.github.com/idle-z/7fc3d3950b02c441ab522a094e5f4...
  - fatboy 3y ago
    Thanks!

ris58h 3y ago

- MiddleClick to middle click with 3 fingers. - Touch-Tab to switch apps with 3 fingers. Both are free and open source.

insin 3y ago

Easy Move+Resize for moving and resizing windows from anywhere in the window