5 ms·

What tweaks do you use in your Macintosh?

5 points by redxblood 13y ago

Do you have any tips/tweaks/hacks you use in your Mac? Software or hardware alike.

jads 13y ago
If I could recommend just one, it would be 1Password.
johncoltrane 13y ago
When I install a new system, I always go through these steps in no particular order: * change the appearance and the contrast color from "blue" to "graphite" * disable the zoom effect and enable automatic hiding of the dock * limit Spotlight's scope * increase the speed of the mouse * install Perian * install Secrets * install Slate * install ClipMenu * install QuickSilver * install QuickCursor * install MacPorts (and the required XCode) * install Subversion, Git and Mercurial * install a bunch of CLI utilities like cdargs or tmux * install MacVim and clone my config
- Dorsai 13y ago
  I would love something like QuickCursor... How did you install QuickCursor? (builds won't launch due to the OS X Sandbox?)
  - johncoltrane 13y ago
    If you don't mind downloading binaries from total strangers, this is the one I'm using right now: https://www.dropbox.com/s/z9lhundywuz7llg/QuickCursor.app.zip https://www.dropbox.com/s/z9lhundywuz7llg/QuickCursor.app.zi...
delkant 13y ago
I'd recommend http://winebottler.kronenberg.org/ http://winebottler.kronenberg.org/ (the easiest way to run windows app on mac) The first time I installed it was because I couldn't find a tool like total commander (http://www.ghisler.com/ http://www.ghisler.com/) for mac, so I will add that to my list total commander :D The rest really depends on what you will do with it.
Dirty-flow 13y ago
you can find some tips and tricks on Apple Stackexchange: http://apple.stackexchange.com/q/400/24026 http://apple.stackexchange.com/q/400/24026
bgar 13y ago
Right now there's a few essentials for my Air: - PCKeyboardHack https://pqrs.org/macosx/keyremap4macbook/pckeyboardhack.html.en https://pqrs.org/macosx/keyremap4macbook/pckeyboardhack.html... to map CapsLock to Escape - KeyRemap4MacBook https://pqrs.org/macosx/keyremap4macbook/ https://pqrs.org/macosx/keyremap4macbook/ to map Fn to Ctrl - Spectacle http://spectacleapp.com/ http://spectacleapp.com/ to resize windows with the keyboard - Caffeine http://lightheadsw.com/caffeine/ http://lightheadsw.com/caffeine/ to easily toggle the screen's sleep setting - The Unarchiver http://unarchiver.c3.cx/unarchiver http://unarchiver.c3.cx/unarchiver handles tons of file formats
tsm 13y ago
Install: * Homebrew * Caffeine and NoSleep * SetResX for Retina displays (lets you deretinafy and use native resolution) * KeyRemap4MacBook to swap () and [] (but I might be weird) * iTerm2
sunspeck 13y ago
f.lux http://justgetflux.com/ http://justgetflux.com/ As much a brain hack as a Mac hack. #1 recommendation.
- OWaz 13y ago
  I second f.lux as I've been using it for a few years. Just try it for a while.
helloanand 13y ago
I have a MBPR. - I used QuickRes2 to switch to a much higher resolution 1920x1680 which is not possible otherwise. - Wrote a script to download the beautiful bing.com backgrounds for use as wallpapers
- gsands 13y ago
  Care to share the script?
  - helloanand 13y ago
    #!/usr/bin/env bash PATH=/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/usr/local/bin PICTURE_DIR="/path/to/your/directory" #mkdir -p $PICTURE_DIR cd $PICTURE_DIR urls=( $(curl -s http://www.bing.com|grep http://www.bing.com|grep -Eo "url:'.?'"|sed -e "s/url:'$[^']$'./http:\/\/bing.com\1/"|sed -e "s/\\\//g") ) for p in ${urls[@]}; do filename=$(echo $p|sed -e "s/.\/$.*$/\1/") if [ ! -f $PICTURE_DIR/$filename ]; then echo "Downloading: $filename ..." #wget -q -O $PICTURE_DIR/$filename $p curl -Lo "$PICTURE_DIR/$filename" $p else echo "Skipping: $filename ..." fi done
squidsoup 13y ago
Fullscreen tmux with all development in linux VMs. I don't even know why I'm using a Mac anymore. F.lux and an email client that works.
charlesism 13y ago
• Change the Trackpad plists to allow both two-finger tap, and bottom-right click. Apple took away the option to set this from the GUI in Lion, for some reason. http://apple.stackexchange.com/a/105705/50905 http://apple.stackexchange.com/a/105705/50905 • Add "System Files" and "File Visibility" to the list of Spotlight options • Install "EasyFind.app" so I'm not at the mercy of my Spotlight db (as useful as Spotlight can sometimes be) • Install Services like "WordService for Mac" to alphabetize text, or convert text encodings • Install my own services to do things like "chmod +x" or "copy file contents as base64" or "copy path to this file as text" (I'd die without this) from the GUI • Set "System Preferences > Keyboard" to "All controls" to uncripple key commands • Install "KeyRemap4MacBook" and enable Fn+J/K/L/I as cursor keys • Install "Display Rotation Menu" menulet to switch between portrait/landscape • Install "SizeUp" to move/resize windows • Change the Finder setting to allow text selection in Quick Look previews: "defaults write com.apple.finder QLEnableTextSelection -bool TRUE" • create a softlink to my "~/Library/" named "~/Library /" (or alternately just chflags nohidden)
Jemaclus 13y ago
My required installs: * f.lux * Divvy (resize windows on the fly) * TotalTerminal (a visor-style thing for using the terminal) * Alfred 2 (a Spotlight replacement - I used to use Quicksilver, but it's no longer actively developed)
- ipodize 13y ago
  Quicksilver is back under development - the latest version is 1.1.2, and the last commit at their repo[1] was five days ago... Not on fire, but there is stuff happening. Also, you may like Moom[2] for window management - sucky name, but the feature set makes up for it ;) [1]: https://github.com/quicksilver/Quicksilver/ https://github.com/quicksilver/Quicksilver/ [2]: http://manytricks.com/moom/ http://manytricks.com/moom/

5 points by redxblood 13y ago

Do you have any tips/tweaks/hacks you use in your Mac? Software or hardware alike.

jads 13y ago

If I could recommend just one, it would be 1Password.

johncoltrane 13y ago

When I install a new system, I always go through these steps in no particular order: * change the appearance and the contrast color from "blue" to "graphite" * disable the zoom effect and enable automatic hiding of the dock * limit Spotlight's scope * increase the speed of the mouse * install Perian * install Secrets * install Slate * install ClipMenu * install QuickSilver * install QuickCursor * install MacPorts (and the required XCode) * install Subversion, Git and Mercurial * install a bunch of CLI utilities like cdargs or tmux * install MacVim and clone my config

Dorsai 13y ago
I would love something like QuickCursor... How did you install QuickCursor? (builds won't launch due to the OS X Sandbox?)
- johncoltrane 13y ago
  If you don't mind downloading binaries from total strangers, this is the one I'm using right now: https://www.dropbox.com/s/z9lhundywuz7llg/QuickCursor.app.zip https://www.dropbox.com/s/z9lhundywuz7llg/QuickCursor.app.zi...

delkant 13y ago

I'd recommend http://winebottler.kronenberg.org/ http://winebottler.kronenberg.org/ (the easiest way to run windows app on mac) The first time I installed it was because I couldn't find a tool like total commander (http://www.ghisler.com/ http://www.ghisler.com/) for mac, so I will add that to my list total commander :D The rest really depends on what you will do with it.

Dirty-flow 13y ago

you can find some tips and tricks on Apple Stackexchange: http://apple.stackexchange.com/q/400/24026 http://apple.stackexchange.com/q/400/24026

bgar 13y ago

Right now there's a few essentials for my Air: - PCKeyboardHack https://pqrs.org/macosx/keyremap4macbook/pckeyboardhack.html.en https://pqrs.org/macosx/keyremap4macbook/pckeyboardhack.html... to map CapsLock to Escape - KeyRemap4MacBook https://pqrs.org/macosx/keyremap4macbook/ https://pqrs.org/macosx/keyremap4macbook/ to map Fn to Ctrl - Spectacle http://spectacleapp.com/ http://spectacleapp.com/ to resize windows with the keyboard - Caffeine http://lightheadsw.com/caffeine/ http://lightheadsw.com/caffeine/ to easily toggle the screen's sleep setting - The Unarchiver http://unarchiver.c3.cx/unarchiver http://unarchiver.c3.cx/unarchiver handles tons of file formats

tsm 13y ago

Install: * Homebrew * Caffeine and NoSleep * SetResX for Retina displays (lets you deretinafy and use native resolution) * KeyRemap4MacBook to swap () and [] (but I might be weird) * iTerm2

sunspeck 13y ago

f.lux http://justgetflux.com/ http://justgetflux.com/ As much a brain hack as a Mac hack. #1 recommendation.

OWaz 13y ago
I second f.lux as I've been using it for a few years. Just try it for a while.

helloanand 13y ago

I have a MBPR. - I used QuickRes2 to switch to a much higher resolution 1920x1680 which is not possible otherwise. - Wrote a script to download the beautiful bing.com backgrounds for use as wallpapers

gsands 13y ago
Care to share the script?
- helloanand 13y ago
  #!/usr/bin/env bash PATH=/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/usr/local/bin PICTURE_DIR="/path/to/your/directory" #mkdir -p $PICTURE_DIR cd $PICTURE_DIR urls=( $(curl -s http://www.bing.com|grep http://www.bing.com|grep -Eo "url:'.?'"|sed -e "s/url:'$[^']$'./http:\/\/bing.com\1/"|sed -e "s/\\\//g") ) for p in ${urls[@]}; do filename=$(echo $p|sed -e "s/.\/$.*$/\1/") if [ ! -f $PICTURE_DIR/$filename ]; then echo "Downloading: $filename ..." #wget -q -O $PICTURE_DIR/$filename $p curl -Lo "$PICTURE_DIR/$filename" $p else echo "Skipping: $filename ..." fi done

squidsoup 13y ago

Fullscreen tmux with all development in linux VMs. I don't even know why I'm using a Mac anymore. F.lux and an email client that works.

charlesism 13y ago

• Change the Trackpad plists to allow both two-finger tap, and bottom-right click. Apple took away the option to set this from the GUI in Lion, for some reason. http://apple.stackexchange.com/a/105705/50905 http://apple.stackexchange.com/a/105705/50905 • Add "System Files" and "File Visibility" to the list of Spotlight options • Install "EasyFind.app" so I'm not at the mercy of my Spotlight db (as useful as Spotlight can sometimes be) • Install Services like "WordService for Mac" to alphabetize text, or convert text encodings • Install my own services to do things like "chmod +x" or "copy file contents as base64" or "copy path to this file as text" (I'd die without this) from the GUI • Set "System Preferences > Keyboard" to "All controls" to uncripple key commands • Install "KeyRemap4MacBook" and enable Fn+J/K/L/I as cursor keys • Install "Display Rotation Menu" menulet to switch between portrait/landscape • Install "SizeUp" to move/resize windows • Change the Finder setting to allow text selection in Quick Look previews: "defaults write com.apple.finder QLEnableTextSelection -bool TRUE" • create a softlink to my "~/Library/" named "~/Library /" (or alternately just chflags nohidden)

Jemaclus 13y ago

My required installs: * f.lux * Divvy (resize windows on the fly) * TotalTerminal (a visor-style thing for using the terminal) * Alfred 2 (a Spotlight replacement - I used to use Quicksilver, but it's no longer actively developed)

ipodize 13y ago
Quicksilver is back under development - the latest version is 1.1.2, and the last commit at their repo[1] was five days ago... Not on fire, but there is stuff happening. Also, you may like Moom[2] for window management - sucky name, but the feature set makes up for it ;) [1]: https://github.com/quicksilver/Quicksilver/ https://github.com/quicksilver/Quicksilver/ [2]: http://manytricks.com/moom/ http://manytricks.com/moom/