Mac Developer Setup Guide

Essential tools for macOS development

1. Install Homebrew

Homebrew is the missing package manager for macOS. It simplifies installing and managing developer tools and applications.

Install Homebrew

Paste this command into your terminal:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Verify installation

Check that Homebrew was installed correctly:

brew --version

You should see output like Homebrew 4.x.x

Update Homebrew

Make sure you have the latest package definitions:

brew update

2. Configure Git

Git comes pre-installed on macOS, but you need to configure it with your identity and preferences.

Set your name

Replace Your Name with your actual name:

git config --global user.name "Your Name"

Set your email

Use the email associated with your GitHub account:

git config --global user.email "your.email@example.com"

Set default branch name

Use main as the default branch name for new repositories:

git config --global init.defaultBranch main

Verify configuration

Check your Git settings:

git config --global --list

3. Install Node.js

Node.js includes npm (Node Package Manager), essential for JavaScript development.

Install Node.js via Homebrew

brew install node

Verify Node.js installation

node --version

You should see output like v20.x.x

Verify npm installation

npm --version

You should see output like 10.x.x

4. Generate SSH Keys

SSH keys allow you to authenticate with GitHub and other services without entering your password.

Generate a new SSH key

Replace the email with your GitHub email:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your.email@example.com"

Press Enter to accept the default file location, then enter a passphrase when prompted.

Start the SSH agent

eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"

Add your SSH key to the agent

ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

Copy your public key

This command copies your SSH public key to the clipboard:

pbcopy < ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

Go to GitHub → Settings → SSH and GPG keys → New SSH key, and paste your key.

Test your connection

ssh -T git@github.com

Type yes when prompted, then you should see "Hi username! You've successfully authenticated..."

5. Install VS Code

Visual Studio Code is a powerful, extensible code editor built by Microsoft.

Install VS Code via Homebrew

brew install --cask visual-studio-code

Install the code command

Open VS Code, then press Cmd+Shift+P and type "shell command". Select "Install 'code' command in PATH".

Verify the code command

Open a new terminal window and try:

code --version

6. Optional Tools

These tools are highly recommended but not required for basic development.

iTerm2

A better terminal emulator for macOS:

brew install --cask iterm2

Oh My Zsh

A framework for managing your Zsh configuration:

sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/master/tools/install.sh)"

Useful CLI tools

Install helpful command-line utilities:

brew install wget tree jq htop

Docker Desktop

Container platform for running applications:

brew install --cask docker

You're All Set! 🎉

Your Mac is now configured with essential developer tools. Here are some recommended next steps:

  • Explore VS Code extensions for your preferred languages
  • Set up your preferred shell configuration (.zshrc or .bashrc)
  • Clone your first repository with Git
  • Create a test Node.js project to verify everything works

Remember to keep your tools updated regularly with brew update && brew upgrade