macOS Install Guide

Setting up macOS using the Terminal can be an efficient way to configure your system, install applications, and customize settings. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use tools like Homebrew, MAS (Mac App Store CLI), and the defaults command.

Step 1: Open the Terminal

You can find Terminal in ```Applications > Utilities > Terminal```, or search for it using Spotlight (Cmd + Space).

Step 2: Install Homebrew

Homebrew is a package manager for macOS that allows you to install software easily.

• Run the following command in Terminal to start install of Homebrew:

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

Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation.

• Add Homebrew to your PATH (if prompted), typically by adding the following line to your ~/.zprofile:

export PATH="/opt/homebrew/bin:$PATH"

• Update Homebrew:

brew update

Step 3: Install Applications Using Homebrew

With Homebrew installed, you can now install various applications. Here are a few commonly used commands:

• To install a package:

brew install <package_name>

• For example, to install NodeJS:

brew install node

• To install applications with Homebrew Cask (for GUI apps):

brew install --cask <app_name>

• For example, to install Arc:

brew install --cask arc

Step 4: Install the Mac App Store CLI (MAS)

MAS allows you to manage Mac App Store applications from the command line.

• Install MAS using Homebrew:

brew install mas

Sign in to your Apple ID if prompted when you first use MAS.

Step 5: Install Applications from the Mac App Store

• To find apps:

mas search <app_name>

• To install an app:

mas install <app_id>

You can get the from the search results.

• To list installed apps:

mas list

Step 6: Use the defaults Command to Customize Settings

The defaults command allows you to modify macOS settings from the terminal.

• Set the Finder to show hidden files:

defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles -bool true
killall Finder

• Change screenshots to png:

defaults write com.apple.screencapture type -string "png"
killall SystemUIServer

• Set the Dock to automatically hide:

defaults write com.apple.dock autohide -bool true
killall Dock

Step 7: Update and Clean Up

• Keep Homebrew packages updated:

brew update && brew upgrade

• Clean up old versions of installed packages:

brew cleanup

Final Notes

• Backup: Consider making a backup of your current settings before applying changes.

• Customization: Feel free to explore more defaults commands to customize your macOS experience to your liking.

• Documentation: Check the documentation for each tool for more advanced usage.

With this setup, you’ll have a well-configured macOS environment tailored to your needs, and you can even make shell scripts to do most of the setup for you! (Like DSMOSS @ Sneed Group!)