MacBook Software Installation

My additional (main) installation/configuration steps were:

1. performed a software update to Apple macOS Sequoia 15.5;
2. in terminal did:
   • change umask to 027 (rights for group read-only, others nothing)

     sudo launchctl config user umask 027

   • change hostname;

     sudo scutil --set HostName "my-macbook"
     # or/and (if really needed)
     sudo scutil --set LocalHostName "my-macbook"
     sudo scutil --set ComputerName "my-macbook"

   • disabled automatic boot on power supply (see article on Macworld);

     sudo nvram BootPreference=%02

   • disable creation of .DS_Store files on network shares and removable media (like USB drives, according to article of University of Alaska);

     defaults write com.apple.desktopservices DSDontWriteNetworkStores -bool TRUE
     defaults write com.apple.desktopservices DSDontWriteUSBStores -bool TRUE
     # verify with:
     defaults read com.apple.desktopservices

3. configured iCloud in System Settings » Apple-ID » iCloud (to fit 5GB space limit);
4. localized (to german language) the name of some 1st-level directories (as described in Apple developer article Localizing the Name of a Directory);
5. created Z Shell init script ~/.zshrc and set some environment variables, for example: EDITOR, TEXINPUTS, BIBINPUTS, PROJECTS;
6. created a launchd file ~/Library/LaunchAgents/de.rho62.environment.plist, which provides environment variables for GUI applications, inspired by this articles:
   • Launch shell script on login in Mac OS (OS X);
   • MacOS Environment Variables;
   • Creating Launch Daemons and Agents;
7. installed some drivers and additional base software:
   • DELL driver and Color Management Software for U2723QE computer monitor;
   • EPSON software for printer Epson Expression Premium XP-7100:
     • printer driver (v13.26),
     • Epson Scan 2 (v6.7.71),
     • Epson Photo + (v4.02.0)
   • Apple xcode developer CLI software (by simply entering git in terminal);
   • Nextcloud Desktop Client for macOS 12+;¹⁾
   • Mazda Toolbox;
8. enabled CUPS web interface:

   cupsctl WebInterface=yes

   ;

9. Homebrew installed as packet manager, using terminal command:

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

10. GnuPG installed, according to this article:

    brew install gnupg pinentry-mac
    echo "pinentry-program $(which pinentry-mac)" >>  ~/.gnupg/gpg-agent.conf
    gpg-connect-agent reloadagent /bye
    brew install gpg-suite

11. Emacs Plus installed to path /opt/homebrew/opt/emacs-plus@28

    brew tap d12frosted/emacs-plus
    brew install emacs-plus@28
    sudo osascript -e 'tell application "Finder" to make alias file to posix file "/opt/homebrew/opt/emacs-plus@28/Emacs.app" at posix file "/Applications" with properties {name:"Emacs.app"}'

    then:

    • setup modifier keys (see Emacs Wiki of Xah Lee): option → Meta, command → Super, function → Hyper;
    • created an application EmacsClient.app based on a shell script, using the macOS Automator;

      /opt/homebrew/bin/emacsclient -n -a /opt/homebrew/bin/emacs $@
      open -a Emacs

    • added some other useful programs:
      • macism: brew tap laishulu/homebrew; brew install macism;
      • aspell: brew install aspell;
      • exiftool: brew install exiftool;
    • removed some (partially) clashing keyboard shortcuts from macOS:
      • F11: show desktop;
      • c-space: input method selector;
      • c-left, c-right, c-up: Mission Control;
      • c-down: program windows;
12. LaTeX stuff installed:²⁾
    • MacTeX (a TeXlive distribution), but w/o GUI applications:

      brew install --cask mactex-no-gui
      sudo tlmgr update --self && sudo tlmgr update --all
      sudo tlmgr install algorithms && sudo texhash

      See the following paths for interesting files:

      • /Library/TeX
      • /usr/local/texlive
      • /etc/paths.d/TeX
      • /etc/manpaths.d/TeX
    • BibDesk:³⁾ brew install --cask bibdesk;
13. LyX for Mac OS X installed:⁴⁾

    brew install --cask lyx
    ln -s $PROJECTS/texmf/lyx/layouts "$HOME/Library/Application Support/LyX-2.4/layouts"
    ln -s $PROJECTS/texmf/lyx/templates "$HOME/Library/Application Support/LyX-2.4/templates/MyTemplates"

    then:

    • update "~/Library/Application Support/LyX-2.4/preferences";
    • adopted PATH prefix (to zero length currently) in preferences;
    • installed standalone version of fig2dev, using brew install fig2dev;⁵⁾
14. Finally in terminal update the (persistent) launchd path for GUI apps:

    sudo launchctl config user path "/opt/homebrew/bin:/opt/homebrew/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/System/Cryptexes/App/usr/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/usr/local/MacGPG2/bin:/Library/TeX/texbin:/Users/<user>/Applications"
    # or simply
    sudo launchctl config user path $PATH
    # verify with:
    launchctl getenv PATH