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A personal new-Mac setup checklist for front-end / full-stack developers.
Follow it every time you switch machines — up and running out of the box.
Follow the chapters in order — some tools depend on others (e.g. Homebrew comes before most CLI tools, Xcode before anything that compiles natively).
| Tool | Notes |
|---|---|
| Proxy tool (VPN) | Install this first — in mainland China, GitHub and npm are unreachable without it |
⚠️ Top priority — nothing else works without network access.
| Tool | Notes | Install |
|---|---|---|
| Homebrew | The de-facto package manager for macOS | brew.sh |
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"Once Homebrew is in place, the Brewfile at the repo root installs almost every tool below in one command:
# Option 1: clone the repo and run
git clone https://github.com/irawill/mac-setup.git
cd mac-setup
brew bundle
# Option 2: fetch the Brewfile directly, no clone needed
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/irawill/mac-setup/main/Brewfile -o Brewfile && brew bundle💡
brew bundleis safe to re-run — already-installed tools are skipped automatically.
The following are not in the Brewfile and must be installed manually (see their chapters):
- Proxy tool (Step 1)
- NVM / Node.js / pnpm / Yarn / nrm (Step 3, official script + npm)
- Codex CLI (
npm install -g @openai/codex) - Sogou Input Method (download from the official site; its Homebrew cask has been discontinued)
Remaining initialization after the install: start the MongoDB / PostgreSQL services (Step 10) and launch Docker Desktop once (Step 11).
| Tool | Notes | Install |
|---|---|---|
| Xcode CLI Tools | Native build dependency, prerequisite for many tools | xcode-select --install |
| Git | Version control | brew install git |
| NVM | Node.js version manager | github.com/nvm-sh/nvm |
| Node.js | JavaScript runtime (installed via nvm) | nvm install --lts |
| pnpm | High-performance package manager (primary choice) | npm install -g pnpm |
| Yarn | Backup package manager | npm install -g yarn |
| nrm | npm registry manager — switch between the official registry, Taobao mirror, etc. | npm install -g nrm |
# Recommended Node setup
nvm install --lts
nvm use --lts
npm install -g pnpm yarn nrm
# Common nrm commands
nrm ls # list available registries
nrm use taobao # switch to the Taobao mirror (recommended in mainland China)
nrm use npm # switch back to the official registry (for publishing)| Tool | Notes | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Ghostty | GPU-accelerated modern terminal, native macOS app, fast and zero-config out of the box | ghostty.org or brew install --cask ghostty |
| Google Chrome | Go-to browser for development, best-in-class DevTools | google.com/chrome |
| Tool | Best For | Link |
|---|---|---|
| VSCode | Lower-spec machines / general coding | code.visualstudio.com |
| Cursor | Higher-spec machines / AI-assisted coding (first choice) | cursor.com |
| Sublime Text | Lightweight editing, quick file viewing | sublimetext.com |
💡 Rule of thumb: < 16 GB RAM → VSCode; 16 GB or more → Cursor.
| Tool | Notes | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Desktop | Anthropic's Claude desktop client | claude.ai/download |
| Claude Code | Anthropic's CLI AI coding agent | claude.com/claude-code or npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code |
| ChatGPT | OpenAI's official app (Apple Silicon native) | openai.com/chatgpt/download |
| Codex CLI | OpenAI's CLI AI coding agent | github.com/openai/codex |
| ChatGPT Atlas | OpenAI's AI browser with ChatGPT built in (macOS first) | chatgpt.com/atlas |
✅ Everything above runs natively on Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4).
| Tool | Notes | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Sogou Input Method | The best Chinese input method on macOS | shurufa.sogou.com/mac |
| Shottr | Lightweight screenshot tool with OCR | shottr.cc |
| Stats | Open-source menu-bar system monitor (CPU / memory / network / disk) | brew install --cask stats |
| Tool | Notes | Install |
|---|---|---|
| Daily messaging | App Store | |
| QQ Music | Music streaming | App Store |
| NetEase Mail Master | Email client | App Store |
| IINA | Modern open-source video player built on mpv, designed for macOS | brew install --cask iina |
💡 IINA plays virtually every mainstream video format, with native Apple Silicon and dark mode support — the best video player on macOS.
| Tool | Notes | Link |
|---|---|---|
| WPS Office | Free office suite, compatible with Word / Excel / PowerPoint | mac.wps.cn |
| Tool | Notes | Install |
|---|---|---|
| MongoDB | NoSQL document database | brew install mongodb-community |
| MongoDB Compass | Official MongoDB GUI client | brew install --cask mongodb-compass |
| PostgreSQL | Leading open-source relational database | brew install postgresql@18 |
| Postico | Native macOS PostgreSQL GUI client, clean and easy to use | brew install --cask postico |
# 1. Add the official MongoDB tap
brew tap mongodb/brew
# 2. Install MongoDB Community Edition
brew install mongodb-community
# 3. Start the MongoDB service
brew services start mongodb-community
# 4. Verify it is running
mongosh
# 5. Install MongoDB Compass (GUI client)
brew install --cask mongodb-compass# 1. Install PostgreSQL
brew install postgresql@18
# 2. Add psql etc. to PATH (postgresql@18 is keg-only and is not linked automatically)
echo 'export PATH="/opt/homebrew/opt/postgresql@18/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc
# 3. Start the PostgreSQL service
brew services start postgresql@18
# 4. Verify it is running
psql postgres
# 5. Install Postico (GUI client)
brew install --cask postico💡 Postico is one of the nicest PostgreSQL clients on macOS — free tier available, paid upgrade unlocks everything.
| Tool | Notes | Install |
|---|---|---|
| Docker Desktop | Containerized dev environment, ships with Docker Compose, Apple Silicon native | brew install --cask docker-desktop |
# 1. Install Docker Desktop
brew install --cask docker-desktop
# 2. Launch the app once to initialize the Docker engine
open -a "Docker Desktop"
# 3. Verify the installation
docker --version
docker compose version
docker run hello-world💡 If image pulls are slow in mainland China, configure
registry-mirrorsunder Settings → Docker Engine in Docker Desktop.
| Tool | Notes | Install |
|---|---|---|
| Postman | The most popular API development and debugging tool — testing, mocking, team collaboration | brew install --cask postman or postman.com |
Network
[ ] Proxy tool (VPN)
Package manager
[ ] Homebrew
Core dev
[ ] Xcode CLI Tools
[ ] Git
[ ] NVM + Node.js (LTS)
[ ] pnpm
[ ] Yarn
[ ] nrm
Terminal & browser
[ ] Ghostty
[ ] Google Chrome
Editors
[ ] VSCode (low-spec)
[ ] Cursor (high-spec, first choice)
[ ] Sublime Text
AI tools
[ ] Claude Desktop
[ ] Claude Code
[ ] ChatGPT (Apple Silicon build)
[ ] Codex CLI
[ ] ChatGPT Atlas
Input & productivity
[ ] Sogou Input Method
[ ] Shottr
[ ] Stats
Communication & life
[ ] WeChat
[ ] QQ Music
[ ] NetEase Mail Master
[ ] IINA
Office
[ ] WPS Office
Databases
[ ] MongoDB
[ ] MongoDB Compass
[ ] PostgreSQL
[ ] Postico
Containers
[ ] Docker Desktop
API tools
[ ] Postman
- A personal checklist, open-sourced — PRs welcome.
- Optimized for macOS; Apple Silicon machines recommended.
- Every tool is free or offers a free tier.
MIT — free to use and share.