MacOS software setup 2025

I regularly perform clean installations on my Mac, PC, and Linux machines. To track how the initial setup process evolves over time, I’m documenting my installation steps. This serves as both a personal reference and a potentially useful guide for others. In this first post I’m covering MacOS which I’ll follow next with the Windows version. I hope you find something useful here.

Core Productivity Tools

All of these are pri 0 essential and hence are my first installs. Apart from Tailscale, these all come from the Mac App Store.

Install Order	Application	Description	Mac App Store
1	Tailscale	A zero-config VPN for building secure networks, connecting your devices and securing your services without the hassle of traditional VPNs. CLARKEZONE TAKE: Tailscale is the first install for me on all devices as it’s how all my devices connect to each other and to private services I self host at home. Although available in the Mac App Store, that version has various limitations and hence I do a standalone install.	N
2	Bitwarden	A secure open-source password manager that helps you store, generate, and autofill passwords across all your devices. CLARKEZONE TAKE: My preferred password manager. I self-host the server and connect to it via the Tailscale tailnet. Makes logging in to the remaining apps a breaze.	Y
3	Craft	A beautiful and powerful document editor that helps you organize your thoughts, projects, and ideas with rich formatting options. CLARKEZONE TAKE: I am a HUGE fan of Craft going back a number of years. I find myself using it more and more for an expanding set of tasks including knowledge management, planning, daily task tracking and more. This would be the one app I would take with me to a desert island.	Y
4	Fantastical	A powerful calendar app with natural language processing, allowing you to quickly add events and manage your schedule. CLARKEZONE TAKE: Fantastical is a perfect solution for my needs. Seamless handling of multiple services and calendars e.g. from iCloud and Google calendar, and natural language input for events. It’s on all of my Apple devices as syncs perfectly. I love the native UI and flexibility around how calendars can be grouped. Fantastical recently came out for Windows and is on my list to try there.	Y
5	Day One	A journaling app that helps you record your life with text, photos, and location data in a beautiful interface. CLARKEZONE TAKE: Preferred diarying solution currently, although since acquisition by WordPress I am starting to think about evaluating new solutions.	Y

Core Development GUI Tools

After getting the bare esentials installed, next up it is my primary workload: software development.

Install Order	Application	Description	Mac App Store
1	Zed	A high-performance, collaborative code editor designed for speed and modern collaboration. CLARKEZONE TAKE: Even though it’s early in the development timeline I love Zed because its a modern editor written in Rust using native UI and hence is lightning fast. It’s being developed by Nathan Sobo and some of the folks who did the Atom code editor as well as folks like Max Brunsfeld who did Tree Sitter. Zed is evolving rapidly and I have no doubt it will continue to gain adoption and popularity.	N
2	Xcode	Apple’s integrated development environment for creating apps for macOS, iOS, watchOS, and tvOS. CLARKEZONE TAKE: The more I use XCode the more I like it even though it took a lot of getting used to initially when coming from Visual Studio.	Y
3	Ghostty	A fast, feature-rich terminal emulator designed for developers with modern UI elements. CLARKEZONE TAKE: I came across Ghostty as part of a recent quest to learn the Zig programming language. It was written by Mitchell Hashimoto of Hashicorp fame and it lives up to the promise of being fast and feature rich. Certainly significantly better Mac option than Alacritty in my experience.	N
4	Ghost remote	Terminal connection utility using the command: infocmp -x | ssh YOUR-SERVER -- tic -x - CLARKEZONE TAKE: Needed to support Linux servers correctly.	N
5	Wakatime for Mac	An automatic time tracking tool that measures your programming activity across different editors and projects. CLARKEZONE TAKE: Wakatime integrates with all of my code editors including NeoVim to give me stats on how long I spend working on different projects.	N
6	LM Studio	A desktop app for running and experimenting with large language models locally on your device. CLARKEZONE TAKE: LM Studio is a tool for running open source AI models locally which is a good way of experimenting with the rapidly evolving space. Many similar solutions are popping up in different places like VSCode. I like LM Studio because it uses Apple’s MLX framework to leverage the full hardware acceleration of Apple Silicon, also rapid development.	N
7	VSCode	Microsoft’s powerful code editor with support for debugging, syntax highlighting, and thousands of extensions. CLARKEZONE TAKE: VS Code is required for any modern dev environment. I’m not a fan of electron-based software in general but have to make an exception here. VS Code is a solid choice with broad support for every language and environment.	N

Core Development CLI Tools

A lot of development work happens on the CLI and getting a good CLI environment is paramount. This is what I use in the order of install priority.

Install Order	Tool	Description	Mac App Store
1	atuin	A magical shell history that synchronizes across all your machines. CLARKEZONE TAKE: For those of us who use CLI history as a way of saving time and, for example, recalling those obscure parameters previously used to start a container, ctrl-r is muscle memory. Atuin is a big step up from bash or zsh’s default ctrl-r menu, for example it stores and can recall history for the session or a particular directory and has some neat stats visualizations. The searching and filtering is also a big step up. Finally the really big one: it solves a major pain point with using multiple dev-boxes by enabling syncing between machines either via an encrypted cloud service or a selfhostable version.	N
2	brew	The missing package manager for macOS, allowing easy installation of software and tools. CLARKEZONE TAKE: Brew is mandatory for development on MacOS.	N
3	gh	GitHub’s official command-line tool to interact with GitHub repositories from the terminal. CLARKEZONE TAKE: gh is the best way to interact with GitHub from the CLI. Even better with the CLI completions installed to easily complete eg repo names etc.	N
4	git	Distributed version control system for tracking changes in source code during development.	N
5	git completions	Command-line completions for git commands for faster workflow.	N
6	gh completions	Command-line completions for GitHub CLI commands.	N
7	podman	A daemonless container engine for developing, managing, and running OCI containers. CLARKEZONE TAKE: Podman is plug compatible with docker in most all scenarios I’ve come across, is generally better and not encumbered by restrictive licensing terms.	N
8	podman completions	Command-line completions for Podman commands.	N
9	kubectl	Command-line tool for running commands against Kubernetes clusters. CLARKEZONE TAKE: Since my home infra uses self-hosted Kubernetes clusters and I’m CLI first, I need this.	N
10	kubectl completions	Command-line completions for Kubernetes commands.	N
11	Kubeconfig for production Kube clusters	Configuration file for accessing the Kubernetes cluster4.	N
12	NAS	Access configuration for NASMKii storage system.	N
13	SSH key for Linux devbox	SSH authentication keys for accessing the devbox.	N

Video Production & Creative

My second major use case, after programming, is tools for video and audio production. Many of these are specialist and relate to specific hardware I use in my studio hence I won’t go into details here (if you are interested feel free to reach out).

Install Order	Application	Description	Mac App Store
1	Pixelmator	A powerful, full-featured image editor with tools for enhancing photos, drawing, and creating graphic designs. CLARKEZONE TAKE I use Photoshop a lot less as a result of how good PM is. Apple liked it so much they bought the company.	Y
2	Blackmagic Cloud Store Setup	Cloud collaboration tools for DaVinci Resolve projects, allowing teams to work together remotely.	N
3	Blackmagic Converters	Blackmagic Design’s software for configuring video conversion hardware.	N
4	Blackmagic Hyperdeck	Control software for Blackmagic Design’s HyperDeck video recorders.	N
5	Blackmagic Desktop Video	Blackmagic Design’s software for configuring capture and playback devices.	N
6	Blackmagic Atem software control	Control software for Blackmagic Design’s ATEM video switchers.	N
7	Resolve Studio	Professional video editing, color correction, visual effects, and audio post-production software. CLARKEZONE TAKE: Resolve has firmly replaced Premier Pro for me at this point, and I can’t see that changing. One time purchase, blazing performance, broad and deep capabilities, iPad support, amazing color grading and audio. The list goes on and on. And it integrates seamlessly with the reset of my workflow which is increasingly Blackmagic centric.	N
9	Midas M32 edit	Control software for the Midas M32 digital mixing console.	N
10	Dante controller	Network configuration and routing software for Dante audio networking. CLARKEZONE TAKE: I moved add my machines to Dante audio feeding a 32 channel Midas M32c. The mixer just has a network jack, gets inputs over the network from Dante USB and virtual soundcards attached to every device. Output is over the network to discrete speakers. With this setup I can route the mix anywhere it is needed for recording, streaming or listening and do fancy things like reversible Dolby 5.1 speaker configurations that works either from my desk or from the couch at the other end of the room.	N
11	Mixeffect pro	Advanced control software for Blackmagic Design ATEM switchers.	Y
12	Insta360 Studio	Editing software for 360° content from Insta360 cameras.	N
13	Sidas Link Pro	Professional video linking and synchronization software for controlling Aputure studio light fixtures.	Y
14	Rive	Create interactive animations for apps, games, and websites. CLARKEZONE TAKE: Rive is so interesting that it really merits it’s own post. A 2D animation tool and runtime that is gaining both capabilities and market acceptance at a dizzying rate.	Y
15	Final Cut Pro	Apple’s Final Cut Pro, a professional video editing software for macOS.	Y
16	Compressor	Apple’s advanced video and audio encoding tool for Final Cut Pro projects.	Y
17	Motion	Apple’s motion graphics software for creating stunning visual effects and animations.	Y
18	Logic Pro	Apple’s professional digital audio workstation for recording, editing, and mixing music.	Y
19	Adobe Creative Cloud	Suite of apps for graphic design, video editing, web development, photography, and more.	N

Communication

Most of these are standard and well understood.

Install Order	Application	Description	Mac App Store
1	Discord for MacOS	A communication platform designed for creating communities with text, voice, and video chat.	Y
2	Bluesky	A decentralized social network focused on customizability and user control.	Y
3	Telegram for MacOS	A cloud-based messaging app with a focus on speed, security, and cross-platform availability.	Y
4	Ivory	An elegant Mastodon client for the decentralized social web.	Y
5	X for MacOS	The platform formerly known as Twitter for news, entertainment, sports, and social conversation.	Y
6	Whatsapp for MacOS	A cross-platform messaging app for sending text, voice messages, media, and making calls.	Y
7	FB Messenger for MacOS	Facebook’s messaging platform for text, voice, and video communication.	Y
8	Signal for MacOS	A privacy-focused messaging app with end-to-end encryption for secure communications.	N
9	Zoom for MacOS	A video conferencing platform for virtual meetings, webinars, and online events.	N
10	Mimestream for MacOS	A native macOS email client specifically designed for Gmail accounts with a modern interface. CLARKEZONE TAKE: I use Mimestream exclusively for gmail/gcal which is not my primary email system. Mimestream is Mac native and I prefer it to the webUI from Google	N

Content

Tools for consuming media.

Install Order	Application	Description	Mac App Store
1	Kindle for MacOS	Amazon’s e-reader app giving access to millions of books, magazines, and documents.	Y
2	Infuse	A beautiful media player that organizes and plays video files from various sources. CLARKEZONE TAKE: I switched to InFuse from Plex in early 2024 because InFuse doesn’t need a server for metadata, just access to the media. Metadata is sync’d via iCloud. Since I exclusively consume content on AppleTV, this is fine, if you need x-plat access this won’t be an option. I also like it as it plays nicely with Apple’s audio routing to enable me to extract Dolby 5.1 surround into my Dante mixer.	Y
3	Reeder for MacOS	An elegant RSS reader application for following websites and news sources. CLARKEZONE TAKE: I very much like this take on an RSS reader although the most recent update went a little off the rails hence I’m sticking on Reeder 5.x.	Y

Utilities

Install Order	Application	Description	Mac App Store
1	Chronosync	A robust file synchronization and backup tool for macOS with scheduling capabilities. CLARKEZONE Take: I use ChronoSync primarily for syncing production video and audio files between different removable drives and my NAS.	N
2	Downie	A video downloader that can extract videos from thousands of websites.	N
3	Fission	A fast and efficient audio editor for trimming, joining, and converting audio files.	N
4	Screens 5	A remote desktop application that allows controlling other computers from your Mac.	N

Crypto

Install Order	Application	Description	Mac App Store
1	Ledger Live	Companion app for Ledger hardware wallets to manage crypto assets securely.	N
2	Phantom and Backpack Wallets	Cryptocurrency wallet applications for storing and managing digital assets.
3	Brave Browser	A privacy-focused web browser with built-in ad blocking and cryptocurrency features.	N

Additional Development Tools

These tools typically get installed on an as needed basis depending on what I’m doing and what I need. Some of them I’m still experimenting with.

Install Order	Tool	Description	Mac App Store
1	NeoVim	Hyperextensible Vim-based text editor focused on extensibility and usability. Clarkezone Take: VIM is the best terminal based editor (clearly :-)) and Neovim is the modern evolving offshoot of this classic with great extensibility via lua. My config uses Lazy and can be found here. I love the Primagen’s hilarious YouTube channel about the merits of VIM.	N
2	Mojo Lang	Modern programming language for AI development with Python compatibility. Clarkezone Take: Mojo is a super interesting emerging language conceived by Chris Lattner and based on LLVM and MLIR. It is syntax compatible with Python but offers static typing, compilation to native binaries, memory safety and supports not only CPU but also targets such as GPU, NPU. It is interesting to me because it eliminates the need for models to have a mix of Python (for ease of development and iteration), C++ (for deploying performance-critical kernels) and CUDA for targeting GPUs.	N
3	Mojo completions	Command-line completions for Magic Mojo commands.
4	Starship	A minimal, blazing-fast, and customizable prompt for any shell. Clarkezone Take: A better prompt written in Rust.	N
5	Zelij	A terminal workspace with batteries included, featuring multiplexer capabilities. Clarkezone Take: Experimenting with this as a replacement for TMUX.	N
6	TryAstro	A tool for exploring and testing applications built with the Astro web framework. Clarkezone Take: Analytics for the Apple AppStore that help research for indi-dev app ideas.	N
7	TestFlight for MacOS	Apple’s platform for testing beta versions of apps before they’re released on the App Store.	N
8	Apple Developer for MacOS	Apple’s developer app providing access to documentation, videos, and developer news.	N
9	SF Symbols for MacOS	Apple’s library of iconography designed to integrate with San Francisco, the system font for Apple platforms.	N
10	Zig	A general-purpose programming language and toolchain designed for robustness, optimality, and maintainability. Clarkezone Take: Ziglang is another emerging language by Andrew Kelly that I have been learning. Simpler than Rust, compiler can be used as a drop-in replacement for C/C++ compilers, comptime is an interesting take on metaprogramming.	N
11	Cline	A command-line interface tool for enhancing developer productivity. Clarkezone Take: Cline takes agentic AI to the next level and has been a game changer for me. It uses openrouter to abstract different LLM backend services and associated token purchasing, supports Anthropic’s Model Contaxt Protocol to reach into and reason over different tools and environments. It can also leverage local tools on your devbox as part of it’s multi-stage reasoning.	N
12	.NET 9	Microsoft’s cross-platform development framework for building various types of applications. Clarkezone Take: I mainly use this on Linux and Windows installs so typically only install on the Mac via devcontainers	N