This reference should answer: what do I need to setup on a new machine to get me comfortably running?
- All of these notes have been second-habit. Might as well dump them here to free up some mind space.
Windows Desktop
- install windows terminal, PowerShell, and Ubuntu (WSL2) from Microsoft Store.
- Install oh-my-posh. Stick with the theme that doesn’t use a lot of glyphs. Install powershell plugins that does completion (see sample Profile.ps1)
- install vim from winget, install Vundle (install tips here: https://github.com/VundleVim/Vundle.vim/wiki/Vundle-for-Windows), then hide .vim and .vimrc. If using PowerShell, create an alias instead of adding to system path. If using Windows Terminal, you can use vim as a shell option.
- Install Docker desktop for windows. My use case for this is less for docker per se, but for keeping the WSL2 VM warm.
- Install Rainmeter and HWiNFO64 but keep in mind the compatibility issues with some widgets due to license changes in HWiNFO64.
- Either install Chrome or use Edge, whichever is less annoying for the current period.
- create a
C:/Tools directory. You'll be surprised how much software breaks when directories have spaces. Create a Local directory (equivalent to /usr/local), where one of the things I add is Maven. Also install miniconda3 here, then install mamba on the base config. Don't forget to run mamba init in powershell.
- install thisiswin11 and remove all other annoying stuff in Windows 11
Mac Laptop
- If using an Apple Silicon Mac, avoid installing Rosetta 2. Inconvenient, but this forces you to find the correct alternatives and workarounds until native ARM binaries become available for everything. (ex: Microsoft Teams uses Rosetta, while Chrome runs native).
- Install oh-my-zsh and powerlevel10k. Do some tweaks in the ~/.zshrc.
- Install homebrew, then cask install some of my desktop tools (e.g. vscode) and usual dev stuff (jdk17 and micromamba, which has native arm mac builds)
- create a
~/.local directory. Send all one-off or rarely used binaries here.
- When installing Zoom/Teams, make sure that the permissions for sharing the screen are enabled. The last thing you'd want is be in a meeting/conference and then excuse yourself to leave just to enable these.
- Recreate some of the OSX-era trackpad stuff: three-finger drag, two-finger right-click, etc.
- install QoL-improving CLI apps: htop, mtr, gmake.
Linux Desktop