Renato Nitta

Setup macOS for web development

How to setup macOS for web development (ruby on rails) [2024]

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renatonitta
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I had to setup MacOS on a new laptop this weekend, and this is how I usually do it.

Every time I need to configure a new dev environment, it is a PITA, so I decided to write down the steps in the correct order so I can visit it in the future when I need to do it again.

The steps to setup macOS

  1. OS update
  2. Install Xcode
  3. Install command line tools
  4. Accept the Xcode license
  5. Install Chrome
  6. Install homebrew
  7. Install iTerm
  8. Configure git global
  9. Install GitX
  10. Create a new SSH key
  11. Install ASDF and Ruby
  12. Install redis
  13. Install Postgres
  14. Postgres client
  15. ImageMagick
  16. Handle unexpected errors
  17. Install Heroku CLI
  18. Install Google Cloud CLI
  19. Install code editors
  20. Configure .dotfiles
  21. Install other browsers

1. OS update

Before starting the setup macOS it is wise to update the macOS.

Let’s do it first.

2. Install Xcode

I don’t use Xcode for web development, but I prefer to install it and have it ready, just in case.

3. Install command line tools

This is the most essential portion of Xcode; the command-line tools will be required for most of the development work on macOS, including Ruby, which is the language I use.

It brings the compilers that most of the development work needs, including the C compilers needed by Ruby.

$ xcode-select --install

4. Accept the Xcode license

Yes, it is weird but useful; just run the code below and accept it before getting angry with annoying messages.

$ sudo xcodebuild -license

After doing it, you need to close the terminal window and open it again.

5. Install Chrome

I use Chrome for work due to the available extensions.

I also install and use other browsers daily, but Chrome is the main one.

6. Install homebrew

Homebrew is “the” package manager for macOS; I will use it many times in this guide, and you will probably need it for other things as well.

You can get up-to-date instructions at the homebrew homepage, but today I used:

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

7. Install iTerm2

I realized that Apple Terminal evolved, and it is fine now, but I have used iTerm2 for a long time and don’t have plans to stop using it.

BTW, take the opportunity to donate.

I don’t remember doing it very often, but I donate what I can every time I need to install it.

8. Configure Git global

I have a .dotfiles with more configurations, but this is the first.

$ git config --global user.name "YOUR NAME"
$ git config --global user.email "YOU@DOMAIN.COM"

That way Git is usable.

9. Install GitX

I have tried several alternatives for git UI clients over the years, but I can get rid of GitX 🤷‍♂️

The old and good GitX download page is not working anymore, so I thought: “this is it”; time to move on.

Fortunately, this wasn’t the case, and I found a fork maintained by heroes at https://github.com/gitx/gitx

10. Create a new SSH key

New laptop, new SSH key, or not 😄

But this time I created one:

$ ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your@email.com"

11. Install ASDF and Ruby

I have used rvm and rbenv in the past, and both work fine.

But recently, my preference has been to asdf.

ASDF requires coreutils:

$ brew install coreutils

Then, the ruby plugin and version:

$ asdf plugin add ruby https://github.com/asdf-vm/asdf-ruby.git

$ asdf install ruby 3.3.0

I had an issue installing Ruby 3.3.0 with the psych extension; it was the lack of libyaml so I installed it via homebrew:

$ brew install libyaml

You may want to install OpenSSL as well; I didn’t need it this time, but usually, I have to install it:

$ brew install openssl

You can install other languages like:

12. Install Redis

It seems like we may soon have alternatives to Redis, but for now, I still use it in the current projects.

$ brew install redis

# to run redis automatically at login
$ brew services start redis

13. Install Postgres

This is the database I use the most now.

I like the Postgres.app

It is installed just like any other macOS app.

But for using it in Ruby on Rails applications, we need to install a dependency (libpq):

$ brew install libpq

14. Postgres client

There are a few good GUI clients, but I like TablePlus.

15. ImageMagick

Manipulating images.

$ brew install imagemagick

16. Handling unexpected errors on setup macOS

Every time I setup macOS for a new dev environment, errors pop up; this time I had an error regarding a Ruby version and MacOS.

# error
+[__NSCFConstantString initialize] may have been in progress in another thread when fork() was called.

# solution
# add the folowing to .bash_profile or .zprofile
export OBJC_DISABLE_INITIALIZE_FORK_SAFETY=YES

https://github.com/rails/rails/issues/38560

17. Install Heroku CLI

We use Heroku for hosting our apps, so:

$ brew tap heroku/brew && brew install heroku

18. Install Google Cloud CLI

Another portion of our infrastructure is on Google Cloud.

https://cloud.google.com/sdk/docs/install-sdk

19. Install code editors

The long-time companion MacVim.

The new kid on the block VSCode.

With the Vim emulator extension vsccodesim.

20. Configure .dotfiles

I used YADR for many years, and I still use it on my other dev laptop, but this time I decided to go light and configured only the following three manually.

  • .gitconfig
  • .vimrc
  • .zshrc

21. Install more browsers

A web developer carries multiple browsers on a toolbelt.

I always have:

This is it. A new laptop is ready to go 💪

Was it useful for you?

If so, consider following me on Twitter at @renatonitta.

And feel free to drop a comment or a question below 👊.

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