Mac Setup

Automated setup for macOS development environment using Ansible. This playbook configures a fresh any Mac with development tools, applications, and sensible defaults.

• Homebrew Package Management - CLI tools and GUI applications
• Development Environment - Languages, Git config, SSH keys
• macOS System Preferences - Dock, Finder, keyboard, trackpad settings
• Dotfiles Management - Clone and symlink your dotfiles
• Fully Customizable - Everything configured via variables

• macOS Ventura (13.0) or later
• Command Line Tools for Xcode

xcode-select --install

1. Clone this repository:

git clone https://github.com/koolwilly72/mac-setup.git
cd mac-setup

2. Install Ansible:

# Using Homebrew (if already installed)
brew install ansible

# Or using pip
pip3 install --user ansible

3. Install required Ansible collections:

ansible-galaxy install -r requirements.yml

4. Customize your configuration:

cp group_vars/all.yml group_vars/all.yml.bak
# Edit group_vars/all.yml with your preferences

5. Run the playbook:

ansible-playbook site.yml -K

The -K flag prompts for your sudo password (required for some operations).

All configuration is done in group_vars/all.yml. Key sections include:

homebrew_packages:
  - git
  - neovim
  - tmux

homebrew_casks:
  - visual-studio-code
  - docker
  - slack

development_languages:
  - python@3.12
  - node
  - go

git_user_name: "Your Name"
git_user_email: "your.email@example.com"

macos_dock_autohide: true
macos_finder_show_hidden: true
macos_key_repeat_rate: 2

dotfiles_repo: "https://github.com/koolwilly72/dotfiles.git"
dotfiles_symlink: true

ansible-playbook site.yml -K

# Only install Homebrew packages
ansible-playbook site.yml --tags homebrew -K

# Only configure macOS defaults
ansible-playbook site.yml --tags macos -K

# Only setup development tools
ansible-playbook site.yml --tags development -K

ansible-playbook site.yml --check -K

ansible-playbook site.yml -K -vvv

mac-setup/
├── site.yml                    # Main playbook
├── requirements.yml            # Ansible Galaxy dependencies
├── group_vars/
│   └── all.yml                 # Configuration variables
├── inventory/
│   └── hosts                   # Inventory file
└── roles/
    ├── homebrew/               # CLI package management
    ├── apps/                   # GUI applications
    ├── development/            # Languages & dev tools
    ├── dotfiles/               # Dotfile management
    └── macos-defaults/         # System preferences

First, find the app ID using mas:

brew install mas
mas search "App Name"

Then add to group_vars/all.yml:

mas_apps:
  - id: 497799835
    name: "Xcode"
  - id: 803453959
    name: "Slack"

homebrew_taps:
  - homebrew/cask-fonts
  - hashicorp/tap

python_packages:
  - black
  - poetry
  - django

node_packages:
  - yarn
  - nx
  - vercel

This playbook is idempotent—running it multiple times will not cause issues. It will only make changes when necessary.

Some operations require sudo. Always run with -K:

ansible-playbook site.yml -K

If Homebrew fails, ensure it's properly installed:

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

Install required collections:

ansible-galaxy install -r requirements.yml --force

Some casks might fail if already installed via other means. These errors are ignored by default.

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/new-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add new feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/new-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

• Inspired by various dotfile and Mac setup repositories
• Built with Ansible
• Uses Homebrew for package management

• dotfiles - Your unofficial guide to dotfiles on GitHub
• awesome-macos-command-line - macOS command line tools