New Mac OS X Install (started 2009-05-15):

Pictures/

Music/

Movies/

Documents/

update /sw/etc/fink.conf to enable main/unstable crypto/unstable

fink selfupdate-rsync

fink scanpackages

fink selfupdate

Install packages: source-highlight vim gawk sed wget

In order to satisfy dependencies, this will install many other packages as well

Install package coreutils-default (without "g" prefix)

now includes 'date' yeah!

Install python (Leopard comes with 2.5.1, this fink package is 2.6.2)

Install netpbm (beware that netpbm10 also exists and is a bit mutually exclusive)

Some philosophy:

I'm coming to the perspective that only (mostly) command-line software will be installed via fink.  The reason being that I can now very easily install a Linux Virtual machine on the Mac via VirtualBox.  Several packages I use there require either KDE or GNOME.  I don't think it very practical to build all of those support libraries for the Mac and then have to use X11 on the Mac, when I can easily install RPMs/.debs on the Linux virtual machine.  After that, each of these applications is just a -tab away.

Install Firefox (http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/)

I've gotten in the habit of building from source tarballs.

http://developer.apple.com/internet/opensource/osdb.html

http://hivelogic.com/articles/view/installing-mysql-on-mac-os-x

tar zxvf mysql-5.1.34.tar.gz

cd mysql-5.1.34

./configure --prefix=/usr/local/mysql \

--with-unix-socket-path=/usr/local/mysql/run/mysql_socket \

--with-mysqld-user=mysql --with-comment --with-debug

make

make install

Install Sun's template pack (has some useful graph paper templates)

Oh, and this one: http://templates.services.openoffice.org/files/68/graphpaper_2.ott



Some configuration steps:

Go to http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/settings_manager.html

and deny everything for Flash cookies and set all buffers to 0 size.

How To Keep Tabs On Sneaky "Flash Cookies" | bMighty.com: Blogs For Small Business and Mid-Sized Business

This is a good overview with links to much more information (dated May 8, 2009)


Configure less (should be in .bash_profile):

LESS="-c -R "

LESSOPEN="| /sw/bin/src-hilite-lesspipe.sh %s"


Configure Terminal: (note: I used to use iTerm, but Terminal has gotten much better with OS X 10.5)

make the "Pro" settings the default

turn on anti-aliased text (computers are fast enough now ;-))

turn off unlimited scrollback, 10000 lines should be enough

use visual bell and turn off audible bell

set display size to 168x42 (allows two 80-columns docs to be diff'ed 'diff -yW168' side-by-side)

set the font size to 16 (the default Monaco font seems fine)


Configure Clock in Menu

Use 24 hour notation

Get rid of AM/PM


Configure Main Menu

/System/Library/CoreServices/Menu\ Extras/Eject.menu


Configure Safari

Enable Develop menu (Preferences->Advanced check "Show Develop menu in menu bar"


Configure Firefox

Add Firebug extension


Configure/Add Aftermarket Codecs:

Avid QuickTime Codecs LE (1.10 though it appears 2.0 is out)  (http://tr.im/n7hP)


Install QuickTime 7 Pro key (see e-mail for key)



Commands that are handy:

drutil eject (eject an errant CD/DVD from the drive, especially useful on laptops)

hdiutil eject [volume] (eject a .dmg image once your done with it)



Some keyboard shortcuts: Macintosh Accent Codes

Ω alt-z

º alt-0

® alt-r

alt-d

µ alt-m

π alt-p

Ø alt-O

alt-j

alt-;

alt-=

± alt-+

alt-,

alt-.

alt-x

alt-K

umlaut alt-u then character ë, ü, ö, etc...

Å alt-A (ångström)