Setting up mac os after installation. macOS body kit
If you have a Mac with a small display, adjusting applications so that everything is visible on the screen can sometimes take more time than actually working. Stop putting up with this! Today we will talk about how to free up maximum screen space for applications.
The menu bar contains the Apple menu (“apple” in the upper left corner), the active application menu and status icons (for example, time, level Wi-Fi signal). If you think about it, we don’t always need this part of the macOS interface. If so, then why not turn it off and call it only when necessary?
1. Open System Settings(via the Apple menu, Dock icon, or Spotlight search).
2. Select a section Basic.
3. Check the box next to the inscription Automatically hide and show menu bar.
The menu bar will immediately disappear. The next time it will appear only when you move the mouse cursor to the upper corner of the screen or click Ctrl + F2.
How to Automatically Hide the Dock
The Dock is a panel with application icons (Finder, Safari, Mail, etc.) at the bottom of the screen. There you can also add icons of programs that you often use, folders and documents. Very convenient - but the Dock often takes up a lot of space, and it’s difficult to switch it to “on demand” operation, i.e. displaying it only when you need it can save you a lot of desktop space.
To do this:
1. Open System Settings.
2. Select the Dock section. By the way, you don’t have to go into system settings - just click ⌘Cmd + ⌥Option (Alt) + D.
3. Check the box next to the item Automatically show or hide the Dock.
After this, the Dock will automatically disappear from the screen. Now he will appear only when the mouse cursor is at the bottom of the screen, and will again go into hiding after you click on the desired icon.
If you don’t want to hide the Dock, you can make it smaller (Size slider) or make small icons enlarge when you hover over them with the cursor (check the box next to Magnify). Finally, the Dock can be moved from the bottom of the screen to the left or right side - perhaps there it will not interfere with you as much.
Full screen mode
If you want to focus on one application and not be distracted by anything else, activate full screen mode! It automatically hides both the menu bar and the Dock, while the program window expands to full screen. If necessary, you can reach them with the cursor (as in the previous two cases).
There are two ways to switch to full screen mode:
1. In the application window, click on the green circle with two arrows diverging in different directions (it is located in the upper left corner). Clicking this icon again will return you to normal operation.
2. Shortcut Ctrl + ⌘Cmd + F.
Spaces (additional desktops)
Spaces (“spaces”) helps organize open applications. You can organize up to 16 spaces at the same time and place as many applications as you like in them. The Spaces tool is great for sorting apps - for example, you can put only work programs in one Space, only home entertainment apps and games in another, etc.
If you have used Windows before, this is how to work in Windows with virtual desktops.
To access Spaces,
1. Open Mission Control ( F3 or Fn + F3 depending on the type of keyboard you have, or Ctrl+ up arrow).
2. Click on the icon «+» in the top right corner and create a new desktop. Open on it necessary programs(You can also drag icons from an already used table to a new one).
We talked in more detail about the Spaces desktops and how to switch between them.
Your option
How do you keep your Mac desktop organized, friends? Share your opinion in the comments!
Mac OS X has a huge number of settings, Moreover, most of them are hidden from the eyes of the average user - for one reason or another they were not included in the program settings menu or in System settings. There are two alternatives to access them − Terminal or special programs. Of course, in terms of coverage, no program can compare with the capabilities of the Terminal, but the interface command line, to put it mildly, is inconvenient, and also dangerous: any incorrectly entered command character can lead to unforeseen consequences. Third party programs allow you to visualize Terminal commands, which is beneficial for us, users. Today we will briefly talk about one such configuration program -
Secrets is an additional System Settings remote control. By double clicking on the file with the extension .prefPane it will appear among the other remote controls and start immediately:
The only thing that can cause difficulties in it is the settings themselves. There are no complaints about their systematization and organization - they are all grouped according to the corresponding programs in the left panel. In addition, you can look at the list of the most useful options according to the developers (item) or be horrified by the number of available settings by viewing them all in one list ().
Let's say right away - without knowing English, put this program We absolutely do not recommend it. The developers will honestly warn you at the first launch that nAlong with harmless settings, Secrets also hides those that, if set incorrectly, you will, at best, have to rearrange some of the programs, and at worst, the entire system.
Attributing this to the disadvantages of the program can only be a stretch: it opens up enormous opportunities for you, and where there are opportunities, there is risk. Therefore, if you are not sure what a particular setting does, it is better not to touch it.
For mild cases of corruption of the normal behavior of the system, Secrets provides a button Revert, resetting the settings to their original state.
In addition, when some settings require restarting the corresponding program, a button will appear in the bottom panel Quit This which will perform this very restart.
The program has a well-organized search - enter a couple of letters of the one you are interested in keyword- and you will immediately see the appropriate settings:
To conclude the review, we list several useful Secrets skills:
- change the background image of the login screen
- changing the format in which screenshots are saved
- opening all Safari links in a new tab
- mouse control in Terminal
- Enable show hidden files in Finder
- adjusting the anti-aliasing strength of screen fonts
- adding additional disk image formats to Disk Utility
- adding separators to the Dock
The list can be continued for a very long time. Install Secrets for yourself, and you will see and try everything yourself, especially since the settings panel is absolutely free. We recommend it, if not to all, then to many Mac users.
Well, hello, happy owner of a brand new Mac (PRO, Air, iMac, it doesn’t matter). As I understand it, you finally jumped out of the “devil’s windows” and decided to switch to really cool technology. Well done! I did everything right.
You say you have no idea where to start getting acquainted with a new device? Don't worry, because that's why I started this conversation. Now we will go through the initial process of introducing you into the world of Apple step by step.
So the film is torn off, the box is open, now connect your brand new device to the network
(if you purchased Mac Pro or Mac Mini, then also connect the monitor, keyboard, mouse) and press the treasured power button.
Set Up Mac: Setup Assistant
The very first time you turn on your Mac, it starts up Installation assistant designed to help you, young and inexperienced, connect to the Internet, create an account and change your privacy settings (they affect applications such as Find my Friends). Now let's look at all the steps that the new Mac offers us to perform.
Step 1: Welcome
Here I took the liberty of combining the first few steps into one:
— Choose Russian as the main language;
- Point to Mother Russia and click continue;
Step 2: WiFi Network
It's simple, just enter your name and password.
Step 3: Transfer Information to This Mac
But this point applies only to those comrades who successfully sold their old Mac and bought a new one after making backup copy data (thanks to the same).
And now with the help Migration Assistant they can transfer everything to the new device. But we decided at the very beginning of the article that until now you have not been tempted by Apple technology and are not one of those comrades, so feel free to select “not now” and click continue.
Step 4: Set up location service
Enabling this service can be useful when using some applications that require geolocation (I’ll say it again about Find my Friends). I think it’s better to check the box here and move on.
Step 5: Enter your Apple ID
Without this ID, it will be difficult for you to survive in the Apple world. You can read more about what an Apple ID is, it also says how it starts, but you need to do something a little differently, namely click create an Apple ID in the lower left corner of the window. Or you can skip this step and do it later according to the instructions in the link.
Step 6: Terms and Conditions
Did you know that Russia is the fastest reading country? Especially when it comes to all sorts of provisions, agreements, privacy policies and other crap. In general, don’t spoil your country’s statistics and immediately click accept. 🙂
Step 7. Set up iCloud
I’ll tell you a secret iCloud is a very cool thing, thanks to this service you will always have your own, cloud 5 GB. spaces in which your contacts, calendars, mail, notes, reminders, photos will be stored and automatically synchronized. And thanks relatively new feature iCloud Drive in the cloud can now be used to store and view documents from a Mac. Don't hesitate to check the box to set up iCloud.
Step 8: Set up Messages and Face Time
In this window they simply tell you what address to go to. email Messages will be sent and Face Time calls will be received.
Step 9: iCloud for Find My Mac
Also very good function but I hope you never have to use it, otherwise it will mean that your computer was stolen. But God protects the best, so check the box and if suddenly your Mac gets lost, you can track its location from any other Apple device or through the icloud.com web service.
Step 10: Create an account
Well, we finally got to the creation account, I think you won’t have any questions here. I'll give you only two pieces of advice.
Tip 1: Don’t come up with a long and complicated password; from a security point of view, this is, of course, great, but entering it every time will make you tired.
Tip 2: The first checkbox at the bottom can really help out if you forget your password, so let it be there. But about the second one, see for yourself.
Step 11: Select your time zone
You can select it manually or check the box and it will be determined automatically relative to your location.
Step 12. Diagnostics and use
This item will only appear for those lucky ones who bought a Mac with it on board. Here they offer to send diagnostics and data on computer use, as well as share information about program crashes with developers. I suggest you leave everything as is and click continue.
Step 13. Registration
And as a last resort, we are asked to register our device in order to keep abreast of all Apple news and have access to technical support. Continue!
In the last window, the Mac thanks you and suggests you quickly start using it, which you eagerly do.
Congratulations dear friend, your first Mac setup is complete! Now you're dreaming, I'll stop talking about this. Dig a little into the contents of your Mac yourself. Although no, I’ll still give you a small task. Go to App Store and update software, updates probably appeared while the computer was making its way from the factory to your thirsty hands. Good luck!
This article was planned as an introductory tour of the system and useful applications, intended for advanced users. Perhaps you're just thinking about switching to a Mac, or you've been living with macOS for some time and are eager to learn something new about how the system works and how to make it more convenient. In any case, this guide will be useful to you.
One of the first settings I recommend trying out is Hot Corners. Open “System Settings → Mission Control → Active Corners” and give at least two corners of the screen the “Desktop” and “Program Windows” functions. The first expands open windows and shows the desktop, the second shows the windows of the active program. Mission Control - all programs, windows and desktops.
This is useful not only for quick navigation (program windows, in principle, can be navigated using Cmd-` and Cmd-Shift-`), but also for dragging. You take a file or object and you can drag it to a corner, then select another window or program. You can also drag it onto folders (they will open as you go) and program icons in the dock - if you hold the file on them, the program will open. This mechanism is called spring loading - “on springs”.
2. Learn and assign shortcuts
When you open any program, do not forget to study its menu - it usually contains full list functions and shortcuts for them. By the way, you can set your own shortcut for any menu item in any program. Open System Preferences → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → Program Keyboard Shortcuts, press +. Now select the program, enter the name of the menu item and set the hotkey.
3. Master the secrets of the Alt (Option) button
The Alt button, which is usually called Option on a Mac, will open up a lot of interesting possibilities for you. Here are the most useful ones.
- When typing, Alt and Alt-Shift are used to enter special characters.
- By holding Alt and pointing at the icons in the menu, you can find out additional information. For example, by Alt-clicking on the Wi-Fi icon, you can find out your MAC and IP, router IP, signal characteristics and much more. And with Cmd you can move icons!
- Right-clicking on the program icon in the dock while holding Alt will change the items context menu. “Force Close” instead of “Close” and “Hide Others” instead of “Hide”.
- Some function keys with Alt call up the corresponding settings. For example, Alt-F1 and Alt-F2 are screen settings (since F1 and F2 change the backlight brightness), and Alt-F3 are Mission Control settings. The location may vary depending on the computer model.
WARNING
The main rule when setting up a system: first try, then think, and only then do it your way. If you do not follow it, then there is a high chance of missing something or ruining something good by giving preference to old habits. Change whatever you want, but first make sure that there is really a need for it.
A tour of macOS: where to find everything interesting
In Windows, as you know, all OS and program settings are stored in the registry or in INI files; on Unix, most of the settings are in /etc or in hidden files in the home directory. Much of what is in Unix is also present in macOS - there is etc (more precisely, private/etc , and etc is now a symlink), and familiar hidden files in your home folder.
Settings for Mac programs and higher-level parts of the system are located in two other directories - /Library/Preferences and ~/Library/Preferences (more precisely, /Users/username/Library/Preferences). The first contains settings for all users, the second - for the current one.
Getting into the user Library on a freshly installed system has become not so easy for some time now - you need to open Finder, select “Go → Go to Folder” from the menu (or press Cmd-Shift-G) and copy the address there. To avoid doing this again, you can open a terminal and run the command
Chflags nohidden ~/Library
Here is the first hidden setting! By the way, it’s convenient to add the root of the drive to the sidebar along with the home directory: in the Finder settings, select the checkbox: “ Side menu→ Hard drives.”
You won't see Unix folders here - they are hidden and by default visible only from the terminal, where they are mainly needed. But if you suddenly need it, you can run the command in the terminal
Defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles YES
Now restart Finder (Apple menu → Force Quit → Finder → Restart) and you will see all hidden files and folders.
But let's get back to studying Library. In addition to the Preferences folder, there is a lot of interesting stuff here. For example, LaunchAgents and LaunchDaemons contain scheduled autostart settings (launchd), Application Support contains databases, plugins and other changeable parts of applications, Services contains services for data processing (see the “Services” item in the main menu of any program) , in Keychains - databases with your logins and passwords in encrypted form, in PreferencePanes (only in the root Library) - “System Settings” plugins, in Caches - any temporary garbage, and so on.
Also take a look at /System/Library. You're unlikely to have to climb here often, but it won't hurt to learn what macOS is made of. You can, for example, open the Kernels folder and admire the kernel or take an interest in the system components in the CoreServices folder.
It's also useful to know that any program in macOS (including system services) is a folder that Finder displays in a special way. Double-click it to launch, but if you want to look inside, right-click on it and select “Show package contents.” You will discover a lot of interesting things!
How defaults work
Most hidden settings can be changed using the defaults write command. But what are these mysterious defaults? We have already found out that all the settings are in the Library folders, is there really an analogue somewhere else? Windows registry? Actually, no: parallels with the registry cannot be avoided, but defaults are just a convenient way to quickly change values in .plist (property list) files from the command line, which are located in the Library/Preferences - root or user.
For example, by executing the command from the previous chapter and making hidden files visible in the Finder, you just overwrote the AppleShowAllFiles value in ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist . If you have Xcode installed (and I recommend installing it to all power users, regardless of the desire to write programs for a Mac), then you can open plist in convenient editor to manually find and change any value.
plist files can be different types. Newer versions of macOS have added support for settings in JSON, but most are still stored as XML. In both cases, such plists can be opened and edited in any text editor. But there is also a binary format that can be read using a utility from Xcode or decoded with the plutil command.
As for the defaults utility, it allows you to do several more interesting tricks. For example, if you write defaults read , then all settings from the system folders will be dumped into the terminal. They are divided into domains, which you can get a list of using the defaults domains command. Now select the domain you are interested in and write defaults read domain_name if you want to get only its contents.
With defaults you can also export domains to and import from other files, as well as search by domain. You can find all the details using man.
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The default settings do not always make everyday work with the operating system as convenient and efficient as possible. In this material we have collected 30 useful tips on setting up macOS, which can be useful for both new and experienced Mac users.
Steve Jobs spent a large part of his life trying to make Mac computers as easy as possible to use – but many truly useful “tricks” still remained unobvious.
1. Turn on the right mouse button and change the movement speed
By default, the right mouse button in macOS is completely disabled, which is very surprising for new Mac users, and the speed of cursor movement leaves much to be desired. In order to configure both of these parameters, go to → System settings... → Mouse → Select and click.
Here we put a tick next to the second item “ Simulate right button (click on the right)", and below there is a movement speed regulator, turning it to the right, we simply get the reactive speed of the cursor on the display.
By default, the Dock is located at the bottom of the display, but workspace You can use it more productively if you move the panel to the left or right side of the display. This will increase the working part of the window in many applications, for example in Safari the width of the page is not as important as the height.
To configure the Dock, go to → System settings... → Dock and in the column " Location on screen» place a dot opposite « Left" or " Right».
If at some point while working with an application you need to minimize it, then in the upper left part of the window, click on the yellow button between the cross and expand. The program thumbnail will collapse to the right side of the Dock with a nice animation. But in this case, the program will not collapse into its own icon, but an additional miniature will be created. If you are not satisfied with this situation, then everything can be fixed.
Go to → System settings... → Dock and check the box next to “ Hide a window in the Dock into a program icon».
After that, click on the button " Collapse", the thumbnail will not be created if the program icon is already in the Dock.
4. Spotlight – macOS search engine
The easiest way to do everything faster on your Mac is to use Spotlight search. Just press the keyboard shortcut ⌘Cmd + Space(some may have Ctrl + Space), and you can instantly find files, open applications, search the Internet (yes, you don’t have to open the browser for this) or throughout your entire computer.
Spotlight can also be used as a calculator or currency converter. For example, enter the query “1000 usd” in the Spotlight search bar. The search engine will instantly display the current rate.
You can read more about search capabilities on Mac.
5. Lost your cursor?
Just quickly move your mouse left and right and look at the screen at the same time. The cursor will automatically increase in size, and it will be very difficult not to notice it. If desired, this function can be disabled ().
6. Similar to Ctrl + Alt + Delete on Mac
This combination from Windows does not work on Mac, but there is great alternative– click ⌘Cmd + ⌥Option (Alt) + Esc, and immediately gain access to a menu to forcefully close frozen programs ().
If you are looking for an analogue Task Manager from Windows to Mac, it tells you how to find it.
7. Deleting files using hotkeys
Still deleting files on Mac by dragging them onto the icon Baskets? There is a way to do the same thing a little faster - ⌘Cmd + Delete.
8. Taking a screenshot on Mac is easier than on Windows
To take a screenshot of the entire screen, tap ⌘Cmd + ⇧Shift + 3 to select a specific area - ⌘Cmd + ⇧Shift + 4. By the way, these and many other key combinations on Mac can be easily changed “to suit you” in the settings (section Keyboard → Keyboard shortcuts).
With the exit macOS Mojave operating system Apple for desktop computers received new tool to take screenshots.
If you don't need the shadow in the screenshots, then open Terminal (via Spotlight search or by going to Finder along the path Programs → Utilities), enter the following commands and press the key Return(Enter) after each line:
defaults write com.apple.screencapture disable-shadow -bool true
killall SystemUIServer
The shadow won't bother you anymore.
P.S.: To return everything to its original position, replace true on false.
9. Move app windows in the background
To move an application window that is in the background without affecting the active program window in the foreground, press the key while dragging ⌘Cmd + left mouse button.
10. Startup on Mac
You can set a set of applications that will load as soon as your Mac turns on. To do this, go to the address System Settings → Users and Groups → Login Items tab and uncheck/uncheck ().
11. How to type the letter “е” if it is not indicated on the keyboard
If you need a letter "e"– just press and hold the Russian letter on the keyboard "e", and after you see the hint window, press the number on the keyboard "1".
There is a reliable way to check if music starts playing randomly from your Mac's speakers. To do this, simply click on the sound icon in the upper right corner of the screen (this is called the status menu, and the entire bar at the top of the screen is the menu bar). You'll see (a check mark next to the device name) whether your headphones are connected to your Mac right now.
Speaking of the menu bar, if it bothers you (for example, you don't like that it takes up valuable space on the screen), you can configure it so that it appears only when necessary. To do this, go to the address System Settings → General, and check the box next to the item Automatically hide and show menu bar .
14. How to change the arrangement of icons on the menu bar
If you want to change the arrangement of elements in the status menu, press and hold on the keyboard ⌘Cmd, and then drag the desired elements with the mouse. By the way, unnecessary elements can be deleted.
15. Split View mode, or how to quickly place two program windows on the screen at the same time
Do you need two programs at the same time to work? No problem - at the top of the window, press and hold the far right (most often green) button for 2 seconds. Select a second program from among those already open - and enjoy working in a “clean” interface without distracting details.
16. Hot Corners on Mac
Function Active angles allows you to hover your mouse over a specific corner of the screen and instantly do things like minimize all open windows, open Mission Control, Control room or put the display into sleep mode. You can configure active corners in the menu of the same name ( System Settings → Mission Control).
17. Use the Viewer to view and edit images
Standard program View allows you not only to view images, but also to change the size, add comments, etc.
It can also be used to import a digital copy of your signature if you need to sign a document digitally.
18. QuickTime Player lets you record video and audio from your Mac screen without third-party apps
Built-in media player QuickTime Player has the ability to record an audio or video file that is currently playing on your screen, i.e. There is absolutely no need to look for third-party software for the same purposes ().
Starting with macOS Mojave, there is another way to record video from the Mac screen, which we talked about.
19. Precisely adjust volume and screen brightness
If you want to reduce the sound volume on your Mac just a little bit, press the F11 or F12 key while changing the setting ⇧Shift + ⌥Option (Alt). This will reduce the sound more slowly than with normal adjustments. Fn+F11 or F12. The same trick can be done with screen brightness ()..
21. How to rename several files at once
To rename several (for example, a dozen) files or photos at once in the Finder, select them, right-click and select the option Rename objects(number of objects).
You can also create keyboard shortcuts for applications. To do this, go to System Settings, select section Keyboard, further Keyboard shortcuts.
Add the program to the list of applications (if it is not there) using the icon «+» , then enter the name of the command for which you want to assign a keyboard shortcut (it should be written exactly the same as in the program itself, including the symbols “..."). The last step is assigning a keyboard shortcut for an action in the program ().
23. Voice search using Siri
Of course, talking to your computer in public is a strange thing. But if no one bothers you, then a voice request is a great way to search for information on the Internet, find photos, messages and other files on your Mac. You can find the multi-colored icon of the Siri voice assistant (the search works through it) on the right side of the menu bar.
With examples of useful Siri team on macOS can be found here.
