- The first release of the new OS — Mac OS X Server 1.0 — used a modified version of the Mac OS GUI, but all client versions starting with Mac OS X Developer Preview 3 used a new theme known as Aqua. Aqua was a substantial departure from the Mac OS 9 interface, which had evolved with little change from that of the original Macintosh operating.
- The Simple Finder, introduced in Mac OS 8, is a pared-down version of the standard Mac OS Finder. In Mac OS 8 through 9.x the Simple Finder is always available, but in Mac OS X it is only for specifically configured non-administrative accounts. To activate the Simple Finder, follow these steps: Mac OS X. Note: The Simple Finder is only.
Here’s how I get productive for JavaScript/Node on Mac OS.
It includes iTerm2, zsh, Node, Visual Studio Code and some git commands.
Table of Contents
As the name implies, Simplenote takes a minimalist approach to its interface. There are no toolbars full of formatting options or extra features like notebooks to group notes.
Setup iTerm2
- Install iTerm2
Change edit mode to natural text
- iTerm Preferences → Profiles → select your profile → Keys tab → Load Preset… → Natural Text Editing (See this StackOverflow answer)
New session should start where previous left off
- iTerm Preferences → Profiles → select your profile → General tab → Working Directory section → Reuse previous session’s directory option
Quit on tab close
- iTerm Preferences → General, “Closing” → “Quit when all windows are closed”
Increase font size
- iTerm Preferences → Profiles → select your profile → Text tab → Font section → Change font → Update font in the popup
- Fan of 16pt Monaco (12, 14 is just too small)
Enable infinite history
- iTerm Preferences → Profiles → select your profile → Terminal tab → Unlimited scrollback
Shell setup
zsh
With oh-my-zsh manager. Sets you up with auto-completion.
snazzy colour theme
Using iterm-snazzy, which is a case of downloading the
.itermcolors
file and choosing the theme from (iTerm Preferences → Profile > Colors > Color Presets…).Pure prompt
It’s simple, clean but gives you enough information to be productive.
(see Setup and configuration for how to get Node/npm up and running)
- Install using npm:
npm install --global pure-prompt
- Initialise by adding the following to your
.zshrc
:
As a developer it’s always good to have a few browsers and tools handy:
- Google Chrome: still a goto due to its solid and extensive dev tools. Usually I install the React or Vue dev tools.
- Postman for Mac: to manually test APIs
- Firefox: number 2 browser
- Brave: auto-blocks ads and tracking, sort of the “play” browser, its dev tools are a buggier/less ergonomic version of Chrome dev tools (this is because Brave uses Chromium under the hood)
- Safari - installed by default on Mac OSX, it’s a buggy browser, good to test using it since it surfaces weird SVG and cookies security policy quirks. Since it’s the default it’s also widely used by non-technical people.
- Enable the dev tools: Safari → Preferences → Advanced → Show develop menu in menu bar.
I use Visual Studio Code, it strikes the right balance between usable out of the box and customisable. The way I see it editors like vim or Atom need a bit of config before being productive, and others like Sublime or IDEs (WebStorm) don’t have the same plugin ecosystem.
Install VSCode command line tools
Open the dialog using CMD + P.
Use:
Shell Command: Install 'code' command in PATH
The VSCode command line tool usage examples:
code .
: open.
directory in VSCodecode -r .
: replace directory opened in VSCode with the current directorycode -a .
: add current directory to VSCode, ie. initialises a workspace
Must-have extensions
- Atom keymap: I’m not a fan of the default keybindings, this uses Atom-style ones, get it from the Visual Studio Marketplace or
ext install atom-keybindings
fromCMD + P
menu - EditorConfig for VS Code: “EditorConfig helps developers define and maintain consistent coding styles between different editors and IDEs.” (see editorconfig.org), ie. helps you deal with tab size, trimming spaces etc. across code editors, get it here from the Visual Studio Marketplace or
ext install EditorConfig
fromCMD + P
menu
Nice to have extensions
- ESLint: “Integrates ESLint JavaScript into VS Code.”, get it from the Visual Studio Marketplace or
ext install vscode-eslint
fromCMD + P
menu - npm Intellisense: “autocomplete npm modules in import statements”, get it from the Visual Studio Marketplace or
ext install npm-intellisense
fromCMD + P
menu - Snazzy theme: same colour theme (snazzy) as I’ve got setup for the terminal for VSCode, get it from the Visual Studio Marketplace or
ext install snazzy theme
- Import Cost: “Display import/require package size in the editor”, get it from the Visual Studio Marketplace, or
ext install import-cost
Not many productivity apps, just Alfred, which I use as a better Spotlight Search and Clipy which is a clipboard manager.
Maccy
A simple clipboard manager designed for OSX.
It works out of the box better than Clipy (see below).
Install it through Homebrew:
Update the preferred hotkey to
CMD + shift + v
:Paste by default on selection of a clipboard item:
Superseded by Maccy Clipy
Bump up the number of “inline items” (Clipy → Preferences → Menu → Number of items place inline).
Set your screenshots to save to clipboard + enable the option to paste as plain text (Clipy → Preferences → Beta → Paste as PlainText + Save screenshots in history).
Update Xcode using
xcode-select
--``install
.Install Homebrew for package managements (think apt or pkg for Mac):
Install Node.js either from source, using the Mac installer or using Homebrew:
Install
n
– Interactively Manage Your Node.js Versions using npm (now that we have Node installed):npm install
--``global n
Switch to latest Node version using
n
:sudo n latest
Install jq (format and deal with JSON nicely in the terminal) and watch (run a command repeatedly) using Homebrew
Add a few git extensions:
- git-open: “Type
git open
to open the GitHub page or website for a repository in your browser.” usingnpm install --global git-open
- git-standup: “Recall what you did on the last working day.” using
git standup
, there are multiple install options (see git-standup#install), I usually go with:brew install git-standup
- git-lg: simpler/prettier
git log
:
A Simple Note Mac Os Download
Add the following minimal
.vimrc
, which enables syntax highlighting, has basic tab/tabsize configuration and enables line numbers display:Set up SSH keys and add to VCS hosting, see this GitHub help article:
- Generate a new key:
ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C '*[email protected]*'
- Copy your public key to clipboard so you can paste it wherever your hosted Version Control system asks you to:
pbcopy < ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub
Put percentage on power level, right-click the battery indicator and select “Show Percentage”.
❤️ Spotify
More at my /uses page.
(Optional) Docker, VirtualBox
Docker is a containerisation technology, think VMs but smaller. I recommend Docker for Mac.VirtualBox allows you to run Virtual Machines on Mac, install it at VirtualBox downloads.
Get The Jest Handbook (100 pages)
Take your JavaScript testing to the next level by learning the ins and outs of Jest, the top JavaScript testing library.
orJoin 1000s of developers learning about Enterprise-grade Node.js & JavaScript
So, you’ve decided to download an older version of Mac OS X. There are many reasons that could point you to this radical decision. To begin with, some of your apps may not be working properly (or simply crash) on newer operating systems. Also, you may have noticed your Mac’s performance went down right after the last update. Finally, if you want to run a parallel copy of Mac OS X on a virtual machine, you too will need a working installation file of an older Mac OS X. Further down we’ll explain where to get one and what problems you may face down the road.
A list of all Mac OS X versions
We’ll be repeatedly referring to these Apple OS versions below, so it’s good to know the basic macOS timeline.
Cheetah 10.0 | Puma 10.1 | Jaguar 10.2 |
Panther 10.3 | Tiger 10.4 | Leopard 10.5 |
Snow Leopard 10.6 | Lion 10.7 | Mountain Lion 10.8 |
Mavericks 10.9 | Yosemite 10.10 | El Capitan 10.11 |
Sierra 10.12 | High Sierra 10.13 | Mojave 10.14 |
Catalina 10.15 |
STEP 1. Prepare your Mac for installation
Given your Mac isn’t new and is filled with data, you will probably need enough free space on your Mac. This includes not just space for the OS itself but also space for other applications and your user data. One more argument is that the free space on your disk translates into virtual memory so your apps have “fuel” to operate on. The chart below tells you how much free space is needed.
Note, that it is recommended that you install OS on a clean drive. Next, you will need enough disk space available, for example, to create Recovery Partition. Here are some ideas to free up space on your drive:
- Uninstall large unused apps
- Empty Trash Bin and Downloads
- Locate the biggest files on your computer:
Go to Finder > All My Files > Arrange by size
Then you can move your space hoggers onto an external drive or a cloud storage.
If you aren’t comfortable with cleaning the Mac manually, there are some nice automatic “room cleaners”. Our favorite is CleanMyMac as it’s most simple to use of all. It deletes system junk, old broken apps, and the rest of hidden junk on your drive.
Then you can move your space hoggers onto an external drive or a cloud storage.
If you aren’t comfortable with cleaning the Mac manually, there are some nice automatic “room cleaners”. Our favorite is CleanMyMac as it’s most simple to use of all. It deletes system junk, old broken apps, and the rest of hidden junk on your drive.
Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.4 - 10.8 (free version)
Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.9 (free version)
Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.10 - 10.14 (free version)
STEP 2. Get a copy of Mac OS X download
Normally, it is assumed that updating OS is a one-way road. That’s why going back to a past Apple OS version is problematic. The main challenge is to download the OS installation file itself, because your Mac may already be running a newer version. If you succeed in downloading the OS installation, your next step is to create a bootable USB or DVD and then reinstall the OS on your computer.
How to download older Mac OS X versions via the App Store
If you once had purchased an old version of Mac OS X from the App Store, open it and go to the Purchased tab. There you’ll find all the installers you can download. However, it doesn’t always work that way. The purchased section lists only those operating systems that you had downloaded in the past. But here is the path to check it:
- Click the App Store icon.
- Click Purchases in the top menu.
- Scroll down to find the preferred OS X version.
- Click Download.
This method allows you to download Mavericks and Yosemite by logging with your Apple ID — only if you previously downloaded them from the Mac App Store.
Without App Store: Download Mac OS version as Apple Developer
If you are signed with an Apple Developer account, you can get access to products that are no longer listed on the App Store. If you desperately need a lower OS X version build, consider creating a new Developer account among other options. The membership cost is $99/year and provides a bunch of perks unavailable to ordinary users.
Nevertheless, keep in mind that if you visit developer.apple.com/downloads, you can only find 10.3-10.6 OS X operating systems there. Newer versions are not available because starting Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.7, the App Store has become the only source of updating Apple OS versions.
Purchase an older version of Mac operating system
You can purchase a boxed or email version of past Mac OS X directly from Apple. Both will cost you around $20. For the reason of being rather antiquated, Snow Leopard and earlier Apple versions can only be installed from DVD.
Buy a boxed edition of Snow Leopard 10.6
Get an email copy of Lion 10.7
Get an email copy of Mountain Lion 10.8
Get an email copy of Lion 10.7
Get an email copy of Mountain Lion 10.8
The email edition comes with a special download code you can use for the Mac App Store. Note, that to install the Lion or Mountain Lion, your Mac needs to be running Snow Leopard so you can install the newer OS on top of it.
How to get macOS El Capitan download
If you are wondering if you can run El Capitan on an older Mac, rejoice as it’s possible too. But before your Mac can run El Capitan it has to be updated to OS X 10.6.8. So, here are main steps you should take:
1. Install Snow Leopard from install DVD.
2. Update to 10.6.8 using Software Update.
3. Download El Capitan here.
2. Update to 10.6.8 using Software Update.
3. Download El Capitan here.
“I can’t download an old version of Mac OS X”
If you have a newer Mac, there is no physical option to install Mac OS versions older than your current Mac model. For instance, if your MacBook was released in 2014, don’t expect it to run any OS released prior of that time, because older Apple OS versions simply do not include hardware drivers for your Mac.
But as it often happens, workarounds are possible. There is still a chance to download the installation file if you have an access to a Mac (or virtual machine) running that operating system. For example, to get an installer for Lion, you may ask a friend who has Lion-operated Mac or, once again, set up a virtual machine running Lion. Then you will need to prepare an external drive to download the installation file using OS X Utilities.
After you’ve completed the download, the installer should launch automatically, but you can click Cancel and copy the file you need. Below is the detailed instruction how to do it.
STEP 3. Install older OS X onto an external drive
The following method allows you to download Mac OS X Lion, Mountain Lion, and Mavericks.
- Start your Mac holding down Command + R.
- Prepare a clean external drive (at least 10 GB of storage).
- Within OS X Utilities, choose Reinstall OS X.
- Select external drive as a source.
- Enter your Apple ID.
Now the OS should start downloading automatically onto the external drive. After the download is complete, your Mac will prompt you to do a restart, but at this point, you should completely shut it down. Now that the installation file is “captured” onto your external drive, you can reinstall the OS, this time running the file on your Mac.
- Boot your Mac from your standard drive.
- Connect the external drive.
- Go to external drive > OS X Install Data.
Locate InstallESD.dmg disk image file — this is the file you need to reinstall Lion OS X. The same steps are valid for Mountain Lion and Mavericks.
How To Use Notes On Mac
How to downgrade a Mac running later macOS versions
If your Mac runs macOS Sierra 10.12 or macOS High Sierra 10.13, it is possible to revert it to the previous system if you are not satisfied with the experience. You can do it either with Time Machine or by creating a bootable USB or external drive.
Instruction to downgrade from macOS Sierra
Instruction to downgrade from macOS Sierra
Instruction to downgrade from macOS High Sierra
Instruction to downgrade from macOS Mojave
Instruction to downgrade from macOS Catalina
Before you do it, the best advice is to back your Mac up so your most important files stay intact. In addition to that, it makes sense to clean up your Mac from old system junk files and application leftovers. The easiest way to do it is to run CleanMyMac X on your machine (download it for free here).
Visit your local Apple Store to download older OS X version
If none of the options to get older OS X worked, pay a visit to nearest local Apple Store. They should have image installations going back to OS Leopard and earlier. You can also ask their assistance to create a bootable USB drive with the installation file. So here you are. We hope this article has helped you to download an old version of Mac OS X. Below are a few more links you may find interesting.