PC Setup Scripts Specification

This document describes the purpose, functionality, and relationships between all setup scripts in this repository.

Overview

The PC Setup project provides modular, automated setup scripts for Windows and macOS. Each script has a specific purpose to ensure separation of concerns and allow users to pick and choose which setup components to apply.

macOS Execution Order (Recommended)

install.sh (Interactive Menu) - Choose which scripts to run
- Option 1: brew_install.sh - Install 40+ applications (required)
- Option 2: mac_install.sh - Performance & UI optimization (recommended)
- Option 3: vscode.sh - Install 68+ VS Code extensions (optional)
- Option 4: privacy.sh - Advanced privacy hardening (optional)
- Option 5: All of the above (best for fresh Mac)

Windows Execution Order (Recommended)

windows_install.ps1 - Install essential packages (required)
vscode_extensions.ps1 - Install VS Code extensions (optional)

Section 1: macOS Scripts

Author: @mrfixit027

1.1 install.sh (Interactive Installer)

Purpose: Main entry point for macOS setup with interactive menu to select which scripts to run.

Location: /mac/install.sh

Features:

Beautiful colored menu interface with emoji status indicators
5 installation options: Applications, System Optimization, VS Code, Privacy, or All
Downloads scripts dynamically from GitHub (no pre-cloning required)
Proper sudo elevation for privacy.sh
Progress tracking with colored output (✓ ✗ ⚠)
Comprehensive error handling
Clean temporary file management

Menu Options:

1️⃣  Install Applications (brew_install.sh) - 40+ apps via Homebrew
2️⃣  Optimize System (mac_install.sh) - Performance, battery, UI tweaks  
3️⃣  Install VS Code Extensions (vscode.sh) - 68+ extensions
4️⃣  Privacy Hardening (privacy.sh) - Advanced privacy settings
5️⃣  Install ALL - Run all scripts in sequence

Execution:

bash <(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/peeweeh/pc-setup/master/mac/install.sh)

Requirements:

macOS 10.15 or later
Internet connection
curl (pre-installed on macOS)

Output:

Colored menu with clear option descriptions
Progress messages as each script runs
Summary of completed installations
Error messages with suggestions if issues occur

1.2 brew_install.sh (Application Installation)

Purpose: Install applications and development tools via Homebrew package manager.

Location: /mac/brew_install.sh

Features:

Automatic Homebrew installation if not present (includes Apple Silicon PATH setup)
Priority app installation - 1Password and Arc installed first for immediate access
Smart ordering - Faster/smaller apps first, heavy apps (Docker, Figma) last
40+ applications organized by category:
- Essentials: 1Password (password manager), Arc (browser), VS Code (IDE)
- Browsers: Google Chrome, Brave, Arc Browser
- Development: Git, GitHub Desktop, Postman, Warp terminal, Docker, AWS CLI, AWS Nuke
- Communication: Slack, Microsoft Teams, Discord, Signal, WhatsApp, Zoom, Telegram
- Utilities: Rectangle (window management), Raycast (productivity), BetterMouse, Finder enhancements
- Productivity: ChatGPT, Claude, Evernote, Obsidian, Microsoft Office
- Media: VLC, Ferdium
- Enterprise: Amazon Chime, Amazon Workspaces, Google Drive, Microsoft Remote Desktop
- Cloud/VPN: NordVPN, ProtonVPN, OneDrive
- Development Tools: Fig, DevToys
- Heavy Apps: Docker Desktop, Figma (installed last)
CLI Tools (20+ formulae):
- Core: git, awscli, aws-nuke
- Text processing: bat (cat with syntax), ripgrep, fd
- Navigation: fzf (fuzzy finder), zoxide (smart cd)
- System monitoring: btop (better top)
- Shells: go, node, ollama, python
- File utilities: eza (ls replacement), exa
Fonts: Fira Code, Fira Code Nerd Font, Hack Nerd Font
Shell Configuration:
- Oh My Zsh installation and configuration
- Powerlevel10k theme (beautiful, fast prompt)
- zsh-syntax-highlighting plugin
- zsh-autosuggestions plugin
- Custom aliases (eza for ls, bat for cat, fzf_cd for smart navigation)
Service Management:
- Disables auto-start for Docker Desktop
- Disables auto-start for Ollama
- Disables auto-start for VPN services (NordVPN, ProtonVPN)
- Keeps user-facing apps available while removing background resource drain
Idempotent Design - Safe to run multiple times
- Checks if packages already installed before installing
- Doesn't remove existing packages
- Updates Homebrew quietly if needed
Error Handling - Exits cleanly on failures
- Uses set -e and set -u for strict error handling
- Colored output (RED for errors, GREEN for success)
- Shows installation progress

Requirements:

macOS 10.15 or later
Internet connection
Xcode Command Line Tools (auto-prompted during Homebrew install)
~5-10 minutes depending on internet speed

Execution Options:

Via interactive installer:

bash <(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/peeweeh/pc-setup/master/mac/install.sh)
# Select option 1

Direct installation:

bash <(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/peeweeh/pc-setup/master/mac/brew_install.sh)

Manual from cloned repo:

git clone https://github.com/peeweeh/pc-setup.git
cd pc-setup/mac
chmod +x brew_install.sh
./brew_install.sh

Output:

Color-coded status messages:
- ✓ (GREEN) - Installation successful
- ✗ (RED) - Installation failed
- ⚠ (YELLOW) - Already installed, skipping
Shows progress for each package
Final summary with completion time
Next step suggestion (run mac_install.sh for optimization)

1.3 mac_install.sh (System Optimization)

Purpose: Comprehensive macOS customization for performance, battery life, and UI speed.

Location: /mac/mac_install.sh

Features:

Performance & Battery Optimization

Disables Photos AI analysis - Prevents facial recognition, object detection (major battery saver)
Disables Media AI - Stops video scene detection and indexing
Disables Game Center - Removes unused gaming service
Fixes macOS Sonoma lag - Addresses 26-second heuristic lag bug
Optimizes Electron apps - Disables unnecessary GPU usage in Chrome, Slack, VS Code
Disables crash reporter - Removes intrusive dialogs
Memory optimization - Clears inactive memory cache

UI Speed Improvements

Instant window resizing - NSWindowResizeTime = 0.001
Instant Dock appearance - No hover delay when showing hidden Dock
No Finder animations - Instant folder opening
Faster Mission Control - Speeds up Exposé animations
No Launchpad animations - Instant app grid display
Instant Dock launch animations - Apps appear immediately when clicked
Removes all visual delays - Smooth becomes instantaneous

Dock Customization

Auto-hide enabled - Saves vertical screen space
Removes default apps - Clean slate with only your installed apps
Resizes to 50% - Compact icon size for more visibility
Hides recent applications - Cleaner Dock appearance
Disables Dashboard - Removes unused feature

Finder Configuration

Shows all file extensions - Reveals complete filenames (.txt, .py, etc)
Shows hidden files - Makes . and .. files visible (system files, dotfiles)
Shows path bar - Displays full file path at bottom of Finder
Shows status bar - Displays file/folder count and used space
Keeps folders on top - Folders always appear before files when sorting
Column view by default - Better for navigation than Icon view
Prevents .DS_Store on network/USB - Stops macOS littering external drives
Smart search scope - Search starts in current folder, not entire computer
Spring loading enabled - Drag files into folders without holding button
Fast tracking speed - 1/10 second sensitivity for trackpad

System Preferences & Security

Fast keyboard repeat rate - KeyRepeat = 1 (much faster than default 2)
Tap to click enabled - Click with trackpad tap, not physical button press
Three-finger drag - Drag windows and items with three-finger swipe
Disables auto-correct - Prevents embarrassing text replacements
Disables smart quotes/dashes - Keeps straight quotes for code
Expands save/print panels - Shows full options by default
Screenshots to ~/Documents/Screenshots - Organized screenshot folder
Battery percentage in menu bar - Know your battery status at a glance
Automatic software updates - Keeps system patched and secure
Trackpad sensitivity at maximum - Best trackpad experience
Key repeat speed at maximum - Fast text entry

Shell & Terminal Setup

Oh My Zsh installation - Community-driven Zsh framework (if not already installed)
zsh-syntax-highlighting - Highlights valid commands in green, errors in red
zsh-autosuggestions - Shows command suggestions from history
Nord Terminal theme - Beautiful, easy-on-eyes color scheme
Proper PATH setup - Ensures correct shell command resolution

Requirements:

macOS 10.15 or later
Administrator privileges (sudo) for system changes
Logout/restart may be required for full effect
~2-3 minutes runtime

Execution Options:

Via interactive installer:

bash <(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/peeweeh/pc-setup/master/mac/install.sh)
# Select option 2

Direct installation:

bash <(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/peeweeh/pc-setup/master/mac/mac_install.sh)

Output:

Section headers (Performance, UI Speed, Dock, Finder, etc)
Color-coded completion messages
Summary of all changes made
Recommendation to restart computer

Related:

For comprehensive Siri disabling and privacy hardening, run privacy.sh
For extensive system tweaking beyond this script, use privacy.sh

1.4 vscode.sh (VS Code Extension Installation)

Purpose: Install 68+ VS Code extensions organized by category and functionality.

Location: /mac/vscode.sh

Features:

68+ professionally selected extensions organized by category
Automatic VS Code CLI detection - Finds code command in PATH
Skip detection for existing extensions - Doesn't reinstall already-installed extensions
Installation statistics - Shows total, installed, skipped, and failed counts
Generates backup script - Creates InstallVsCodeExtensions.sh for re-running

Extension Categories:

AI & Productivity (5 extensions)

GitHub Copilot - AI code completion
GitHub Copilot Chat - Conversational AI
Amazon Q - AWS AI assistant
Continue - Codebase AI assistant
Claude (Anthropic) - Claude AI integration

Themes & Visual (6 extensions)

Nord - Beautiful, arctic blue color scheme
Shades of Purple - Purple theme for aesthetic
Tokyo Night - Clean dark theme
Material Theme - Modern Material Design
vscode-icons - Beautiful file/folder icons
One Dark - One Dark color scheme

AWS & Cloud (5 extensions)

AWS Toolkit - AWS service integration
Terraform - Infrastructure as code support
CloudFormation - AWS CloudFormation support
CloudFormation Linter - CloudFormation validation
AWS Lambda - Lambda function management

Code Quality & Linting (6 extensions)

CodeSnap - Beautiful code screenshots
Turbo Console Log - Enhanced console.log
ESLint - JavaScript linting
Markdown Lint - Markdown validation
Prettier - Code formatter
Code Spell Checker - Spelling checker

Git & Version Control (3 extensions)

GitLens - Git superpower for VS Code
Git History - Browse git history
Atlassian - Jira & Bitbucket integration

Python Development (7 extensions)

Autopep8 - Python formatter
Debugpy - Python debugger
isort - Python import sorter
Pylance - Python language server
Python - Official Python extension
Python Envs - Python environment manager
Jupyter - Jupyter notebook support

JavaScript & React (7 extensions)

Tailwind CSS - Utility-first CSS framework
JavaScript (ES6) snippets - Code snippets
React snippets - React component snippets
npm Intellisense - npm package autocomplete
ES7 React/Redux - Modern React snippets
Thunder Client - API testing tool
REST Client - REST API testing

Go Development (1 extension)

Go - Official Go language support

GraphQL (3 extensions)

GraphQL - GraphQL syntax highlighting
GraphQL Execution - GraphQL execution in editor
DGraph snippets - DGraph query snippets

Docker & DevOps (8 extensions)

Docker - Docker container support
Kubernetes - Kubernetes cluster management
Remote - Remote SSH/WSL/Container support
Dev Containers - Development container support
GitHub Actions - GitHub Actions workflow editor
Tilt - Local Kubernetes development
Container Tools - Enhanced container features
Remote Repositories - Clone and work on remote repos

Jupyter & Data Science (3 extensions)

Jupyter - Jupyter notebook support
Jupyter Keymap - Familiar Jupyter shortcuts
Jupyter Renderers - Enhanced Jupyter output rendering

Markdown & Documentation (3 extensions)

Preview GitHub Style - GitHub markdown preview
Markdown All in One - Complete markdown toolkit
Markdown Lint - Markdown validation

Utilities & Tools (8 extensions)

Edge DevTools - Microsoft Edge DevTools
PowerShell - PowerShell language support
Live Share - Real-time collaboration
YAML - YAML syntax highlighting
Pretty JSON - JSON formatting and validation
XML - XML language support
Excel Viewer - Excel file viewing
CSV - CSV file viewing

Gaming & Modding (5 extensions)

Paradox Crusader Kings 2 - CK2 modding
Paradox Crusader Kings 3 - CK3 modding
Paradox Anno 1800 - Anno 1800 modding
Modding support - General game modding tools
Game development - Game engine integration

Requirements:

VS Code installed
VS Code CLI available in PATH
- To install: Open VS Code → Cmd+Shift+P → "Shell Command: Install 'code' command in PATH"
Internet connection
~5-10 minutes depending on internet speed

Execution Options:

Via interactive installer:

bash <(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/peeweeh/pc-setup/master/mac/install.sh)
# Select option 3

Direct installation:

bash <(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/peeweeh/pc-setup/master/mac/vscode.sh)

Manual from cloned repo:

git clone https://github.com/peeweeh/pc-setup.git
cd pc-setup/mac
chmod +x vscode.sh
./vscode.sh

Output:

Progress messages for each extension
Color-coded status:
- ✓ Installed
- ⏩ Skipped (already present)
- ✗ Failed
Summary statistics:
- Total extensions
- Successfully installed
- Already installed
- Failed installations
Backup script location (InstallVsCodeExtensions.sh)
Total installation time

1.5 privacy.sh (Privacy & Security Hardening)

Purpose: Comprehensive privacy and security hardening for macOS (831 lines).

Location: /mac/privacy.sh

⚠️ WARNING: This is an advanced script with extensive system changes. Review specific sections before running if you have concerns.

Author/Source: Generated from privacy.sexy framework

Features:

Privacy & Telemetry (Comprehensive Siri Disabling)

Removes Siri from menu bar - Frees menu bar space
Disables Siri data collection - Stops audio/interaction logging
Disables Siri suggestions - Removes assistant popup suggestions
Disables Siri analytics - Prevents Siri tracking
Clears Siri cache - Removes cached voice data

Telemetry Disabling

Firefox telemetry - Stops Mozilla data collection
Microsoft Office telemetry - Disables Office analytics
Homebrew analytics - Prevents package manager tracking
.NET Core telemetry - Disables .NET development telemetry
PowerShell telemetry - Stops PowerShell usage tracking

System Cleaning & Cache Clearing

CUPS printer cache - Removes print job history
Empty trash - Securely removes trash files
System caches - Clears /Library/Caches and ~/Library/Caches
Xcode derived data - Removes compilation artifacts
Xcode archives - Deletes old build archives
DNS cache flush - Clears DNS resolver cache
Inactive memory purge - Optimizes RAM usage

Security Hardening

Application Firewall - Enables macOS firewall
Guest user removal - Deletes guest account
Apple Remote Desktop disable - Removes remote access
Remote management disable - Prevents remote control
Automatic iCloud Document Storage - Disables default sync

Privacy Features

Location services restrictions - Limits location access
Bluetooth privacy - Restricts BLE advertising
Camera/microphone access - Limits app permissions
Accessibility permissions - Stricter privacy controls

Requirements:

macOS 10.15 or later
Administrator privileges (script uses sudo)
Some features may require SIP disabled (System Integrity Protection)
~5-10 minutes runtime
System restart recommended after completion

Execution Options:

Via interactive installer (handles sudo automatically):

bash <(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/peeweeh/pc-setup/master/mac/install.sh)
# Select option 4

Direct installation:

bash <(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/peeweeh/pc-setup/master/mac/privacy.sh)

Manual from cloned repo:

git clone https://github.com/peeweeh/pc-setup.git
cd pc-setup/mac
chmod +x privacy.sh
./privacy.sh

Output:

Progress messages for each operation
Section headers (Siri, Telemetry, Security, etc)
Warnings if SIP needs to be disabled
Summary of changes applied
Restart recommendation

Notes:

This script is separate from mac_install.sh to avoid redundancy
mac_install.sh handles essential performance tweaks
privacy.sh provides comprehensive privacy hardening
Run both for complete system optimization

Section 2: Windows Scripts

2.1 windows_install.ps1

Purpose: Main package installation script that sets up essential software using Chocolatey.

Features:

Automatic GPU detection (NVIDIA/AMD) for driver installation
Three-tier package installation:
- Essential Packages (18 items): Critical applications (1password, Brave, Discord, git, VS Code, VLC, WinRAR, etc.)
- Optional Packages (56+ items): Nice-to-have applications (Discord, Telegram, Signal, Steam, Postman, etc.)
- GPU Drivers: NVIDIA packages (if detected) - nvidia-app, nvidia-physx
User prompts to skip optional package groups
Success/failure tracking with detailed summary

Key Functions:

Install-PackageGroup - Handles categorized installation with user prompts

Requirements:

Administrator privileges
Windows 10/11
Internet connection

Execution:

powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File ".\win\windows_install.ps1"

2.2 vscode_extensions.ps1

Purpose: Install VS Code extensions on Windows.

Execution:

powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File ".\win\vscode_extensions.ps1"

Repository Structure

pc-setup/
├── README.md                    # Project overview and quick start
├── spec.md                      # This file - detailed specifications
├── DEVELOPMENT.md               # Development guidelines
├── CONTRIBUTING.md              # Contribution guidelines
├── LICENSE                      # MIT License
├── mac/                         # macOS setup scripts
│   ├── install.sh              # Interactive installer (main entry point)
│   ├── spec.md                 # macOS-specific documentation
│   ├── brew_install.sh         # Homebrew application installation
│   ├── mac_install.sh          # Performance & UI optimization
│   ├── vscode.sh               # VS Code extensions
│   └── privacy.sh              # Advanced privacy hardening
└── win/                        # Windows setup scripts
    ├── windows_install.ps1     # Main Windows setup
    └── vscode_extensions.ps1   # VS Code extensions

Troubleshooting

macOS Issues

Script Not Running

# Make script executable
chmod +x install.sh

# Run with explicit bash
bash ./install.sh

Homebrew Not Found After Installation

# Add Homebrew to PATH (Apple Silicon)
echo 'eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"' >> ~/.zprofile
source ~/.zprofile

# Intel Macs
echo 'eval "$(/usr/local/bin/brew shellenv)"' >> ~/.zprofile
source ~/.zprofile

Permission Denied Errors

# Run with sudo (for mac_install.sh and privacy.sh)
sudo bash ./mac_install.sh
sudo bash ./privacy.sh

VS Code Extension Installation Fails

# Ensure VS Code CLI is installed
code --version

# If not found, open VS Code and run:
# Cmd+Shift+P → "Shell Command: Install 'code' command in PATH"

Windows Issues

Execution Policy Issues

Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope CurrentUser -Force

Admin Privileges Required

Right-click PowerShell → "Run as Administrator"
Or use Windows Terminal with elevated privileges

Section 1: windows_install.ps1

Purpose: Main package installation script that sets up essential software using Chocolatey.

Features:

Automatic GPU detection (NVIDIA/AMD) for driver installation
Three-tier package installation:
- Essential Packages (18 items): Critical applications (1password, Brave, Discord, git, VS Code, VLC, WinRAR, etc.)
- Optional Packages (56+ items): Nice-to-have applications (Discord, Telegram, Signal, Steam, Postman, etc.)
- GPU Drivers: NVIDIA packages (if detected) - nvidia-app, nvidia-physx
User prompts to skip optional package groups
Success/failure tracking with detailed summary

Key Functions:

Install-PackageGroup - Handles categorized installation with user prompts

Requirements:

Administrator privileges
Windows 10/11
Internet connection

Execution:

powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File ".\win\windows_install.ps1"

Output:

Installation summary with success/failure counts
List of failed packages (if any)
Prompts user to restart computer

Notes:

Privacy tweaks have been consolidated into separate privacy_tweaks.ps1 script
This script focuses solely on package installation
Temporary files are cleaned up automatically

Section 2: privacy_tweaks.ps1

Purpose: Comprehensive privacy and telemetry configuration extracted from privacy.sexy framework.

Features:

60+ registry modifications for privacy and security
Service management (disables DiagTrack, dmwappushservice, WerSvc)
Removes telemetry and tracking:
- Windows diagnostic data and feedback
- Cortana and Bing search tracking
- Activity history and app launch tracking
- Advertising ID and personalized ads
- Cloud-based speech recognition
- Inking and typing personalization
- Typing feedback and input personalization
- .NET Core and PowerShell telemetry
System cleanup:
- Removes controversial defaultuser0 account
- Removes default app associations
- Clears SRUM (System Resource Usage Monitor) database
User experience settings:
- Disables app suggestions and Start menu suggestions
- Disables connected experiences
- Disables clipboard history
- Disables settings synchronization
- Disables lock screen camera and app notifications
Security hardening:
- Disables PowerShell 2.0 (downgrade protection)
- Enables SEHOP (Structured Exception Handling Protection)
- Disables Windows Installer elevated privileges
- Disables LAN Manager password hash storage
- Disables Windows DRM internet access
- Disables device sensors
Device management:
- Disables AutoPlay and AutoRun
- Disables Windows Connect Now wizard
- Disables automatic map downloads
- Blocks 30+ malicious telemetry domains in hosts file

Key Functions:

Set-RegistryValue - Helper function for safe registry modifications

Requirements:

Administrator privileges
Windows 10/11

Execution:

powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File ".\win\privacy_tweaks.ps1"

Output:

Applied tweaks count with success/failure tracking
Prompts user to restart computer for full effect

Registry Changes:

HKCU & HKLM - Various privacy policy and data collection settings
Services - DiagTrack, dmwappushservice, WerSvc (disabled)
Content Delivery Manager - App suggestions disabled
Windows Search - Cortana disabled
Maps - AutoDownloadAndUpdateMapData disabled
GameDVR - AllowGameDVR disabled
WMDRM - DisableOnline (DRM internet access)
TIPC - Typing feedback disabled
Sensors - Device sensors disabled
Explorer - NoDriveTypeAutoRun, NoAutorun, NoAutoplayfornonVolume
Security - SEHOP enabled, PowerShell 2.0 disabled, LAN hashes disabled
Hosts File - 30+ telemetry domains blocked

Warnings:

Some users may prefer Windows telemetry for troubleshooting
Application of this script is optional and should match user privacy preferences
Changes persist until manually reversed

Source:

Generated from privacy.sexy framework (4832+ lines converted to PowerShell)

Section 3: vscode_extensions.ps1

Purpose: Automated installation of recommended VS Code extensions.

Features:

Batch installation of productivity extensions
Installs extensions from VS Code Marketplace
Provides installation summary

Installation Methods:

Command-line: code --install-extension <publisher>.<extension>
Marketplace UI: Extensions panel in VS Code

Execution:

powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File ".\win\vscode_extensions.ps1"

Requirements:

VS Code installed
Internet connection

Section 4: dev_setup.ps1

Purpose: Development environment configuration for web and systems development.

Features (4.1-4.7):

WSL2 Setup - Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 installation
Docker Desktop - Container runtime setup
Node.js - JavaScript runtime configuration
Python - Python environment setup
Git - Advanced Git configuration
AWS CLI - Amazon Web Services tools
Additional Tools - Extra development utilities

Requirements:

Administrator privileges
Windows 10/11 (build 19041+)
Internet connection
Some features require BIOS virtualization enabled

Execution:

powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File ".\win\dev_setup.ps1"

Consolidation Notes

Privacy Tweaks Consolidation

All privacy and telemetry settings have been consolidated into privacy_tweaks.ps1 to:

Avoid duplication - Single source of truth for privacy settings
Improve maintainability - Changes only need to be made in one place
Better organization - Clear separation: packages vs. privacy vs. development
User choice - Users can apply privacy settings independently of package installation

Removed from windows_install.ps1:

Telemetry disabling (AllowTelemetry registry keys)
Activity History disabling
Cortana/Bing Search disabling
Location tracking disabling
App suggestions disabling
Error Reporting service management
Ad ID disabling
Service management (DiagTrack, dmwappushservice, WerSvc)

Now available in privacy_tweaks.ps1:

All above privacy settings
Additional privacy configurations (clipboard history, settings sync, etc.)
Comprehensive privacy framework from privacy.sexy

Section 5: macOS Scripts

5.1 brew_install.sh

Purpose: Install applications and development tools via Homebrew package manager.

Features:

Auto-installs Homebrew if not present (including Apple Silicon PATH setup)
Priority app installation (1Password, Arc) for immediate access
40+ essential applications organized by category:
- Priority: 1Password, Arc
- Utilities: Alfred, Clipy, Moom, Rectangle, Raycast, BetterMouse
- Browsers: Chrome, Brave
- Communication: Slack, Teams, Discord, Signal, WhatsApp
- Development: GitHub, Postman, Sourcetree, VSCode, Warp, Docker Desktop
- Productivity: ChatGPT, Claude, Evernote, Obsidian
- Enterprise: Microsoft Office, Teams, Amazon Chime/Workspaces
- Cloud/VPN: NordVPN, ProtonVPN, Google Drive, OneDrive
- Heavy Apps: Docker Desktop, Figma, Steam (installed last)
CLI tools (20+ formulae): git, aws-nuke, awscli, bat, btop, docker, eza, fzf, go, node, ollama, etc.
Fonts: Fira Code, Fira Code Nerd Font, Hack Nerd Font
Shell configuration (Oh My Zsh, Powerlevel10k, zsh plugins)
Disables auto-start for heavy services (Docker, Ollama, VPNs)
Idempotent - safe to run multiple times
Colored output with progress tracking

Key Functions:

Homebrew installation check and setup
Package existence verification before installation
Service auto-start management
Shell configuration with aliases (eza, bat, fzf_cd)

Requirements:

macOS 10.15 or later
Internet connection
Xcode Command Line Tools (auto-prompted during Homebrew install)

Execution:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/peeweeh/pc-setup/master/mac/brew_install.sh)"

Output:

Colored status messages (✓ success, ⚠ warning, ✗ error)
Installation progress for each package
Final cleanup message

5.2 mac_install.sh

Purpose: System optimization for performance, battery life, and UI speed.

Features:

Performance & Battery Optimization

Disables Photos AI analysis (facial recognition, huge battery saver)
Disables Media AI analysis (video indexing/scene detection)
Disables Game Center daemon
Fixes macOS 26 heuristic lag bug
Optimizes Electron app GPU usage (Chrome/Slack/VSCode)
Disables Spotlight disk indexing (saves I/O, breaks search)
Disables crash reporter dialogs
Clears inactive memory cache

UI Speed Optimizations

Instant window resizing (NSWindowResizeTime = 0.001)
Instant Dock appearance (no hover delay)
Disables all Finder animations
Speeds up Mission Control animations
Disables Launchpad page animations
Disables Dock launch animations

Dock Configuration

Auto-hide enabled
Removes all default apps
Resizes to 50%
Hides recent applications
Disables Dashboard

Finder Configuration

Shows all file extensions
Shows hidden files
Shows path bar and status bar
Keeps folders on top when sorting
Sets default view to column view
Prevents .DS_Store on network/USB
Search scope set to current folder
Spring loading enabled with no delay

System Preferences

Fast keyboard repeat rate (KeyRepeat = 1)
Tap to click enabled
Three-finger drag enabled
Disables auto-correct, smart quotes, smart dashes
Expands save/print panels by default
Screenshots saved to ~/Documents/Screenshots
Battery percentage shown in menu bar
Automatic software updates enabled

Shell Setup

Installs Oh My Zsh (if not present)
Installs zsh-syntax-highlighting plugin
Installs zsh-autosuggestions plugin
Nord Terminal theme installation

Requirements:

macOS 10.15 or later
Administrator privileges for some operations (sudo)

Execution:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/peeweeh/pc-setup/master/mac/mac_install.sh)"

Output:

Section headers for each configuration area
Colored progress messages
Revert instructions for major changes
Restart recommendation

Notes:

For comprehensive Siri/privacy settings, run privacy.sh separately
Some changes require restart to take full effect
Spotlight disabling breaks file search (revert: sudo mdutil -i on -a)

5.3 vscode.sh

Purpose: Install 68+ VS Code extensions organized by category.

Features:

Automatic VS Code CLI availability check
Skip detection for already installed extensions
Installation statistics (installed/skipped/failed)
Generates backup installation script
Categories:
- AI Assistants: GitHub Copilot, Copilot Chat, Amazon Q, Claude Dev
- Themes: Nord, Shades of Purple, Tokyo Night, Material Theme
- Icons: vscode-icons
- AWS/Cloud: AWS Toolkit, Terraform, CloudFormation, CFN Lint
- Code Quality: CodeSnap, Turbo Console Log, ESLint, Markdown Lint
- Git: GitLens, Git History, Atlassian
- Python: Autopep8, Debugpy, isort, Pylance, Python Envs
- JavaScript/React: Tailwind CSS, React snippets, ES7 snippets
- Go: Go extension
- GraphQL: GraphQL syntax, execution, DGraph snippets
- Containers/DevOps: Docker, Kubernetes, Remote Containers, WSL, GitHub Actions, Tilt
- Jupyter: Jupyter, Jupyter Keymap, Jupyter Renderers
- Markdown: Preview GitHub Styles, Markdown All in One
- Utilities: Edge DevTools, PowerShell, Live Share, YAML, Pretty JSON, XML
- Gaming/Modding: Paradox tools (CK2, CK3, Anno)

Requirements:

VS Code installed
VS Code CLI in PATH (Command: "Shell Command: Install 'code' command in PATH")
Internet connection

Execution:

/Users/paul/dev/pc-setup/mac/vscode.sh

Output:

Colored status for each extension
Installation summary with counts
Generated backup script: InstallVsCodeExtensions.sh

5.4 privacy.sh

Purpose: Comprehensive privacy and security hardening (831 lines).

⚠️ WARNING: Advanced script with extensive system changes. Review before running!

Features:

Privacy & Telemetry

Comprehensive Siri disabling (user, gui, system levels)
Disables Siri data collection and analytics
Removes Siri from menu bar and status menu
Disables telemetry for:
- Firefox
- Microsoft Office
- Homebrew
- .NET Core CLI
- PowerShell Core

System Cleaning

Clears CUPS printer job cache
Empties trash on all volumes
Clears system caches (/Library/Caches, ~/Library/Caches)
Clears Xcode derived data and archives
Flushes DNS cache
Purges inactive memory

Security Hardening

Enables application firewall
Removes guest user account
Disables Apple Remote Desktop
Disables automatic iCloud Drive document storage
Configures stricter security settings

Remote Access

Disables remote management services
Removes remote desktop preferences
Clears remote desktop support files

Requirements:

macOS 10.15 or later
Administrator privileges (runs with sudo elevation)
Some features require SIP disabled (System Integrity Protection)

Execution:

sudo /Users/paul/dev/pc-setup/mac/privacy.sh

Output:

Progress messages for each operation
Warning if SIP needs to be disabled

Notes:

Generated from privacy.sexy framework
mac_install.sh includes essential performance optimizations
Use privacy.sh for comprehensive privacy hardening beyond performance

Repository Structure

pc-setup/
├── README.md              # Project overview and quick start
├── spec.md               # This file - detailed specifications
├── DEVELOPMENT.md        # Development guidelines
├── CONTRIBUTING.md       # Contribution guidelines
├── LICENSE              # MIT License
├── mac/                 # macOS setup scripts
│   ├── README.md         # macOS scripts documentation
│   ├── install.sh        # Interactive installer for macOS
│   ├── brew_install.sh   # Homebrew application installation
│   ├── mac_install.sh    # Performance & UI optimization
│   ├── vscode.sh         # VS Code extensions
│   └── privacy.sh        # Advanced privacy hardening
└── win/                 # Windows setup scripts
    ├── windows_install.ps1
    ├── privacy_tweaks.ps1
    ├── vscode_extensions.ps1
    └── dev_setup.ps1

Troubleshooting

Execution Policy Issues

Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope CurrentUser -Force

Admin Privileges Required

Right-click PowerShell → "Run as Administrator"
Or use Windows Terminal with elevated privileges

Failed Packages

Check internet connection
Run choco list -localonly to see installed packages
Try installing problematic package manually: choco install <package-name>

Privacy Script Not Applying Changes

Ensure running as Administrator
Close VS Code before running (some settings lock when apps are open)
Restart computer after running script

Reverting Changes

Use Windows System Restore point created by windows_install.ps1
Manually revert registry changes if needed

FilesExpand file tree

spec.md

Latest commit

History

spec.md

File metadata and controls

PC Setup Scripts Specification

Overview

macOS Execution Order (Recommended)

Windows Execution Order (Recommended)

Section 1: macOS Scripts

1.1 install.sh (Interactive Installer)

1.2 brew_install.sh (Application Installation)

1.3 mac_install.sh (System Optimization)

Performance & Battery Optimization

UI Speed Improvements

Dock Customization

Finder Configuration

System Preferences & Security

Shell & Terminal Setup

1.4 vscode.sh (VS Code Extension Installation)

1.5 privacy.sh (Privacy & Security Hardening)

Privacy & Telemetry (Comprehensive Siri Disabling)

Telemetry Disabling

System Cleaning & Cache Clearing

Security Hardening

Privacy Features

Section 2: Windows Scripts

2.1 windows_install.ps1

2.2 vscode_extensions.ps1

Repository Structure

Troubleshooting

macOS Issues

Script Not Running

Homebrew Not Found After Installation

Permission Denied Errors

VS Code Extension Installation Fails

Windows Issues

Execution Policy Issues

Admin Privileges Required

Related Links

Section 1: windows_install.ps1

Section 2: privacy_tweaks.ps1

Section 3: vscode_extensions.ps1

Section 4: dev_setup.ps1

Consolidation Notes

Privacy Tweaks Consolidation

Section 5: macOS Scripts

5.1 brew_install.sh

5.2 mac_install.sh

Performance & Battery Optimization

UI Speed Optimizations

Dock Configuration

Finder Configuration

System Preferences

Shell Setup

5.3 vscode.sh

5.4 privacy.sh

Privacy & Telemetry

System Cleaning

Security Hardening

Remote Access

Repository Structure

Troubleshooting

Execution Policy Issues

Admin Privileges Required

Failed Packages

Privacy Script Not Applying Changes

Reverting Changes

Related Links