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Nov 4, 2014 - 2 MIN READ
HOW TO: Set up a new Macbook for Django Development

HOW TO: Set up a new Macbook for Django Development

Complete macOS setup guide for Django developers. Step-by-step installation of Python, pip, virtualenv, PostgreSQL, Node.js, and essential development tools.

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Ryan Prater

You just got a fresh Macbook, you want to install things in priority order, your name is Ryan Prater. This is how you do it.

  1. Remove everything from the dock except Finder
  2. Open Safari, install Chrome
    1. Sign in to retrieve bookmarks and settings across all Chrome accounts
  3. Install Evernote
  4. Install OSX updates in the app store
  5. Install Xcode
  6. Install PyCharm
    1. OSX prompts you to download a Java Runtime Environment
  7. Install Skype for out of office communication
  8. Install HipChat for in office communication
  9. Open Terminal, change the default color scheme to "Novel"
  10. Install pip
    1. $ sudo easy_install pip
    2. You might have to install mercurial to install packages
  11. Install virtualenv
    1. $ sudo pip install virtualenv
  12. Install virtualenvwrapper
    1. $ sudo pip install virtualenvwrapper
    2. $ mkdir ~/Dev/Envs/virtualenvs
  13. Add these lines to your .bash_profile
    1. export WORKON_HOME="$HOME/Dev/Envs/virtualenvs"
    2. source /usr/local/bin/virtualenvwrapper.sh
  14. Customize your Terminal experience in your .bash_profile
    1. alias repos='cd ~/Dev/Repos'
    2. alias gs='git status'
    3. alias syncdb='python manage.py syncdb'
    4. alias migrate='python manage.py migrate'
    5. alias shell='python manage.py shell'
    6. Add color to your terminal
  15. Install Heroku Toolbelt
  16. Install Postgres.app
    1. Add this line to your bash profile to fix a pg_config path issue: PATH="/Applications/Postgres.app/Contents/Versions/9.3/bin:$PATH"
  17. Install Node
    1. $ npm install less -g
    2. Edit your bash_profile to include /usr/local/bin on your PATH (or wherever lessc is)
    3. Restart your machine
  18. Install less globally: $ sudo npm install -g less
  19. Install Spotify

You are now ready to take the world by storm. Go and be productive.

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