Dot files

Configuration for my Mac and supported applications

Hammerspoon

• Show my keymap with MEH-=
• To do all kinds of other scripting
• Handling of the leader key (F19) to activate apps, scripts, etc.
• To make scrolling easy with the Logi Ergo MX en Kensington mouse. Hold right mouse key and move mouse to scroll. (not in use for now)
• To serve as my url dispatcher to open links with the correct browser (not in use for now)

Other productivity apps

Invisible in this repo, but I also use the following apps to be more productive:

• Drafts - to quickly jot down notes and script text
• Alfred - mostly used for searching through different services
• CleanShot X - the best screenshot app there is
• Homerow- to be less dependent on mouse
• Barbee - To manage menubar icons

Repository structure

This repository contains configuration for a couple of tools:

• hammerspoon – Lua scripts for Hammerspoon used for automation and window management.
• karabiner – JSON configuration for Karabiner‑Elements.
• aerospace.toml – Configuration for the Aerospace tiling window manager.
• Brewfile – Homebrew bundle listing applications and command line tools.
• backlog – Planned improvements and refactoring tasks with detailed implementation plans.

Install dotfiles on a clean system

Run the provided script to create the necessary symlinks:

./install.sh

This will place all configuration files in your $HOME directory. You can also inspect the script and link them manually if you prefer.

Dependencies

Make sure the following applications are installed:

• Hammerspoon
• Karabiner‑Elements
• Aerospace

All other software I install via Homebrew is listed in Brewfile.

Need to know after a Mac formatting session

Show / hide invisible files in Finder

Hold down the Command, Shift and Period keys: cmd + shift + .

Remove useless previews from icons in Finder

defaults write com.apple.finder QLInlinePreviewMinimumSupportedSize -int 512

Keyboards

I've used multiple (split) ortholineair keyboards recently (since 2022), including a Moonlander, Keychron Q15, Microdox, Geist Totem, and the Glove80.

The Glove80 seemed to be my endgame, but in the end the thing is just too big. I only use a portion of the keys (something like 34), so the space it takes up on my desk feels a bit absurd.

Right now I've settled on the Ferris (the Halcyon Ferris to be precise), which fulfills my needs pretty well.

I'm using VIAL to configure the keyboard, but you can take a look at my keymap in the hammerspoon/keyboard directory, where I keep a visual overview of the keymap.

Learnings

• Combo keys can work for less-used keys, but don't put them on roll-overs like w+e and e+r. The f+d keys are kind of a hidden roll-over because of the heavy use of the ext layer in combination with the alt-key.