GitHub

What is OpenBoot

Fresh Mac? Run one command and get everything installed — Git, Node, Docker, your shell config, dotfiles, macOS preferences. Then snapshot that setup and share it with your team.

OpenBoot is an open-source CLI that automates the boring part of setting up a new Mac. It installs Homebrew packages, GUI apps, configures your shell, links dotfiles, and applies developer-friendly macOS settings. All in one run.

What It Does

Packages & Apps — Installs CLI tools (node, go, docker, ripgrep) and GUI apps (VS Code, Chrome, Warp) from Homebrew. Pick from presets or toggle individual packages in the TUI.

Shell Configuration — Sets up Oh-My-Zsh with plugins, a clean theme, and developer aliases. If you already have Oh-My-Zsh, it merges settings without overwriting your config.

Dotfiles — Clones your dotfiles repo and links it with GNU Stow. Your .zshrc, .gitconfig, and other configs follow you to any machine.

macOS Preferences — Applies developer-friendly settings: fast key repeat, Finder path bar visible, Dock stays visible, screenshots saved as PNG, etc.

Snapshot — Run openboot snapshot to capture your current setup. Upload it to openboot.dev and share as a one-line install URL, or save locally as JSON.

Installation

One command:

curl -fsSL https://openboot.dev/install.sh | bash

This installs Xcode Command Line Tools and Homebrew if you don’t have them yet, downloads the openboot binary, and launches the TUI.

Already have Homebrew?

brew install openbootdotdev/tap/openboot
openboot

Either way, from there:

  1. Pick a preset (minimal, developer, full) or customize package by package
  2. Confirm and wait for Homebrew to install everything
  3. Shell gets configured, dotfiles get linked (if you provided a repo URL), macOS preferences get applied
  4. Restart your terminal and you’re done

Already have a Mac set up the way you like? Run openboot snapshot to capture it and share the config.

Three Ways to Use It

Start from a preset — Pick minimal, developer, or full in the TUI. Each one’s a curated package list you can tweak before installing. See Presets for what’s in each.

Create a custom config — Build your own setup on the dashboard. Share it as a one-line install URL with your team. See Custom Configs.

Snapshot your current Mac — Run openboot snapshot to scan what’s installed. Upload to openboot.dev or save locally as JSON. See Snapshot for details.

System Requirements

  • macOS 12 (Monterey) or later
  • Apple Silicon and Intel Macs supported
  • Internet connection
  • Admin privileges (you’ll be prompted when needed)