macOS Defaults

System settings with the drift removed.

Some preferences are manual because Apple still puts them behind UI panels. The rest are scriptable and live in scripts/apply-macos-defaults.sh.

This setup keeps Tap to Click and three-finger drag, speeds up Dock autohide, expands Launchpad to 10x8, and keeps App Expose turned off.

Manual Steps

These still need actual clicks in System Settings.

Trackpad

  • Enable Tap to Click.
  • Enable three-finger drag under Accessibility → Pointer Control → Trackpad Options.
  • Leave App Expose disabled.

Keyboard Shortcut Handoff

  • Disable Spotlight if Keyboard Maestro is going to take the main launcher shortcut.
  • Reconnect clipboard history and launcher triggers inside Keyboard Maestro.

Scriptable Defaults

These are already wrapped in a script for day-one setup and restore.

Apply

Run from repo root.

./scripts/apply-macos-defaults.sh

Restore

Back out the Dock and Launchpad tweaks.

./scripts/apply-macos-defaults.sh --restore

Reference Screens

Keeping the images nearby makes the manual path faster when the UI changes names slightly.

Tap to Click

Trackpad → Point & Click

Tap to Click setting

Three-Finger Drag

Accessibility → Pointer Control → Trackpad Options

Three finger drag setting

Launchpad 10x8

Reference view after the Dock restart.

Launchpad grid example

Spotlight Handoff

Disable Spotlight if Keyboard Maestro is taking the launcher shortcut.

Spotlight shortcut settings