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My Homebrew Setup for Macbook

To someone who write codes and papers, I rely on an array of Homebrew packages on my MacBook Pro to keep me productive and efficient. Homebrew is a fantastic package manager for macOS that has helped me install and manage my software. In this article, I’ll share the list of Homebrew packages I’ve installed and briefly discuss the ones that are most notable for my work.

~ brew list
==> Formulae

==> Casks
cyberduck                       rstudio
google-chrome                   signal
iterm2                          visual-studio-code
mambaforge                      vlc
nomachine-enterprise-client     zoom
notion                          zotero
r

I didn’t install any formulae on my Mac since I have a dedicated Ubuntu server for running most of my code and analytical tasks. Now, let’s dive into the notable packages I’ve installed, categorized by their purpose.

Code Writing and Data Analysis

  • R & RStudio: The R programming language itself, which is essential for many statistical and data analysis tasks in. It has a rich ecosystem of packages for data manipulation, visualization, and modeling. RStudio is the de facto standard IDE for the R programming language.

  • mambaforge: I’ve chosen Mambaforge over Anaconda because of its faster performance and community-driven development. Mambaforge provides a robust package management system and environment management for my Python projects, ensuring I have the necessary dependencies for my research and analysis work.

  • Visual Studio Code: A versatile code editor for various programming languages, including Python, which I use extensively for data analysis and machine learning tasks. The wealth of extensions available for VSCode makes it highly customizable and adaptable to my needs.

Remote Access and File Transfer

  • iTerm2: I prefer iTerm2 over the default macOS Terminal due to its advanced features, such as split panes, and easier customization options. iTerm2 allows me to have a more streamlined terminal experience, especially when managing my remote Ubuntu server.

  • NoMachine Enterprise Client: A remote desktop client that allows me to access my Ubuntu server with a graphical interface. This is particularly helpful when I need to run software on my server that requires a GUI.

  • Cyberduck: A user-friendly file transfer client that supports multiple protocols like SFTP, FTP, and WebDAV. I use it to transfer files between my MacBook and my Ubuntu server, or to upload data to cloud storage services.

Reference Management and Note-taking

  • Zotero: A powerful reference manager that helps me organize my research articles, books, and other sources. It has excellent integration with web browsers, which makes it easy to import citations directly from academic databases or websites.

  • Notion: A versatile note-taking and project management app. I use it to keep track of my research ideas, organize my reading lists, and manage my progress in various projects. Its flexibility and intuitive interface have made it an invaluable tool for my workflow.

General Purpose

  • Google Chrome, Signal, VLC, and Zoom: These widely-used applications serve general purposes, such as web browsing, media playback, and video conferencing, respectively.