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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)