macOS Automation

This setup includes macOS-specific automation and preferences.

Defaults / Settings

The raw scripts live here:

• home/.osx.core
• home/.osx.extra

They are applied via hooks:

• home/.chezmoiscripts/run_onchange_after_05-osx.core.sh.tmpl
• home/.chezmoiscripts/run_onchange_after_05-osx.extra.sh.tmpl

These scripts can change system behavior. Expect that some changes require a logout/restart to fully take effect.

If you want to disable this category entirely, the most direct approach is to remove or comment out the relevant hook scripts in home/.chezmoiscripts/.

Core Apply Workflow

1. Review local dotfiles changes:

chezmoi diff

1. Apply:

chezmoi apply

1. Reboot/log out if settings did not visually update yet.

You can also run .osx scripts directly while debugging:

bash home/.osx.core
bash home/.osx.extra

Hammerspoon

• Config: home/dot_hammerspoon/readonly_init.lua

Key pieces:

• Window management hotkeys: home/dot_hammerspoon/readonly_window.lua
• Grid-mouse (keyboard mouse): home/dot_hammerspoon/readonly_gridmouse.lua (currently not enabled in init.lua)

In init.lua, Hyper is configured as ctrl+alt+cmd.

This setup pulls the EmmyLua.spoon via externals:

• home/.chezmoiexternal.toml

Workflow:

• Edit modules under home/dot_hammerspoon/.
• Reload Hammerspoon config from the app menu.
• Verify configured keybindings in init.lua and module files.

Karabiner

• home/dot_config/exact_private_karabiner/karabiner.json

Workflow:

• Edit karabiner.json.
• Import/reload through Karabiner-Elements.
• Validate by testing the modified key mapping directly.

Alfred

• home/Alfred.alfredpreferences/

Note: this directory is currently ignored by chezmoi via home/.chezmoiignore. It is kept in the repo as a reference/backup rather than being automatically installed.

Custom App Icons

• Mapping: home/app_icons/readonly_icon_mapping.yaml
• Script: home/exact_bin/executable_,apply-app-icons.tmpl
• Hook: home/.chezmoiscripts/run_onchange_after_05-apply-app-icons.sh.tmpl

Note: home/app_icons/ is ignored by chezmoi via home/.chezmoiignore. The script reads icon assets from the repo source directory.

Scheduled jobs (crontab)

A user crontab is installed (replacing the existing one) from a repo-managed file:

• Crontab contents: home/crontab
• Hook: home/.chezmoiscripts/run_onchange_after_05-install-crontab.sh.tmpl

The hook is a thin wrapper that runs crontab "$CHEZMOI_SOURCE_DIR/crontab"; the hash trigger means it only re-installs when the file changes. The shipped entry kills the macOS git fsmonitor--daemon every 5 minutes, working around the daemon's tendency to wedge or pin CPU on large repos.

*/5 * * * * /usr/bin/pkill -f ".../git-core/git fsmonitor--daemon" >/dev/null 2>&1

Edit home/crontab and chezmoi apply to change the schedule, or run crontab -l to inspect the installed table. To opt out, remove the hook script and clear the entry with crontab -e.

Verification

Check a few high-signal defaults:

defaults read -g KeyRepeat
defaults read com.apple.screencapture location
defaults read net.freemacsoft.AppCleaner SUAutomaticallyUpdate

Check icon command wiring:

command -v ,apply-app-icons

Troubleshooting

• defaults changes did not apply:
  • restart affected apps (Finder, Dock, SystemUIServer) or reboot.
• ,apply-app-icons fails:
  • verify fileicon and yq are installed.
  • verify home/app_icons/readonly_icon_mapping.yaml and asset files exist.
• Hook runs but nothing changed:
  • confirm the script hash-trigger input actually changed.

Related

• Apply custom app icons
• New machine bootstrap
• Debugging hooks