Need a Fresh Start? Here's My Provisioning Script

Every now and then, I feel like my MacBook Pro just needs a fresh start. It’s nice to be back at square one—clean, fast, and distraction-free. Over time, I’ve streamlined the entire process with a provisioning script and a few practices that make getting back to work seamless.

Here’s how I do it.

Step 1: Back Up Development Files and Local Sites

Before wiping anything, I make sure all my dev work is backed up.

I use Resilio Sync to automatically back up my ~/Development folder, which holds all of my local projects. Once I reinstall, Resilio Sync pulls everything back down without any manual effort.

I also use DDEV to manage my local dev environments. Before reformatting, I create snapshots of all my active projects with:

ddev snapshot --all

These snapshots make restoring local databases and environments painless later on.

In addition to that, I copy over my .ssh folder, personal config files, and anything else I might need to a thumb drive that doubles as my macOS installer.

Step 2: Wipe and Reinstall macOS

I use a bootable macOS installer on a thumb drive. If you haven’t made one before, Apple’s guide walks you through the process.

Steps:

• Boot into macOS Recovery.
• Use Disk Utility to format the internal drive.
• Reinstall macOS from the thumb drive.

Step 3: Run My Provisioning Script

Once macOS is up and running, I open Terminal and run the script below. It checks for Homebrew, installs the CLI tools and apps I use daily, and even sets up Oh My Zsh.

It's a simple script, but it allows you to add/remove apps over time and make it your own.

#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -e

# Check for Homebrew, install if not present
echo "Checking for Homebrew..."
if ! command -v brew &>/dev/null; then
  echo "Installing Homebrew..."
  /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

  # Add Homebrew to the shell profile
  echo "Adding Homebrew to the shell profile..."
  echo 'eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"' >> "$HOME/.zprofile"
  eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"
fi

# Update and upgrade Homebrew
echo "Updating Homebrew..."
brew update
brew upgrade

# Install command-line tools
echo "Installing command-line tools..."
cli_tools=(
    wget
    git
    git-lfs
    git-flow
    git-extras
    ssh-copy-id
    composer
    node
    cloudflared
)
for tool in "${cli_tools[@]}"; do
  brew install "$tool"
done

# Update npm and install global npm packages
echo "Updating npm and installing global npm packages..."
npm install -g npm
npm install -g gulp-cli yarn

# Install applications
echo "Installing applications..."
cask_apps=(
    1password
    alfred
    bambu-studio
    docker
    figma
    firefox@developer-edition
    google-drive
    imageoptim
    inkscape
    iterm2
    font-monaspace
    openinterminal
    phpstorm
    private-internet-access
    raspberry-pi-imager
    rectangle
    resilio-sync
    sequel-ace
    slack
    sourcetree
    the-unarchiver
    transmit
    vscodium
)
for app in "${cask_apps[@]}"; do
  brew install --cask "$app"
done

# Clean up Homebrew
echo "Cleaning up Homebrew..."
brew cleanup

# Install Oh My Zsh
echo "Installing Oh My Zsh..."
if [ ! -d "$HOME/.oh-my-zsh" ]; then
  sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/master/tools/install.sh)"
fi

You can view the script here:
https://github.com/justin-peacock/macOS-provisioning

It includes:

• Installing Homebrew
• Installing CLI tools like git, composer, node, and cloudflared
• Installing global npm packages (gulp-cli, yarn, etc.)
• Installing GUI apps like iTerm2, Docker, Firefox Developer Edition, PhpStorm, Resilio Sync, and more
• Setting up Oh My Zsh

This is just an example of what works for me. You can easily modify it to suit your own workflow and tools.

Step 4: Sync Dev Files and Restore Projects

Once Resilio Sync is running, I start the sync for my ~/Development folder. Since all my projects live there, everything comes back exactly how I left it—no manual file transfers needed.

With the files synced, I can restore each DDEV environment by running:

ddev start
ddev snapshot restore

That brings back both the project files and their databases, so I'm ready to start developing again.

Wrapping Up

Reformatting your Mac doesn’t have to be a time suck. With a good backup system, a reliable provisioning script, and some basic planning, I can go from a blank drive to a fully loaded dev setup in under an hour.

Questions? Suggestions? Hit me up—always down to hear how others are handling their local environments.