darwin-positron-dev-setup

Scripts to configure a fresh macOS machine for Positron development.

Supports macOS on Apple silicon.

Quick start

Run the setup script using curl:

bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/posit-dev/darwin-positron-dev-setup/main/setup.sh)"

This downloads the script in full before running it, so a dropped connection can't leave you executing a half-downloaded script.

That single command installs everything you need for Positron development on macOS. The only things it asks you are personal (your name and email, for git). The scripts are idempotent, so re-running is safe.

What it does

• Installs Homebrew if it isn't already present, and wires it into your shell environment. This runs first because the Homebrew installer also installs the Xcode Command Line Tools (git, compilers, and headers) when they're missing — headlessly, without the xcode-select --install GUI dialog. If Homebrew is already installed, offers to update it and upgrade its packages.

• Optionally installs oh-my-zsh on top of Zsh (the default shell on macOS).

• If oh-my-zsh is installed, optionally sets a custom shell prompt.

• Installs the Homebrew formulae Positron needs to build.

• Installs Node.js via fnm and sets it as the default.

• Installs Python via pyenv and sets it as the global version.

• Configures your git identity, prompting for your name and email (pre-filling anything that's already set).

• Generates an ed25519 SSH key (if you don't already have one), shows it, copies it to your clipboard with pbcopy, and points you at GitHub to register it.

• Offers GUI apps via Homebrew cask, one Y/n prompt each (currently Google Chrome).

• Optionally installs Visual Studio Code.

• Sets up Positron under a folder you choose under ~/, asking whether you're a Positron core developer:

  • Core developers get a Y/n prompt to clone each of the core repos (positron, positron-codicons, positron-builds, positron-website, positron-wiki).
  • Community contributors are pointed to GitHub to fork Positron, then have their fork cloned with the canonical repo added as an upstream remote, and are shown links to Positron and its contributing guide to get started.

  Existing checkouts are left alone.

• Finishes by reminding you to open a new terminal (or run source ~/.zshrc) so the new PATH and shell changes take effect.