02 Nov 2022

Export OSX Settings using `defaults` tool

Make your OSX setup reproducible by exporting settings using defaults cli tool:

$ defaults find com.apple.driver.AppleBluetoothMultitouch.trackpad

Found 24 keys in domain 'com.apple.driver.AppleBluetoothMultitouch.trackpad': {
    Clicking = 1;
    DragLock = 0;
    Dragging = 0;
    TrackpadCornerSecondaryClick = 2;
    TrackpadFiveFingerPinchGesture = 2;
    TrackpadFourFingerHorizSwipeGesture = 2;
    TrackpadFourFingerPinchGesture = 2;
    TrackpadFourFingerVertSwipeGesture = 2;
    TrackpadHandResting = 1;
    TrackpadHorizScroll = 1;
    TrackpadMomentumScroll = 1;
    TrackpadPinch = 1;
    TrackpadRightClick = 1;
    TrackpadRotate = 1;
    TrackpadScroll = 1;
    TrackpadThreeFingerDrag = 1;
    TrackpadThreeFingerHorizSwipeGesture = 1;
    TrackpadThreeFingerTapGesture = 0;
    TrackpadThreeFingerVertSwipeGesture = 0;
    TrackpadTwoFingerDoubleTapGesture = 1;
    TrackpadTwoFingerFromRightEdgeSwipeGesture = 3;
    USBMouseStopsTrackpad = 0;
    UserPreferences = 1;
    version = 5;
}

Then convert them into items in the format seen here: https://github.com/zph/zph/blob/master/home/.osx to create your own custom configuration to apply during next system setup.

Use defaults domains to find all the key domains.