dotfiles README/HOWTO

There are multiple ways of keeping dotfiles in git.

I prefer the bare repository approach as it uses standards tools, lets me edit config files in their original place with any editor, and doesn't place symlinks all over my $HOME.

Basically all you need is a git alias, or two if you want some files to be specific to machines.

Explained here: dotfiles in bare repository

Setting up for the first time

create git-dotfiles-dir and add alias

mkdir $HOME/.local/share/dotfiles.git
# add the below to your .zshrc or .bashrc
alias dotfiles="git --work-tree=$HOME/ --git-dir=$HOME/.local/share/dotfiles.git"

create additional .gitignore and add it to git config:

cat <<EOF
# ignore all by default to avoid tracking the entire $HOME.
# requires -f when adding files
*
EOF > $HOME/.gitignore

Initialize new dotfiles repo

GITHUBUSER=yourusername
dotfiles init
# add some files, change those below to something you like to add
dotfiles add -f $HOME/.bash_profile $HOME/.bashrc $HOME/.bash_aliases
dotfiles commit -m 'Initial commit'
dotfiles remote add origin git@github.com:${GITHUBUSER}/dotfiles.git
dotfiles push origin master

Checkout on new machine

WARNING: Will overwrite your files of the same name

alias dotfiles="git --work-tree=$HOME/ --git-dir=$HOME/.local/share/dotfiles.git"
git clone --bare https://github.com/${GITHUBUSER}/dotfiles.git ~/.local/share/dotfiles.git
dotfiles status -s -uno
dotfiles reset HEAD
dotfiles checkout ~
dotfiles remote set-url origin ssh://git@github.com/${GITHUBUSER}/dotfiles.git
dotfiles push --set-upstream origin master
# TODO: Figure out a better way to gitignore
#git config --global core.excludesfile $HOME/.gitignore_global # this file was created on the initial setup

Per machine config in separate dotfiles repo

To keep the same type of system for dotfiles that need to be unique per machine, do the same as the above, but with different alias.

This lets you keep shared dotfiles sync'ed with the dotfiles command, while machine specific config is managed with dotlocal.

Local machine dotfiles setup

mkdir $HOME/.dotfiles-$(hostname).git
# add the below to your .zshrc or .bashrc
alias dotlocal="git --work-tree=$HOME/ --git-dir=$HOME/.local/share/dotfiles-$(hostnamectl --static).git"
dotlocal init
dotlocal remote add origin git@github.com:${GITHUBUSER}/dotfiles-$(hostnamectl --static).git
dotlocal add -f .gitignore
dotlocal commit -am 'gitignore, shared'
dotlocal push --set-upstream origin master

Moving files from shared dotfiles to single machine

When config that needs to be different per machine is located and is to be moved, use git's dotfiles rm --cached <file> or recursive with dotfiles rm -r --cached <dir> with dotfiles. The files/dirs can then be added as normal with dotlocal add -f <file/dir>.

chrisaq/dotfiles