• #smart way to manage your dotfiles

Things I wanna do

zsh with a minimalist prompt

I only want:

• current working directory in blue
• [branch], if in a git repository
• \$ in a new line
  • the \$ must be red if last command failed

In bash I do this:

# if in a git repository, shows the current branch
gitBranch() {
	ret="$?"
	branch="$(git branch --show-current 2>/dev/null)" &&
		echo -n " [${branch}]"
	return "${ret}"
}

# /current/directory [branch]
# $
PS1=
PS1+='\[\033[01;34m\]'                        # blue
PS1+='\w'                                     # working dir
PS1+='\[\033[00m\]'                           # no color
PS1+='$(gitBranch || echo "\[\033[01;31m\]")' # red if last command failed
PS1+='\n\$ '
PS1+='\[\033[00m\]' # no color

make aliases and functions POSIX-compliant

So I can load them in zsh or bash.

detect if I'm on Mac or Linux

To handle, for example pbcopy vs. xclip.

configs I must have

• homebrew
• tools
  • jq
  • hurl
  • curl
  • gh
  • fd
  • ripgrep
  • nvim
  • tmux
  • cheat
• kitty
• nerdfont
• nvim
• tmux
  • tmux plugins
• cheat
  • cheatsheets
• zsh
  • oh my zsh
  • autocompletion
  • vim moves
  • the plugin that recognizes file on path
• .tool-versions - asdf or mise?

smart way to manage your dotfiles

starting a dotfiles repo

# create your configs dir
cd ~
mkdir dotfiles

# start a git repo
cd ~/dotfiles
git init

# create a git repository for you and get the url
git remote add origin git@github.com:${USERNAME}/${REPO_NAME}.git

# tell git that your worktree starts in your $HOME
git config core.worktree '../../'

# ignore everything
echo '*' > ../.gitignore

# once you're ignoring everything, the only way
# to add files is by using The Force™️
git add -f ../.bashrc
git add -f ../.bash_profile
git add -f ../.vimrc
# etc...

# commit your changes to the remote repo
git commit -m "Initial commit"
git push

getting your dotfiles on a new machine

# go to your home dir
cd ~

# clone the repo with the "--no-checkout" option
# (so we can checkout the files in our homedir)
git clone --no-checkout git@github.com:${USERNAME}/${REPO_NAME}.git

# go to the created directory and do the wortree trick
cd ${REPO_NAME}
git config core.worktree '../../'

# checkout your files overwriting the existing ones
git reset --hard origin/master

notes about gitignoring everything

• Remember: your .gitignore is ignoring "everything" with that *
• Anything you want to add must be done with git add -f
• Your git commands will only work while you're in the ~/${REPO_NAME} directory, so if you want to add a new file, you need to git add -f ../${FILENAME}
• Once a file was added to the list of tracked files, you don't need to use -f for that file anymore.

inspiration

• worktree trick: https://www.wangzerui.com/2017/03/06/using-git-to-manage-system-configuration-files/
• gitignoring everything: https://drewdevault.com/2019/12/30/dotfiles.html