Smarttest way to manage dotfiles

manage-dotfiles.md

smarttest way to manage your dotfiles with git

disclaimer

I'm assuming you have knowledge about git.

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 [email protected]:${USERNAME}/${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 [email protected]:${USERNAME}/${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

Just simplified my setup using this approach, thanks.