dot

Dot - simple dotfile manager

dot provides a cli application which will streamline the process of adding and removing files to and from your archive. Using dot in combination with a hosted repository you'll be able to backup, restore and sync your dotfiles for several machines. Why would you want your dotfiles hosted in a repository? For the answer and much more click here.

dot works by placing a selected dotfile into the archive and symlinking it to its original location. The archive serves as a repository and can be persisted using a hosted git repository.

Installation

Binary installation

Download a compatible binary for your system. For convenience, place dot in a directory where you can access it from the command line. Usually this is /usr/local/bin.

$ mv dot /usr/local/bin

Via Go

If you want, you can also get dot via Go:

$ go get -u github.com/jpbruinsslot/dot
$ cd $GOPATH/src/github.com/jpbruinsslot/dot
$ go install .

Setting up

To begin using dot we need to create a folder in your home folder where we will track the dotfiles. And initializing a git repository.

$ mkdir ~/.dotfiles
$ git init

Usage

To start using dot, go to the newly created directory and issue the following command:

$ dot sync

This will initialize the necessary folder and create a .dotconfig configuration file which will automatically be tracked in the archive.

Tracking files or folders

You can use the following command to start tracking files or folders:

# dot add -name [name] -path [path/to/file]
$ dot add nvimrc /home/jpbruinsslot/.nvimrc

To remove a file or folder for tracking, use the following command:

# dot rm -name [name]
$ dot rm -name nvimrc

In order to automatically create a git commit message and push to the repository, pass in the -push flag. You can use this for both the add and rm command.

$ dot add -name nvimrc -path /home/jpbruinsslot/.nvimrc -push
$ dot rm -name nvimrc -push

Additional machines

So you've started tracking your files on one machine but now you want to use your archive on another machine. Clone your repository on the additional machine and use the dot sync command to start synchronizing your files on the new machine.