Dotfiles

Related articles

• XDG Base Directory support
• X resources

User-specific application configuration is traditionally stored in so called dotfiles (files whose filename starts with a dot). It is common practice to track dotfiles with a version control system such as Git to keep track of changes and synchronize dotfiles across various hosts. There are various approaches to managing your dotfiles (e.g. directly tracking dotfiles in the home directory v.s. storing them in a subdirectory and symlinking/copying/generating files with a shell script or a dedicated tool). Apart from explaining how to manage your dotfiles this article also contains a list of dotfile repositories from Arch Linux users.

Tracking dotfiles directly with Git

The benefit of tracking dotfiles directly with Git is that it only requires Git and does not involve symlinks. The disadvantage is that host-specific configuration generally requires merging changes into multiple branches.

The simplest way to achieve this approach is to initialize a Git repository directly in your home directory and ignoring all files by default with a gitignore(5) pattern of *. This method however comes with two drawbacks: it can become confusing when you have other Git repositories in your home directory (e.g. if you forget to initialize a repository you suddenly operate on your dotfile repository) and you can no longer easily see which files in the current directory are untracked (because they are ignored).

An alternative method without these drawbacks is the "bare repository and alias method" popularized by this Hacker News comment, which just takes three commands to set up:

$ git init --bare ~/.dotfiles
$ alias config='/usr/bin/git --git-dir=$HOME/.dotfiles/ --work-tree=$HOME'
$ config config status.showUntrackedFiles no

You can then manage your dotfiles with the created alias.

Tip: To avoid accidentally commiting confidential information, see Git#Filtering confidential information.

Host-specific configuration

A common problem with synchronizing dotfiles across various machines is host-specific configuration.

With Git this can be solved by maintaining a master branch for all shared configuration, while each individual machine has a machine-specific branch checked out. Host-specific configuration can be committed to the machine-specific branch; when shared configuration is modified in the master branch, the per-machine branches need to be rebased on top of the updated master.

In configuration scripts like shell configuration files conditional logic can be used. For example, Bash scripts (i.e. .bashrc) can apply different configuration depending on the machine name (or type, custom variable, etc.):

if [[ "$(hostname)" == "archlaptop" ]]; then
    # laptop specific commands here
else
    # desktop or server machine commands
fi

Similar can also be achieved with .Xresources.[1]

If you find rebasing Git branches too cumbersome, you may want to use a tool that supports file grouping, or if even greater flexibility is desired, a tool that does processing.

Tools

File grouping

How configuration files can be grouped to configuration groups (also called profiles or packages).

Processing

Some tools process configuration files to allow them to be customized depending on the host.

Name	Package	Written in	File grouping	Processing
dot-templater	dot-templater-gitAUR	Rust	directory-based	custom syntax
dotdrop	dotdropAUR	Python	configuration file	Jinja2
dotfiles	dotfilesAUR	Python	No	No
Dots	dots-managerAUR	Python	directory-based	custom append points
chezmoi	chezmoi	Go	directory-based	Go templates
GNU Stow	stow	Perl	directory-based[2]	No
Mackup	mackupAUR	Python	automatic per application	No
mir.qualia	mir.qualiaAUR	Python	No	custom blocks
rcm	rcmAUR	Perl	directory-based (by host or tag)	No

Tools wrapping Git

If you are uncomfortable with Git, you may want to use one of these tools, which abstract the version control system away (more or less).

Name	Package	Written in	File grouping	Processing
dotgit	dotgitAUR	Bash	filename-based	No
homeshick	homeshick-gitAUR	Bash	repository-wise	No
homesick	homesickAUR	Ruby	repository-wise	No
Pearl	pearl-gitAUR	Bash	repository-wise	No
vcsh	vcshAUR	Shell	repository-wise	No
yadm(1)	yadm-gitAUR	Shell	filename-based (by class, OS, hostname & user) [3]	Jinja2 (optional)[4]

1. Supports encryption of confidential files with GPG.[5]

User repositories

Author	Shell (Shell framework)	WM / DE	Editor	Terminal	Multiplexer	Audio	Monitor	Mail	IRC
alfunx	zsh	awesome	vim	kitty	tmux	ncmpcpp/mpd	htop/lain	thunderbird
peterzuger	zsh	i3-gaps	emacs	rxvt-unicode	screen	moc	htop
Ambrevar	Eshell	EXWM	Emacs	Emacs (Eshell)	Emacs TRAMP + dtach	EMMS	conky/dzen	mu4e	Circe
awal	fish	i3	vim	st	tmux		i3status		The Lounge
ayekat	zsh	karuiwm	vim	rxvt-unicode	tmux	ncmpcpp/mpd	karuibar	mutt	irssi
bamos	zsh	i3/xmonad	vim/emacs	rxvt-unicode	tmux	mpv/cmus	conky/xmobar	mutt	ERC
brisbin33	zsh	xmonad	vim	rxvt-unicode	screen		dzen	mutt	irssi
BVollmerhaus	fish	i3-gaps	kakoune	rxvt-unicode			polybar	thunderbird
cinelli	zsh	dwm	vim	termite-git		pianobar	htop	mutt-kz	weechat
dikiaap	zsh	i3-gaps	neovim	alacritty	tmux		i3blocks
Earnestly	zsh	i3/orbment	vim/emacs	termite	tmux	mpd	conky	mutt	weechat
ErikBjare	zsh	xmonad/xfce4	vim	terminator	tmux		xfce4-panel		weechat
falconindy	bash	i3	vim	rxvt-unicode		ncmpcpp	conky	mutt
graysky	zsh	xfce4	vim	terminal		ncmpcpp	custom	thunderbird
hugdru	zsh	awesome	neovim	rxvt-unicode	tmux			thunderbird	weechat
insanum	bash	herbstluftwm	vim	evilvte	tmux		dzen	mutt-kz
jasonwryan	bash/zsh	dwm	vim	rxvt-unicode	tmux	ncmpcpp	custom	mutt	irssi
jdevlieghere	zsh	xmonad	vim	terminal	tmux		htop	mutt	weechat
jelly	zsh	i3	vim	termite	tmux	ncmpcpp		mutt-kz-git	weechat
Jorengarenar	bash	i3	vim	xterm		mpv	i3blocks	aerc	weechat
maximbaz	zsh	i3-gaps	neovim	kitty			py3status	thunderbird
mehalter	zsh	i3-gaps	neovim	termite	tmux	gpymusic	i3blocks, gotop	neomutt	weechat
meskarune	bash	herbstluftwm	vim	rxvt-unicode	screen		conky		weechat
neersighted	fish	i3	neovim	alacritty	tmux	ncmpcpp
oibind	fish	awesome	neovim	termite			htop-vim		weechat
OK100	bash	dwm	vim	rxvt-unicode		cmus	conky, dzen	mutt	weechat
pablox-cl	zsh (zplug)	gnome3	neovim	kitty
reisub0	fish	qtile	neovim	kitty		mpd	conky
sistematico	zsh/fish/bash	i3-gaps	vim/nano	termite	tmux	ncmpcpp	polybar	mutt	weechat
sitilge	zsh	awesome	neovim	termite				thunderbird
swalladge	zsh/bash	i3	neovim/vim	termite	tmux	cmus	i3pystatus	mutt
SyfiMalik	zsh	i3	vim	rxvt-unicode	tmux	ncmpcpp/mpd	polybar	mutt	weechat
thiagowfx	bash	i3	vim/emacs	tilix			i3blocks
vodik	zsh	xmonad	vim	termite-git	tmux	ncmpcpp	custom	mutt	weechat
w0ng	zsh	dwm	vim	rxvt-unicode	tmux	ncmpcpp	custom	mutt	irssi
whitelynx	fish	i3	neovim	kitty			i3pystatus
Wintervenom	bash	herbstluftwm	vim	rxvt-unicode	screen	mpd (mpc-utils)	hlwm-dzen2	mutt	weechat
wolfcore	bash	dwm	vim	rxvt-unicode	tmux	cmus	custom		weechat
zendeavor	zsh	i3	vim	rxvt-unicode	tmux	ncmpcpp	i3status		weechat

See also

• gregswiki:DotFiles
• XMonad Config Archive
• dotshare.it
• dotfiles.github.io
• terminal.sexy - Terminal color scheme designer