My .dotfiles & *nix configuration.

This repository contains the various .dotfiles and configuration settings that I use to configure my *nix based environments. I currently use Manjaro i3 Community Edition across a range of laptops and Virtual Machines.

Important Note - This repository previously had a custom script to handle the linking and management of files. I have now switched to using GNU Stow to manage the linking of the files in this repository. If you have previously used this repository as a basis for managing your .dotfiles then please update your code based on the new method.

This repository is designed to be useful to me. I have spent a number of years trying to tame the files within but I do not focus a lot of time on the code. My prime concern is being able to reconstruct a working, productive environment quickly. If you would find it useful then I have no issue with you forking it and using it to manage your .dotfiles and configuration settings.

If you see something you want to change or fix then I am open to and encourage Pull Requests.

How it works.

The majority of .dotfiles and configuration files are managed by GNU Stow which is a symlink farm manager. If you do not know what a symlink is then read this article for a complete guide. I also suggest you read the GNU Stow page as well to give some context.

All .dotfiles or configuration files for an application are stored within a directory in the .dotfiles directory. The directory for each application should be named for the associated application, for example .dotfiles/bash/ or .dotfiles/zsh/. The directory structure from the home directory should be maintained in these application directories as GNU Stow will reconstruct the structure when it is executed.

Any further configuration files sourced by the main .dotfiles such as aliases or functions are stored in a sub-directory of the application directory. This directory is named application_config for example .dotfiles/bash/bash_config.

To restore the .dofiles for a particular application you can use Stow and tell it which application to restore.

$ stow bash

Any other files that for whatever reason can not be handled by Stow or which provide custom functionality are prefixed with Initialise. These files can be run individually.

Getting Started

In order to get started you should clone this repository with the following command:

git clone --recursive https://github.com/andy-crouch/dotfiles.git ~/.dotfiles

This will download my dotfiles and settings. If you decide to fork this repository then my settings will show you how I have structured the files and settings and give you a boilerplate repository to use for your own.

Prerequisites

Gtk Theme Prerequisites

I prefer Gtk applications within my environment. My chosen Gtk theme is Matcha Dark Sea and my i3 theme and other non Gtk configurations have been updated to blend in.

Font Prerequisites

I use Nerd Fonts throughout my i3 and zsh setups and you will need to install them for my configurations to work correctly.

Shell Prerequisites

I use Zsh as my shell of choice. There is a basic bash setup included in the repository but I install Zsh as soon as I can on a machine. I find Zsh is more user friendly and productive than bash and this article covers some of the benefits.

I use Oh My Zsh which is "an open source, community-driven framework for managing your zsh configuration." The projects repository is a submodule to this project and will be installed on cloning.

On top of Oh My Zsh I then add the Powerlevel 10k theme to create a useful prompt.

Installing

This section is currently being updated to add an initialise script to automatically run all restore commands in on orchestrated manner.

Check back soon.

Running the tests

The test.sh script in the root of the .dofiles/ directory will use shellchecker to catch issues with any scripts. To run the script, run:

cd ~/.dotfiles
./test.sh

Any errors or linting issues will be streamed to the console.

Applications, Utilities & Themes

• arandr - Used to switch between screen layouts when moving between multiple monitors. Each configuration is stored in the ~/.dotfiles/arandr directory.
• bash - Although I have switched permenantly to zsh for my terminal experience I have an old bash configuration available in the ~/.dotfiles/bash directory.
• dmenu - A fast dynamic, text based, menu for X used as a launcher for i3. The configuration is in the ~/.dotfiles/dmenu directory.
• i3 - A tiling Window manager. The configuration for i3 is stored in the ~/.dotfiles/i3/ directory.
• urxvt - My preferred Terminal. The configuration files, including .Xresources, are stored in ~/.dotfiles/urxvt.
• vim - My editor of choice. I use Vim Plug as a plugin manager which simplifies their management. All configuration files are stored in the ~/.dotfiles/vim directory.
• zsh - Shell of choice and mixed with Oh My Zsh and the Powerlevel 10k theme. If you disable auto updating in Oh My Shell you should periodically pull latest in the ~/.dotfiles/zsh/.oh-my-zsh directory. All zsh related configuration is stored in the ~.dotfiles/zsh directory.

Configurations Of Note

• .profile - For Manjaro, you have to set your default browser (assuming you replace Palemoon, which I strongly suggest you do) in the .profile file. This also tends to be the location to add session specific environment settings.

Contributing

Please read CONTRIBUTING.md for details on the code of conduct, and the process for submitting pull requests.

Authors

• Andy Crouch - Email | Twitter

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE.md file for details

Acknowledgements

• Jess Frazelle dotfiles - Excellent reference scripts. Unashamedly stole her script testing script. I highly recommend you follow her on twitter.