Dotfiles

This repository contains an installation script to download software and dotfiles for my personal development environment.

Essential Tools

• Editor: Zed Zed is a next-generation code editor designed for high-performance collaboration with humans and AI.
• Terminal: Ghostty 👻 Ghostty is a fast, feature-rich, and cross-platform terminal emulator that uses platform-native UI and GPU
• Shell Prompt: Oh My Posh, a prompt theme engine for any shell written in Go
• Shell: Zsh
• Nvim: Nvim because I use Vim btw (sometimes)

Setup

Prerequisites

macOS

Install Apple's Command Line Tools (prerequisites for Git and Homebrew):

xcode-select --install

Linux (Ubuntu/Debian)

No special prerequisites needed - the script handles everything.

Installation

1. Clone repo into your Home directory.

# Use SSH (if set up)...
git clone git@github.com:theguega/be-a-dev.git ~/

# ...or use HTTPS and switch remotes later.
git clone https://github.com/theguega/be-a-dev.git ~/

2. Run the installation script.

cd ~/be-a-dev
./install.sh

The script will:

• Detect your operating system (macOS/Linux)
• Ask what you want to install/configure:
  • Applications: CLI tools via Homebrew, GUI apps via platform-specific package managers
  • System defaults: macOS system preferences or GNOME extensions/hotkeys
  • Symlinks: Create symbolic links for dotfiles (with backup of existing files)
• Install everything automatically
• Set up your development environment

3. Restart your computer to apply all changes.

4. Enjoy your new development environment!

What's Installed

Cross-Platform (via Homebrew)

• CLI Tools: fzf, fd, ripgrep, eza, zoxide, neovim, tmux, cmake, gcc, etc.
• Shell: zsh with oh-my-posh, zsh-autosuggestions, zsh-syntax-highlighting
• Development: git, stow, ruby, python tools

macOS Only

• Editors: Zed, VSCode, Cursor
• Terminal: Ghostty
• Window Manager: Aerospace
• Utilities: Raycast, Onyx, HiddenBar, AppCleaner
• Fonts: JetBrains Mono Nerd Font
• Media: VLC

Linux Only

• Editors: VSCode
• Media: VLC
• GNOME Extensions: Tactile, Just Perfection, Blur My Shell, etc.
• Fonts: JetBrains Mono Nerd Font (downloaded)

Customization

Adding New Dotfiles

Dotfiles are managed using GNU Stow, which creates symbolic links. To add a new dotfile:

1. Create the file in the appropriate directory (e.g., zsh/.zshrc for shell config)
2. The installation script will automatically create symlinks

Adding Software

CLI Tools (Cross-platform)

Add to homebrew/Brewfile:

brew "package-name"

GUI Applications

• macOS: Add to homebrew/Brewfile with cask "app-name"
• Linux: Add to scripts-linux/software-install.sh in the apt install section

VSCode Extensions

Extensions are managed in the platform-specific vscode.sh scripts. Add new extensions there.

Project Structure

be-a-dev/
├── install.sh                 # Main cross-platform installer
├── scripts-macos/            # macOS-specific scripts
│   ├── brew-install.sh       # Homebrew package installation
│   ├── vscode.sh             # VSCode setup
│   ├── osx-defaults.sh      # macOS system preferences
│   └── utils.sh              # Shared utilities
├── scripts-linux/            # Linux-specific scripts
│   ├── software-install.sh   # Native software installation
│   ├── vscode.sh             # VSCode setup
│   ├── gnome-setup.sh       # GNOME configuration
│   └── utils.sh              # Shared utilities
├── homebrew/                 # Cross-platform package definitions
│   └── Brewfile              # Homebrew packages (CLI + macOS casks)
├── vscode-macos/             # VSCode settings for macOS
├── vscode-linux/             # VSCode settings for Linux
└── [other config dirs]       # Individual tool configurations

Troubleshooting

• Permission issues: Make sure scripts are executable (chmod +x install.sh)
• Homebrew issues: On macOS, ensure Xcode Command Line Tools are installed
• VSCode extensions: Run the vscode.sh script manually if extensions fail to install
• Symlinks: Existing files are backed up automatically

Inspiration

https://github.com/hendrikmi/dotfiles/tree/main