ZEnv

ZEnv is a coding environment manager for programmers. It allows you to create a custom shell environment that's stored in git, thereby keeping everyone in sync and allowing access to shared dev tools, aliases, and more.

Features

Developer setup

Developers must install your custom environment before working. When this happens, you can run code that might install software dependencies, set up git configuration, or create any directories needed for working. Never slog through a complicated onboarding process again!

Sharing dev tools

ZEnv allows the creation and sharing of any number of tools for making work easier. Need to make sure everyone has access to a linter or test runner? Just add it to the bin folder and check in.

Shell customization

In addition to dev tools, you can add any amount of code that will run on your developers' machines whenever they start a terminal. This allows you to share build aliases, environment variables, and much more.

Multiple projects

Sometimes you'll need to work with multiple checkouts of different projects, each with their own set of requirements. ZEnv supports creating sub-environments, allowing you to change the set of available dev tools and environment variables depending on what developers need to work on at the time.

Quick Start

1. Fork ZEnv and clone it onto your computer.
2. Optionally, write a script that will install your environment in setupscripts/global.setup.sh (or create a fully custom developer setup)
3. Optionally, add your personal dev tools to the bin folder.
4. Optionally, add .sh files that will run on terminal start to the environment folder.
5. Run python install.py to install the environment you've created.

After this, you're good to go! If you commit your changes, others will be able to run python install.py as well to set up their computers.

Check out the wiki for more information on how everything works.

Examples

Installing a technology stack

Any code that you add to setupscripts/global.setup.sh will run during initial setup, when somebody runs python install.py. You can use this to install your project's dependencies. For example, the following code makes sure that everybody has brew, node, and gulp:

# Download homebrew for Mac
/usr/bin/ruby -e "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install)"
# Install node using brew
sudo brew install node
# Install gulp for building
npm install --global gulp-cli

When somebody new joins the project, instead of running the painful and error-prone process above, all they have to do is:

git clone https://github.com/<your-fork>/zenv.git
cd zenv
python install.py

And as a bonus, they'll pick up all of your dev tools and environment variables as well!

Sharing dev tools

Let's say you've decided to write a tool that parses production logs called parse_logs. It's very useful for you, and you want others to use it as well. Sharing it with your team is as simple as adding it to the bin folder and pushing:

cd "$ZENV_ROOT"  # This puts you in the ZEnv checkout
mv ~/bin/parse_logs bin/
git commit -am 'Adding parse_logs tool'
git push

After you've done this, your coworkers can use your new tool easily:

update_zenv  # Pick up changes from git
parse_logs

Adding tab completion for git commands

Everybody loves tab completion, and Shawn O. Pearce has written an excellent bash script that will do it for git commands. You can add that script to your company's computers by saving it in the environment folder with a .sh extension. After restarting your terminal, all git commands will automatically tab complete!

After trying it out, push your changes and have your coworkers run update_zenv on their machines. They'll immediately benefit from your work.