dotf-go

README

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dotf-go - dotfiles handler written in go

dotf provides basic file operations to manage dotfiles locally using a single git repository. It also includes an (optional) tray process to handle timely synchronization to a remote.

Typically one would use a single git repository and a bunch of symlinks to facilitate this, and that is essentially what this tool conveniently assists with.

The project consists of the following:

• dotf-cli is a command-line tool to manage dotfiles and their relationship between the repository and where the file is placed in userspace (typically ${HOME}) using symlinks.
• dotf-tray is a systray-based application that facilitates interval-based synchronization of the dotfiles folder with the remote.

This is the basic mental model:

graph TB
A(config file)
B(dotfiles)
C(repo)

    subgraph " "
        subgraph "userspace"
        A -- symlink--> B
        end

        subgraph "remote"
            B -. synced .- C
        end

    end

The directory structure in dotfiles is a replica of that found in userspace.

Usage

CLI commands

add        <file/dir>                           Move file/dir from userspace to dotfiles.
install    <file/dir>                           Install file/dir from dotfiles into userspace.
migrate    <dotfiles-dir>  <userspace-dir>      Migrate symlinks on changed dotfiles location.
revert     <file/dir>                           Revert file to original location in userspace.
sync       -                                    Sync with remote using merge strategy.
setup      -                                    Create a sensible default configuration.

Flags

dotf --help                     Show general help
dotf --config <path>            Use <path> to dotf config file
dotf <command> --help           Get help for specific <command>
dotf install --external <path>  Install dotfile using a different folder as relative root

Examples

Add folder recursively to dotfiles

$ pwd
$ ~/.config/
$ dotf add i3

Revert folder recursively to original location

$ pwd
$ ~/.config/
$ dotf revert i3

// or

$ pwd
$ ~/.dotfiles/.config/
$ dotf revert i3

Start the tray application

dotf-tray

Dependencies

Arch: pacman -Ss go git gcc libayatana-appindicator

Ubuntu: apt-get install go git gcc libgtk-3-dev libayatana-appindicator3-dev

Installation

It is necessary that your local Go env is setup properly. Neither of the binaries are dependend on each other so one can be used without the other. To install dotf-tray all dependencies are required, otherwise you can skip the appindicator/gtk3 part.

make install-cli builds and installs only dotf-cli.

make install-tray builds and installs only dotf-tray.

make install builds and installs both binaries.

Setup

• Prepare a dotfiles folder as a git repostiory e.g. $HOME/dotfiles/ and make sure it syncs with the remote using SSH.
• Create a dotf configuration file either by following the below description or by using dotf setup.

Dotf configuration

Configuration is done using a file: ${HOME}/.config/dotf/config.

An example of how you might setup it up:

userspacedir        = ~/
dotfilesdir         = ~/dotfiles
syncdir             = ~/dotfiles
autosync            = false
syncinterval        = 1200