Dotfiles

Introduction

• Dotfiles: Configuration files for your applications (e.g., .bashrc, .vimrc). Managing them in a repository allows for easy backups and synchronization across systems.

• GNU Stow: A symlink manager that simplifies managing multiple dotfiles by organizing them into separate directories and creating symlinks in your home directory.

Prerequisites

Ensure that you have the following tools installed on your Linux machine:

• GNU Stow: Symlink manager.

Installing Git and Stow

Open your terminal and execute the following commands based on your Linux distribution.

For Debian/Ubuntu-based systems:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install stow

Setting Up Your Dotfiles Repository

1. Create a New Repository: Create a new repository on GitHub or GitLab to store your dotfiles.

2. Clone the Repository: Clone the repository to your local machine using the following command:

   cd ~
   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/dotfiles.git
   cd dotfiles

   • Replace yourusername with your GitHub username.

Organizing Your Dotfiles with GNU Stow

a. Directory Structure

Create a directory structure for your dotfiles repository as follows:

dotfiles/
├── bash/
├── vim/
├── zsh/
└── ...

b. Create Package Directories

Create directories for each package (e.g., bash, vim) inside your dotfiles repository:

mkdir bash vim

c. Move Existing Dotfiles into the Repository

Move your existing dotfiles into the corresponding package directories. For example, move .bashrc to the bash directory:

mv ~/.bashrc ~/dotfiles/bash/

d. Initialize Git Repository

Initialize a Git repository in your dotfiles directory and commit the changes:

git init
git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit"

Using GNU Stow to Manage Symlinks

a. Symlinking the Dotfiles

To symlink the dotfiles from the bash package, navigate to the dotfiles directory and run the following command:

cd ~/dotfiles
stow bash

This will create symlinks for the files in the bash directory in your home directory.

b. Verify Symlinks

To verify that the symlinks have been created successfully, use the following command:

ls -la ~

You should see the symlinks pointing to the files in the bash directory.

Version Control

a. Making Changes

Whenever you want to make changes to your dotfiles, edit the files in the corresponding package directories (e.g., bash, vim).

b. Committing Changes

After making changes, commit the changes to your Git repository:

git add .
git commit -m "Updated .bashrc"

c. Pushing Changes

Push the changes to your remote repository:

git push

Cloning and Setting Up on a New Machine

To clone and set up your dotfiles on a new machine, follow these steps:

1. Clone the Repository: Clone your dotfiles repository to the new machine:

   cd ~
   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/dotfiles.git
   cd dotfiles

2. Symlink the Dotfiles: Use GNU Stow to symlink the dotfiles on the new machine:

   stow bash

Zsh, Oh My Zsh, and Powerlevel10k

Installing Zsh

1. Install Zsh: Install Zsh using the package manager of your Linux distribution.

   For Debian/Ubuntu-based systems:

   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install zsh

2. Set Zsh as the Default Shell: Change your default shell to Zsh by running the following command:

   chsh -s $(which zsh)

3. Log Out and Log Back In: Log out of your session and log back in to apply the changes.

Installing Oh My Zsh

1. Install Oh My Zsh: Install Oh My Zsh by running the following command:

   sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.github.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/master/tools/install.sh)"

2. Customize Oh My Zsh: Edit the ~/.zshrc file to customize your Oh My Zsh configuration.

Installing Powerlevel10k Theme

1. Install Powerlevel10k: Install the Powerlevel10k theme.

   git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/romkatv/powerlevel10k.git ${ZSH_CUSTOM:-$HOME/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/themes/powerlevel10k

2. Set ZSH_THEME: Set the ZSH_THEME variable in your ~/.zshrc file to powerlevel10k/powerlevel10k.

3. Configure Powerlevel10k

   Run p10k configure to customize your Powerlevel10k theme.

Vim Configuration

• Clone the Ultimate vimrc repository

  git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/amix/vimrc.git ~/.vim_runtime

• Install the Ultimate vimrc

  sh ~/.vim_runtime/install_awesome_vimrc.sh