8 ms·

I use: git init --bare $HOME/.myconf alias config='/usr/bin/git --git-dir=$HOME/.myconf/ --work-tree=$HOME' config config status.showUntrackedFiles

I use: git init --bare $HOME/.myconf alias config='/usr/bin/git --git-dir=$HOME/.myconf/ --work-tree=$HOME' config config status.showUntrackedFiles no where my ~/.myconf directory is a git bare repository. Then any file within the home folder can be versioned with normal commands like: config status config add .vimrc config commit -m "Add vimrc" config add .config/redshift.conf config commit -m "Add redshift config" config push And so one… No extra tooling, no symlinks, files are tracked on a version control system, you can use different branches for different computers, you can replicate you configuration easily on new installation.

durdn 11y ago
Honestly this is genius! I hadn't thought of doing it like that, thank you! I had resorted to the usual .cfg folder and a helper script to link/update everything.
- shabda 11y ago
  Could you explain how this works? Won't this be putting the .bashrc in $HOME/.myconf/.bashrc, which won't get picked up by bash? (And similar for other dotfiles)
  - nindalf 11y ago
    You could add a symlink in your $HOME folder
  - unwind 11y ago
    No, since the config alias runs git with the option "--work-tree=$HOME", which tells it that the working directory is your home directory root, i.e. where config files (used to) live. Anyway it's the proper root for config files, since if you use a .config directory (as seems to be the modern choice) that needs to live in your home directory of course.
seliopou 11y ago
To complete the description of the workflow (for others), you can replicate your home directory on a new machine using the following command: git clone --separate-git-dir=~/.myconf /path/to/repo ~ This is the best solution I've seen so far, and I may adopt it next time I get the itch to reconfigure my environment.
- telotortium 11y ago
  For posterity, note that this will fail if your home directory isn't empty. To get around that, clone the repo's working directory into a temporary directory first and then delete that directory, git clone --separate-git-dir=$HOME/.myconf /path/to/repo $HOME/myconf-tmp cp ~/myconf-tmp/.gitmodules ~ # If you use Git submodules rm -r ~/myconf-tmp/ alias config='/usr/bin/git --git-dir=$HOME/.myconf/ --work-tree=$HOME' and then proceed as before.
  - durdn 11y ago
    I found out exactly the same problem :)
aprdm 11y ago
Can you write a blog post on your workflow? I would love to learn more on how you to use it :P
- durdn 11y ago
  I'm trying to reproduce it and documenting it as I go... ok I got it working now and I have notes. Stay tuned.
  - StreakyCobra 11y ago
    It's probably better if you do it then :-) I would probably skip some important parts trying to explain because I'm too much used to it already.
    - durdn 11y ago
      Working on it! I'll give you full credit for it and link to this thread for reference. Also let me know if you have a Twitter account you'd like me to reference.
      - StreakyCobra 11y ago
        Nice thanks. I don't have twitter. Also don't present me as the inventor of this technique because I'm not. I've read this long time ago on some dark corners of the internet :-) I'm just pointing it out.
        durdn 11y ago
        Alright I'll be careful in my wording ;).
    - Siilwyn 11y ago
      Finally got mine working, it does need some figuring out especially the replication part. I documented the needed commands here: https://github.com/Siilwyn/my-dotfiles/tree/master/.my-dotfiles https://github.com/Siilwyn/my-dotfiles/tree/master/.my-dotfi...
abricot 11y ago
I'm confused - you can add files that are in a parent directory?
- StreakyCobra 11y ago
  It's because we specify to git that the working tree is the home folder. For it the versionning doesn't happen in ".myconf", but directly in the home folder
qznc 11y ago
"branches for different computers" sounds tedious if most changes are for every computer.
- StreakyCobra 11y ago
  I have a "master" branch, and some "computer" branches. When changes are required for all computer, I do it in "master", and then update each branch by doing a "git merge master".
wooptoo 11y ago
Why is this a bare repo as opposed to a normal one?
- StreakyCobra 11y ago
  Because the working tree is already your home folder, you don't need to also have a copy of these files in ".myconf/".
  - idle_zealot 11y ago
    So why use .myconf/ at all? What is it doing?
    - telotortium 11y ago
      It contains the files that would normally be in .git (run `git help gitrepository-layout` for more details on the contents).
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
kavehmz 11y ago
You mean, you are also adding pushing your .ssh dir to a remote repo?
- durdn 11y ago
  Not at all. You can 'git add' (or in the case of the technique above 'config add') only the files and folders that are safely stored in a repository. Because of the 'ShowUntrackedFiles' flag, git/config won't always show folders you don't want to track, which would be annoying.
  - kavehmz 11y ago
    Perfect then,
durdn 11y ago
As promised I wrote a post about your setup. Thanks a lot for bringing the technique to my attention: https://developer.atlassian.com/blog/2016/02/best-way-to-store-dotfiles-git-bare-repo/ https://developer.atlassian.com/blog/2016/02/best-way-to-sto...
- StreakyCobra 11y ago
  Really nice, well explained. I'll know where to point people to when I need to present this techique. Thanks!

durdn 11y ago

Honestly this is genius! I hadn't thought of doing it like that, thank you! I had resorted to the usual .cfg folder and a helper script to link/update everything.

shabda 11y ago
Could you explain how this works? Won't this be putting the .bashrc in $HOME/.myconf/.bashrc, which won't get picked up by bash? (And similar for other dotfiles)
- nindalf 11y ago
  You could add a symlink in your $HOME folder
- unwind 11y ago
  No, since the config alias runs git with the option "--work-tree=$HOME", which tells it that the working directory is your home directory root, i.e. where config files (used to) live. Anyway it's the proper root for config files, since if you use a .config directory (as seems to be the modern choice) that needs to live in your home directory of course.

seliopou 11y ago

To complete the description of the workflow (for others), you can replicate your home directory on a new machine using the following command: git clone --separate-git-dir=~/.myconf /path/to/repo ~ This is the best solution I've seen so far, and I may adopt it next time I get the itch to reconfigure my environment.

telotortium 11y ago
For posterity, note that this will fail if your home directory isn't empty. To get around that, clone the repo's working directory into a temporary directory first and then delete that directory, git clone --separate-git-dir=$HOME/.myconf /path/to/repo $HOME/myconf-tmp cp ~/myconf-tmp/.gitmodules ~ # If you use Git submodules rm -r ~/myconf-tmp/ alias config='/usr/bin/git --git-dir=$HOME/.myconf/ --work-tree=$HOME' and then proceed as before.
- durdn 11y ago
  I found out exactly the same problem :)

aprdm 11y ago

Can you write a blog post on your workflow? I would love to learn more on how you to use it :P

durdn 11y ago
I'm trying to reproduce it and documenting it as I go... ok I got it working now and I have notes. Stay tuned.
- StreakyCobra 11y ago
  It's probably better if you do it then :-) I would probably skip some important parts trying to explain because I'm too much used to it already.
  - durdn 11y ago
    Working on it! I'll give you full credit for it and link to this thread for reference. Also let me know if you have a Twitter account you'd like me to reference.
    - StreakyCobra 11y ago
      Nice thanks. I don't have twitter. Also don't present me as the inventor of this technique because I'm not. I've read this long time ago on some dark corners of the internet :-) I'm just pointing it out.
      - durdn 11y ago
        Alright I'll be careful in my wording ;).
  - Siilwyn 11y ago
    Finally got mine working, it does need some figuring out especially the replication part. I documented the needed commands here: https://github.com/Siilwyn/my-dotfiles/tree/master/.my-dotfiles https://github.com/Siilwyn/my-dotfiles/tree/master/.my-dotfi...

abricot 11y ago

I'm confused - you can add files that are in a parent directory?

StreakyCobra 11y ago
It's because we specify to git that the working tree is the home folder. For it the versionning doesn't happen in ".myconf", but directly in the home folder

qznc 11y ago

"branches for different computers" sounds tedious if most changes are for every computer.

StreakyCobra 11y ago
I have a "master" branch, and some "computer" branches. When changes are required for all computer, I do it in "master", and then update each branch by doing a "git merge master".

wooptoo 11y ago

Why is this a bare repo as opposed to a normal one?

StreakyCobra 11y ago
Because the working tree is already your home folder, you don't need to also have a copy of these files in ".myconf/".
- idle_zealot 11y ago
  So why use .myconf/ at all? What is it doing?
  - telotortium 11y ago
    It contains the files that would normally be in .git (run `git help gitrepository-layout` for more details on the contents).
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]

kavehmz 11y ago

You mean, you are also adding pushing your .ssh dir to a remote repo?

durdn 11y ago
Not at all. You can 'git add' (or in the case of the technique above 'config add') only the files and folders that are safely stored in a repository. Because of the 'ShowUntrackedFiles' flag, git/config won't always show folders you don't want to track, which would be annoying.
- kavehmz 11y ago
  Perfect then,

durdn 11y ago

As promised I wrote a post about your setup. Thanks a lot for bringing the technique to my attention: https://developer.atlassian.com/blog/2016/02/best-way-to-store-dotfiles-git-bare-repo/ https://developer.atlassian.com/blog/2016/02/best-way-to-sto...

StreakyCobra 11y ago
Really nice, well explained. I'll know where to point people to when I need to present this techique. Thanks!