5 ms·

All you need is a symlink script that symlinks files in ~ to ~/path/to/your/dotfiles https://github.com/pprotas/dotfiles/blob/main/symlink.sh https://github.co

All you need is a symlink script that symlinks files in ~ to ~/path/to/your/dotfiles https://github.com/pprotas/dotfiles/blob/main/symlink.sh https://github.com/pprotas/dotfiles/blob/main/symlink.sh That's it.

PurpleRamen 2y ago
This will not handle cases other targets than $HOME. The automatic deletion seems also very risky. In my own script, I move all pre-existing targets to a separate directory, so I can check later.
- pprotas 2y ago
  You can set the source and target directories to whatever you'd like, this is just what I need for my own use. The automatic deletion is for directories, to prevent recursive symlinks. Of course, you can program your own however you wish, maybe add a confirmation step before removing and/or create a backup beforehand.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
jmondi 2y ago
Using the GNU stow utility makes this super easy. It even has a --dotfiles flag so you can author your dotfiles as dot-zshrc and when the utility symlinks it, it will be .zshrc. Makes it nice so your source files are not hidden but the actual dotfiles are (as expected).
- pprotas 2y ago
  Although GNU stow is very interesting, I like this simple script because it has no external dependencies. Stow is not available on macos by default, for example.
  - kdtsh 2y ago
    It is available though in every package manager for macOS except the App Store, and any user of a script like this on macOS is probably also using Homebrew, macports, Nix, or srcpkg.
    - rcarmo 2y ago
      I got mine from brew. Like 90% of my userland, really.
biftek 2y ago
I use stow, which has some nice advantages vs managing symlinks yourself https://brandon.invergo.net/news/2012-05-26-using-gnu-stow-to-manage-your-dotfiles.html https://brandon.invergo.net/news/2012-05-26-using-gnu-stow-t...
amarshall 2y ago
Sure, maybe. Though eventually one may find lots of edge cases. What about files in the root that get deleted? What about programs that put wanted state within config dirs? What about programs that ignore symlinked files? What about when you’re hacking on your dotfiles and break everything because the active config is the config being edited? What about when you need to vary based on system? What about… I mean, yea, if it works for you, great! But all of the above are problems I did have. I grew a custom install script for years. Now I use Home Manager and the impermanence module.
- tedmiston 2y ago
  Similar experience here, like: What about when your editor is set to auto save when unfocusing a tab or window and saves while you were mid-edit on your dotfiles and now every new shell is crashing? etc etc
- pprotas 2y ago
  My approach to coding is to tackle these types of problems once they occur, instead of thinking "What about...", "What if...". I don't have these problems you're describing, so the script works great.
fock 2y ago
I made it Python, added a simple json-config and mustache-templating. Very portable (where symlinks are), very flexible (also used it for termux for a bit) and very simple.
vbezhenar 2y ago
Yeah, same: https://github.com/vbezhenar/dotfiles/blob/main/ln-all https://github.com/vbezhenar/dotfiles/blob/main/ln-all No need for those complex software, just shell script is enough for me.
tedmiston 2y ago
I'm sorry, but running `rm -rf ...` in a script against $HOME is a bit too reckless for me. Maybe you haven't lost data from this yet, but this is where Chezmoi has nice guardrails and protects against, e.g., modifications or additions accidentally being made to $HOME instead of the dotfiles dir, which look like they would be silently blown out by your current process. Just my 2¢ from someone who used to do it this way and lost data because of it.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- pprotas 2y ago
  What do you think is the risk here? I don’t see a code path to remove my home dir in the script EDIT: Unless I have a dir called "*" in my dotfiles, but at that point I deserve to have my home dir removed :P ZSH also asks for confirmation first
matheusmoreira 2y ago
I think I'm the only person insane enough to use a makefile for this. https://github.com/matheusmoreira/.files/blob/master/GNUmakefile https://github.com/matheusmoreira/.files/blob/master/GNUmake... https://www.matheusmoreira.com/articles/managing-dotfiles-with-make https://www.matheusmoreira.com/articles/managing-dotfiles-wi... It even supports the XDG stuff as well as variables like GNUPGHOME.
- rcarmo 2y ago
  Nope. There are at least two of us out there.

PurpleRamen 2y ago

This will not handle cases other targets than $HOME. The automatic deletion seems also very risky. In my own script, I move all pre-existing targets to a separate directory, so I can check later.

pprotas 2y ago
You can set the source and target directories to whatever you'd like, this is just what I need for my own use. The automatic deletion is for directories, to prevent recursive symlinks. Of course, you can program your own however you wish, maybe add a confirmation step before removing and/or create a backup beforehand.
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]

jmondi 2y ago

Using the GNU stow utility makes this super easy. It even has a --dotfiles flag so you can author your dotfiles as dot-zshrc and when the utility symlinks it, it will be .zshrc. Makes it nice so your source files are not hidden but the actual dotfiles are (as expected).

pprotas 2y ago
Although GNU stow is very interesting, I like this simple script because it has no external dependencies. Stow is not available on macos by default, for example.
- kdtsh 2y ago
  It is available though in every package manager for macOS except the App Store, and any user of a script like this on macOS is probably also using Homebrew, macports, Nix, or srcpkg.
  - rcarmo 2y ago
    I got mine from brew. Like 90% of my userland, really.

biftek 2y ago

I use stow, which has some nice advantages vs managing symlinks yourself https://brandon.invergo.net/news/2012-05-26-using-gnu-stow-to-manage-your-dotfiles.html https://brandon.invergo.net/news/2012-05-26-using-gnu-stow-t...

amarshall 2y ago

Sure, maybe. Though eventually one may find lots of edge cases. What about files in the root that get deleted? What about programs that put wanted state within config dirs? What about programs that ignore symlinked files? What about when you’re hacking on your dotfiles and break everything because the active config is the config being edited? What about when you need to vary based on system? What about… I mean, yea, if it works for you, great! But all of the above are problems I did have. I grew a custom install script for years. Now I use Home Manager and the impermanence module.

tedmiston 2y ago
Similar experience here, like: What about when your editor is set to auto save when unfocusing a tab or window and saves while you were mid-edit on your dotfiles and now every new shell is crashing? etc etc
pprotas 2y ago
My approach to coding is to tackle these types of problems once they occur, instead of thinking "What about...", "What if...". I don't have these problems you're describing, so the script works great.

fock 2y ago

I made it Python, added a simple json-config and mustache-templating. Very portable (where symlinks are), very flexible (also used it for termux for a bit) and very simple.

vbezhenar 2y ago

Yeah, same: https://github.com/vbezhenar/dotfiles/blob/main/ln-all https://github.com/vbezhenar/dotfiles/blob/main/ln-all No need for those complex software, just shell script is enough for me.

tedmiston 2y ago

I'm sorry, but running `rm -rf ...` in a script against $HOME is a bit too reckless for me. Maybe you haven't lost data from this yet, but this is where Chezmoi has nice guardrails and protects against, e.g., modifications or additions accidentally being made to $HOME instead of the dotfiles dir, which look like they would be silently blown out by your current process. Just my 2¢ from someone who used to do it this way and lost data because of it.

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
pprotas 2y ago
What do you think is the risk here? I don’t see a code path to remove my home dir in the script EDIT: Unless I have a dir called "*" in my dotfiles, but at that point I deserve to have my home dir removed :P ZSH also asks for confirmation first

matheusmoreira 2y ago

I think I'm the only person insane enough to use a makefile for this. https://github.com/matheusmoreira/.files/blob/master/GNUmakefile https://github.com/matheusmoreira/.files/blob/master/GNUmake... https://www.matheusmoreira.com/articles/managing-dotfiles-with-make https://www.matheusmoreira.com/articles/managing-dotfiles-wi... It even supports the XDG stuff as well as variables like GNUPGHOME.

rcarmo 2y ago
Nope. There are at least two of us out there.