https://github.com/cearley/dotfiles
My personal dotfiles and configuration for various tools and applications.
https://github.com/cearley/dotfiles
brewfile chezmoi dotfiles-macos homebrew powerlevel10k
Last synced: 3 days ago
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My personal dotfiles and configuration for various tools and applications.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/cearley/dotfiles
- Owner: cearley
- License: mit
- Created: 2025-08-28T15:37:07.000Z (about 1 month ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2025-09-30T14:34:11.000Z (8 days ago)
- Last Synced: 2025-09-30T16:26:58.667Z (8 days ago)
- Topics: brewfile, chezmoi, dotfiles-macos, homebrew, powerlevel10k
- Language: Shell
- Homepage:
- Size: 204 KB
- Stars: 0
- Watchers: 0
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE
- Agents: AGENTS.md
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
# Dotfiles
[](https://github.com/cearley/dotfiles/actions)
[](https://www.apple.com/macos/)
[](https://www.chezmoi.io/)
[](https://brew.sh/)
[](https://github.com/cearley/dotfiles/commits)
My personal dotfiles and macOS development environment setup, managed with [chezmoi](https://chezmoi.io).
## Table of Contents
- [Why You Might Find This Useful](#why-you-might-find-this-useful)
- [Quick Start](#quick-start)
- [Daily operations](#daily-operations)
- [Before Forking or Using](#before-forking-or-using)
## Why You Might Find This Useful
This repository uses several chezmoi patterns that you might find helpful:
- **Secure secret management** using KeePassXC integration (no hardcoded credentials)
- **Multi-machine support** with conditional configurations for different Macs using reusable templates
- **Automated dependency installation** with proper error handling and logging
- **Tag-based execution** to customize setups for different use cases (work, personal, AI/ML)
- **Comprehensive validation** - Validates SSH keys, GitHub access, Homebrew installation, etc.
- **System-wide configuration management** - Shows how to manage `/etc/hosts` and other system files outside the home directory using chezmoi scripts
- **Reusable template components** - Centralized machine detection and configuration logic in `home/.chezmoitemplates/`
## Quick Start
Bootstrap a new macOS machine with a single command:
```sh
sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cearley/dotfiles/main/remote_install.sh)"
```
You can also pass arguments to chezmoi by appending them:
```sh
sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cearley/dotfiles/main/remote_install.sh)" -- init --apply $GITHUB_USERNAME --keep-going --verbose
```
This automatically installs all dependencies (Git, Homebrew, chezmoi, KeePassXC, etc.) and applies your dotfiles.
**Requirements:**
- A KeePassXC database file is needed for password management
**Optional:**
- Machine-specific brewfiles for additional package management (will be symlinked to `$HOME/.brewfiles/current` if present)
## Daily operations
### Edit your dotfiles
Edit a dotfile with:
```sh
chezmoi edit $FILENAME
```
This will edit `$FILENAME`'s source file in your source directory. chezmoi will
not make any changes to the actual dotfile until you run `chezmoi apply`.
To automatically run `chezmoi apply` when you quit your editor, run:
```sh
chezmoi edit --apply $FILENAME
```
To automatically run `chezmoi apply` whenever you save the file in your editor, run:
```sh
chezmoi edit --watch $FILENAME
```
You don't have to use `chezmoi edit` to edit your dotfiles. For more
information, see [Do I have to use `chezmoi edit` to edit my
dotfiles?](frequently-asked-questions/usage.md#how-do-i-edit-my-dotfiles-with-chezmoi)
```mermaid
sequenceDiagram
participant H as home directory
participant W as working copy
participant L as local repo
participant R as remote repo
W->>W: chezmoi edit
W->>H: chezmoi apply
W->>H: chezmoi edit --apply
W->>H: chezmoi edit --watch
```
### Pull the latest changes from your repo and apply them
You can pull the changes from your repo and apply them in a single command:
```sh
chezmoi update
```
This runs `git pull --autostash --rebase` in your source directory and then
`chezmoi apply`.
```mermaid
sequenceDiagram
participant H as home directory
participant W as working copy
participant L as local repo
participant R as remote repo
R->>H: chezmoi update
```
### Pull the latest changes from your repo and see what would change, without actually applying the changes
Run:
```sh
chezmoi git pull -- --autostash --rebase && chezmoi diff
```
This runs `git pull --autostash --rebase` in your source directory and `chezmoi
diff` then shows the difference between the target state computed from your
source directory and the actual state.
If you're happy with the changes, then you can run
```sh
chezmoi apply
```
to apply them.
```mermaid
sequenceDiagram
participant H as home directory
participant W as working copy
participant L as local repo
participant R as remote repo
R->>W: chezmoi git pull
W-->>H: chezmoi diff
W->>H: chezmoi apply
```
### Automatically commit and push changes to your repo
chezmoi can automatically commit and push changes to your source directory to
your repo. This feature is disabled by default. To enable it, add the following
to your config file:
```toml title="~/.config/chezmoi/chezmoi.toml"
[git]
autoCommit = true
autoPush = true
```
Whenever a change is made to your source directory, chezmoi will commit the
changes with an automatically-generated commit message (if `autoCommit` is true)
and push them to your repo (if `autoPush` is true). `autoPush` implies
`autoCommit`, i.e. if `autoPush` is true then chezmoi will auto-commit your
changes. If you only set `autoCommit` to true then changes will be committed but
not pushed.
By default, `autoCommit` will generate a commit message based on the files
changed. You can override this by setting the `git.commitMessageTemplate`
configuration variable. For example, to have chezmoi prompt you for a commit
message each time, use:
```toml title="~/.config/chezmoi/chezmoi.toml"
[git]
autoCommit = true
commitMessageTemplate = "{{ promptString \"Commit message\" }}"
```
If your commit message is longer than fits in a string then you can set
`git.commitMessageTemplateFile` to specify a path to the commit message template
relative to the source directory, for example:
```toml title="~/.config/chezmoi/chezmoi.toml"
[git]
autoCommit = true
commitMessageTemplateFile = ".commit_message.tmpl"
```
Be careful when using `autoPush`. If your dotfiles repo is public and you
accidentally add a secret in plain text, that secret will be pushed to your
public repo.
```mermaid
sequenceDiagram
participant H as home directory
participant W as working copy
participant L as local repo
participant R as remote repo
W->>L: autoCommit
W->>R: autoPush
```
## Before Forking or Using
### What You Need to Consider
This is my personal dotfiles repository, reflecting my specific preferences, workflows, and development needs. What works for me may not align with your setup:
- **Development focus** - Configured for cloud development (AWS, Azure), AI/ML work, and macOS-specific tools
- **Security preferences** - Uses KeePassXC for all credential management, which requires initial setup
- **Workflow assumptions** - Assumes use of specific tools like ChronoSync for backups, Syncthing for file sync
- **Package choices** - Includes my preferred development stack which may be overkill or missing tools you need
- **System modifications** - Makes opinionated changes to macOS defaults and system configurations
Consider this repository as a reference implementation and starting point rather than something to use directly.
### What You'll Need to Customize
If you decide to fork or use this repository, you'll need to customize several key areas:
- **KeePassXC database** - Set up your own password manager with the entries this config expects
- **Package lists** - Review `home/.chezmoidata/packages.yaml` for essential packages and machine-specific brewfiles for additional packages
- **Personal services** - Remove ChronoSync, Syncthing, or other personal workflow tools
- **SSH/Git configuration** - Update for your own accounts and preferences
- **Network configurations** - Remove personal hosts file management
### Initial Setup Variables
When you first run chezmoi, you'll be prompted for:
- **Full name** - Used in Git configuration and system setup
- **GitHub username** - For Git configuration and script environment
- **GitHub emails** - Separate emails for default and work repositories
- **KeePassXC database path** - Location of your password database file
- **Microsoft email** (optional) - Enables subscription-based Microsoft app installations
- **Machine tags** - Choose from: ai, dev, personal, work, etc.
Tags control which scripts run and which tools get installed. For example, "dev" installs NVM, conda, rust, and others, while "ai" installs additional ML tools.