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https://github.com/john-kurkowski/dotfiles

My Zsh & Vim configuration
https://github.com/john-kurkowski/dotfiles

dotfiles

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My Zsh & Vim configuration

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README 

        
# dotfiles



This is my dotfiles repo. There are many like it, but this one is mine.



It is laid out exactly how it goes in the `$HOME` dir.



## Install



```zsh

git clone --bare https://github.com/john-kurkowski/dotfiles.git $HOME/.dotfiles

alias dotfiles='GIT_DIR=$HOME/.dotfiles/ GIT_WORK_TREE=$HOME git'

dotfiles config --local core.worktree $HOME

dotfiles config --local status.showUntrackedFiles no

dotfiles config --local user.email [email protected]

dotfiles checkout



# If not a personal device

git config --global user.email [email protected]



# If zsh is not the default shell

chsh -s zsh

```



### Update



```zsh

dotfiles pull

```



### Usage



The dotfiles are now in your home folder, in the conventional location. Your

tools automatically pick them up.



### Contribute



To interact with version control, instead of using `git` directly, use the alias

`dotfiles-env git`, or `dotfiles` for short. For example, `dotfiles add -p`,

`dotfiles commit -v`.



Why the alias? While there are [a lot][github does dotfiles] of bespoke tools to

version control and ship your dotfiles to your `$HOME` dir, you probably already

use Git. With a bare Git repo and an alias, [Git can manage your dotfiles'

lifecycle for you][the best way to store your dotfiles]. Same interface as

`git`. No extra, bespoke tool. The repo layout stays in sync with how the files

are used.



### Advanced Usage



See [the docs folder](./.docs/).



## What's Inside



My development workhorses are the terminal and Vim. They make up the majority of

the custom code in this repo. Their entry points are `.zshrc` and `.vimrc`,

respectively.



These tools are what I'm productive with. Use whatever IDE makes you productive.

Keep investing in and sharpening your tools to shorten the feedback loop. The

quicker it is to try an idea or to cross reference it, the quicker it is to

improve upon or discard.[1](#1)



Hacking dotfile configs yourself carries the risk of making the configs

idiosyncratic, so they're high cost to the author and they don't benefit others.

It's a balance. When building a custom prompt, it can be full of inscrutable

symbols and directives. When you see this, **outsource to plugins**. Then the

majority of the custom code becomes listing plugins and configuring them. I

strive to show this in this repo. Plugins do the thing 90% as good as the best

dotfile hacker, with little code to maintain. Hitch your wagon to the community.

Functionality is an asset. Code is a liability.



The other files here configure miscellaneous tools, which come up for schleps

and experiments with little convention.[2](#2) They should be the

exception rather than the rule. Prune your unused dotfiles and plugins

regularly.



## Footnotes



1. While programming, keep in mind, programming doesn't have to

be _this_ way. It can be better. See [Inventing on Principle].



2. Their configuration should be explicit _in the projects that

use them_. This enforces consistency across collaborators. It reduces project

holy wars. Copy a dotfile like [`.editorconfig`][editorconfig] into the root of

your project, so all collaborators can agree on e.g. spaces vs. tabs, and

trailing whitespace. Or [`.eslintrc.js`][eslint] to enforce the best parts of

JavaScript, [`pylintrc`][pylint] for Python, etc. Use CI to enforce the

dotfiles.



[editorconfig]: https://editorconfig.org/

[eslint]: https://eslint.org/

[github does dotfiles]: https://dotfiles.github.io/

[inventing on principle]: https://vimeo.com/36579366

[pylint]: https://www.pylint.org/

[the best way to store your dotfiles]:

    https://developer.atlassian.com/blog/2016/02/best-way-to-store-dotfiles-git-bare-repo/