dotfiles

My personal dotfiles collection, designed for consistency across macOS and Debian-based Linux systems using Bash or Zsh.

---

✨ Features

• 🧼 Clean Structure: Configuration logically separated into general/, git/, and nano/ directories.

• ✅ Shell Compatibility: Works seamlessly with both Bash and Zsh.

• 🚀 Intelligent Installer (install.sh):

  • Symlinks configurations into your $HOME directory (default).
  • Automatically backs up existing conflicting files (.bak.<timestamp>).
  • Supports copy mode (--copy) instead of symlinking.
  • Offers minimal setup (--minimal) for core files only.
  • Provides dry-run (--dry-run) to preview changes.
  • Includes force mode (--force) to skip prompts.
  • Optional backup cleanup (--clean-backups).

• 🛠️ Optional Tool Installation: Can install useful tools via package managers (Homebrew on macOS, apt on Linux):

  • fzf (Fuzzy finder)
  • eza (Modern ls replacement)
  • zoxide (Smarter cd)
  • bat (Syntax-highlighting cat)
  • oh-my-posh (Customizable prompt)
  • exiv2 (Needed for ren_pics function)
  • fastfetch (System info display - preferred)
  • nano (Ensures a consistent editor is available)

• 🪄 Enhanced Shell Experience:

  • Sensible command history settings with cross-session sharing.
  • oh-my-posh integration for an informative prompt.
  • Helpful aliases and functions for common tasks.

• ⚙️ Git Enhancements: Useful Git aliases, functions (like fzf branch switching), and recommended global settings (pull.rebase, rebase.autostash, core.editor, core.excludesfile).

• 🔒 Private Aliases: Supports loading personal, untracked aliases from ~/.private_aliases.

---

📁 Directory Structure

.
├── general/       # Shared shell config (aliases, functions, history, prompt)
├── git/           # Git-specific aliases, functions, and global ignore
├── nano/          # Nano text editor configuration
├── install.sh     # Recommended installation script
├── old_setup.sh   # DEPRECATED: Legacy copy-with-backup installer
└── README.md      # This file

---

🚀 Setup Instructions

1. Clone the repository (Recommended location: ~/.dotfiles):

   git clone https://github.com/alsd4git/dotfiles ~/.dotfiles

2. Navigate into the directory:

   cd ~/.dotfiles

3. Make the installer executable:

   chmod +x install.sh

4. Run the installer:

   ./install.sh

   • The script will guide you through the process, asking for confirmation before installing optional tools unless run with -f or -a.

Installer Options:

• ./install.sh --help or -h: Show help message.
• ./install.sh --dry-run or -dr: Show what would be done without making changes.
• ./install.sh --copy or -c: Copy files instead of creating symlinks (backs up existing files).
• ./install.sh --force or -f: Skip all prompts, assumes yes to optional installs and backup cleaning.
• ./install.sh --minimal or -m: Install only core dotfiles, skip optional tools and Git config.
• ./install.sh --all or -a: Automatically install all optional tools without prompting.
• ./install.sh --clean-backups or -cb: Offer to remove old .bak.* files created by this script in $HOME.

---

🧠 What install.sh Does

• Detects OS and Shell: Determines if you're on macOS or Linux, and using Bash or Zsh.
• Creates Symlinks (Default): For each configuration file (e.g., general/.aliases), it creates a symlink in your home directory (e.g., ~/.shell_aliases) pointing back to the file in the ~/.dotfiles repository.
  • If a file or symlink already exists at the destination, it's backed up as ~/<filename>.bak.<timestamp>.
• Updates RC Files: Adds lines to your ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc (creating them if they don't exist) to source the new alias, function, history, and prompt files. It checks if lines already exist to avoid duplicates.
• Configures Global Git Ignore:
  • Symlinks git/global.gitignore to $HOME/.global.gitignore.
  • Runs git config --global core.excludesfile "$HOME/.global.gitignore" to tell Git to use this file.
• Sets Git Defaults: Configures recommended global Git settings: pull.rebase = true, rebase.autostash = true, core.editor = nano.
• Installs Optional Tools (if confirmed or --all/--force): Uses brew (macOS) or apt (Linux) to install tools listed in the Features section.
• Checks for Dependencies: Verifies if essential commands used by aliases/functions (like docker, swift, git, nano) are present and warns if not.
• Configures Startup Commands (Optional): Asks if you want nice_print_aliases and fastfetch (or screenfetch as a fallback if fastfetch isn't found) to run when a new shell starts.

---

💬 Notes

• Legacy Installer: The old_setup.sh script uses a simple copy-and-backup method. It's kept for historical purposes but install.sh is the recommended method.
• Zsh Default: If you use Zsh, ensure it's set as your default login shell: chsh -s $(which zsh)
• Private Aliases: You can create a ~/.private_aliases file to store personal aliases you don't want to commit to Git. The main alias file (general/.aliases) will automatically source it if it exists.
• Backups: Old configuration files backed up by the script will have names like ~/.bashrc.bak.1678886400. You can manually remove them (rm ~/*.bak.*) or use the ./install.sh --clean-backups option.
• System Info: The script configures fastfetch to run on startup if available. If fastfetch is not found, it falls back to trying screenfetch. Note that the installer only attempts to install fastfetch, not screenfetch.