Dotfiles and nerdy stuff

I need to replace my work Mac within a few weeks. ¹ My work laptop is synced with my personal one for everything that involves iCloud. I have pretty much the same apps, and I use Homebrew for everything I can. So, with the switch coming up, I’ve been thinking about rebuilding my dotfiles for macOS.

The idea is to clone all the main configuration files (git, neovim, claude, micro, binary scripts, ghostty, aliases, zsh, ssh, …) and keep them synchronized in a GitHub repository. In addition, I’ve included all the applications (both command-line and GUI-based) installed or updated via Homebrew in a script, so I can install or update them quickly.

I used dotfiles years ago, back when I only had Linux devices. Then I got a bit too comfortable, and when I switched to the magical world of Apple, I lost that very sane habit. With my increased use of the terminal – both because of and thanks to LLMs – I figured rebuilding my collection of common configurations would be a good idea. And it certainly was.

While improving my setup, I discovered stow, a command-line utility that allows me to classify, organize, and update the symlinks for configurations to be replicated more quickly and efficiently. It’s extremely useful for updating the symbolic links to all files (using a loop, I update all configurations in the same installation script mentioned above).

In short, if you use the terminal, it’s a process I highly recommend. It’ll be a lifesaver if you unexpectedly switch devices or use multiple devices at the same time.

I really missed all this nerdiness.