# dotstow

**Repository Path**: mirrors_codejamninja/dotstow

## Basic Information

- **Project Name**: dotstow
- **Description**: Mirror of https://gitlab.com/risserlabs/community/dotstow
- **Primary Language**: Unknown
- **License**: Apache-2.0
- **Default Branch**: main
- **Homepage**: None
- **GVP Project**: No

## Statistics

- **Stars**: 0
- **Forks**: 0
- **Created**: 2020-08-08
- **Last Updated**: 2026-03-21

## Categories & Tags

**Categories**: Uncategorized

**Tags**: None

## README

# dotstow

> manage dotfiles with git and stow

![](assets/dotstow.png)

`dotstow` is a tool to manage your dotfiles using Git and Stow.
It allows you to keep your dotfiles in a version control system
and easily sync them across multiple computers, even computers with
completely different operating systems.

![](assets/wizard.jpeg)

## Install

To install dotstow, run the following command:

```sh
$(curl --version >/dev/null 2>/dev/null && echo curl -L || echo wget -O-) https://gitlab.com/risserlabs/community/dotstow/-/raw/main/install.sh 2>/dev/null | sh
```

or

```sh
git clone https://github.com/clayrisser/dotstow
cd dotstow
make install
```

## Usage

### 1. Initialize dotstow

To start using dotstow, you need to initialize it with your Git repository. Run the following command:

```sh
dotstow init <REPO>
```

Replace <REPO> with the your git repository. This will create a dotfiles folder in your home
directory at `~/.local/state/dotstow/dotfiles` and clone your git repository into it.
This location was chosen to comply with the
[XDG Base Directory Specification](https://specifications.freedesktop.org/basedir-spec/basedir-spec-latest.html).
For convenience, the `~/.local/state/dotstow/dotfiles` location is also symlinked to `~/.dotfiles`.

> You can always find the location of your dotfiles by running the command `dotstow path`.

### 2. Stow a package

Once you have initialized dotstow, you can stow a package using the following command:

```sh
dotstow stow <PACKAGE>
```

Replace <PACKAGE> with the name of the package you want to stow. This will create symbolic links in
your home directory to the corresponding files in the package folder.

### 3. Sync dotfiles

To sync your dotfiles with the git repository, use the following command:

```sh
dotstow sync
```

This will pull any changes as well as commit and push any changes in your dotfiles
to the git repository.

> You can always check the git status of your dotfiles by running the command `dotstow status`.

## Organization

`dotstow` searches for packages in one of three folder: _global_, _\<PLATFORM>_, and _\<FLAVOR>_. These folders are
determined based on the operating system of your computer.

On Linux, the _\<PLATFORM>_ folder is called `linux` and the _\<FLAVOR>_ folder is the Linux distribution name,
for example `debian`, `suse`, `alpine` or `rhel`.

On macOS, dotstow sets _\<PLATFORM>_ to `darwin`. The _\<FLAVOR>_ folder is not supported on macOS.

The folders are searched in the following order:

- _\<FLAVOR>_
- _\<PLATFORM>_
- _global_

For example, if you're on a Linux machine with the _\<FLAVOR>_ set to `debian`, and you run the command `dotstow stow zsh`,
dotstow will look for the `zsh` package in the following folders, in order:

- `debian/zsh`
- `linux/zsh`
- `global/zsh`

If dotstow finds the `zsh` package in the `debian/zsh` folder, it will create symbolic links to the
files in that folder in your home directory.

## Example

You can use my dotfiles as an example, reference or even as a starting point for your dotfiles.

[gitlab.com/clayrisser/dotfiles](https://gitlab.com/clayrisser/dotfiles.git)

## Other Commands

`dotstow` provides several other commands to manage your dotfiles. Here is a list of some of them:

- `dotstow unstow <PACKAGE>`: Remove symbolic links to a package.
- `dotstow wizard`: Interactive command to add and remove packages.
- `dotstow available`: List available packages in your Git repository.
- `dotstow stowed`: List packages that have been stowed.
- `dotstow status`: Show the Git status of your dotfiles.
- `dotstow reset`: Reset your dotfiles to the last commit.
- `dotstow path`: Print the path of your dotfiles folder.

> Please note that `dotstow wizard` only works on debian based linux systems of its
> dependency on [debconf](https://salsa.debian.org/pkg-debconf/debconf).

```
dotstow - manage dotfiles with git and stow

dotstow [options] command <PACKAGE>

options:
    -h, --help            show brief help

commands:
    init <REPO>            initialize dotstow
    s, stow <PACKAGE>      stow a package
    u, unstow <PACKAGE>    unstow a package
    w, wizard              dotfiles wizard
    a, available           available packages
    stowed                 stowed packages
    sync                   sync dotfiles
    status                 dotfiles git status
    reset                  reset dotfiles
    path                   get dotfiles path
```

## Dependencies

- [Git](https://git-scm.com)
- [GNU Stow](https://www.gnu.org/software/stow)