# dotfiles Dotfiles are Unix-like system files and folders beginning with a dot that configure applications and shells. This is one page of public article previews, not the complete archive. Follow Next page to continue. Summaries are not the original full articles. ## Moving on from Nix DevFeed: [Moving on from Nix]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Carlos Alexandro Becker Published: 2025-06-17T00:00:00Z Content type: opinion Language: en Sources: [Carlos Becker]() Topics: [Nix](), [dotfiles](), [configuration](), [Homebrew]() Tags: [configuration](), [homebrew](), [nix](), [packages](), [plugins]() ### AI overview A developer explains why, after using Nix in dotfiles for more than two years, they are moving away from it. They cite Nix's broad control over files and tools, outdated packages, instability, and slow application of configuration changes, while continuing to use Homebrew for some desktop applications. ### Source excerpt After using nix in my dotfiles for over 2 years, I'm now moving away from it. Here's why. ## Using AI to aid color scheme migrations DevFeed: [Using AI to aid color scheme migrations]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Carlos Alexandro Becker Published: 2024-10-31T00:00:00Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [Carlos Becker]() Topics: [Artificial Intelligence](), [color](), [scheme](), [Claude](), [dotfiles](), [Terminal](), [Command-line interface]() Tags: [ai](), [claude](), [code](), [color](), [command-line](), [fzf](), [scheme](), [terminal]() ### AI overview A short practical post about using AI, especially Claude, to migrate color themes across dotfiles and developer tools. It demonstrates adapting a Catppuccin fzf theme to Gruvbox and suggests refactoring existing theme files with editor or command-line AI tools. ### Source excerpt Recently I found a good use case for AI when migrating my dotfiles to another theme. This is a short post about it. ## Terminal and Bash - Tips & Tricks DevFeed: [Terminal and Bash - Tips & Tricks]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Chris Hager Published: 2024-01-04T00:00:00Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [Chris Hager]() Topics: [Terminal](), [Shell](), [Bash](), [Scripting, bash](), [macOS](), [dotfiles]() Tags: [aliases](), [bash](), [iterm2](), [macos](), [setup](), [shell](), [terminal](), [tips](), [tricks]() ### AI overview A collection of practical notes and tips for setting up and using iTerm2 and Bash on macOS. It covers terminal navigation, profiles, panes and tabs, Bash as the default shell, dotfiles, shell history, fuzzy search, aliases, and helper functions. ### Source excerpt A collection of notes, tips and tricks about how I setup and use my terminal (iTerm2) and shell (Bash). Perhaps you find some of it useful or interesting for your own setup. ## Stop perfecting your config DevFeed: [Stop perfecting your config]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Published: 2023-07-21T00:00:00Z Content type: opinion Language: en Sources: [Arkadiusz Chmura]() Topics: [configuration](), [dotfiles](), [Terminal](), [Programming]() Tags: [config](), [configuration](), [programming](), [repository](), [terminal]() ### AI overview This opinion piece argues that endlessly fine-tuning configurations for editors, IDEs, terminals, and other applications can become procrastination. It encourages developers to recognize when configuration becomes obsessive and accept "good enough" so they can focus on more meaningful work. ### Source excerpt It's never going to be perfect anyway. Learn to accept the "good enough" and move on to more meaningful things. ## Managing dotfiles with GitHub DevFeed: [Managing dotfiles with GitHub]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Published: 2022-11-30T00:00:00Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [Arkadiusz Chmura]() Topics: [dotfiles](), [GitHub](), [configuration](), [Git](), [Shell](), [Terminal](), [Zsh](), [Vim]() Tags: [adb](), [completion](), [configuration](), [git](), [github](), [laravel](), [macos](), [oh-my-zsh](), [plugin](), [repository](), [shell](), [terminal]() ### AI overview A practical guide to managing dotfiles and initialization scripts in a GitHub repository. It explains how to bootstrap a new machine, configure the terminal with Z shell and oh-my-zsh, link Vim and shell configuration files, and keep sensitive variables outside a public repository. ### Source excerpt This post will describe how I store and manage my dotfiles in a repository on GitHub. ## My tmux workflow DevFeed: [My tmux workflow]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Carlos Alexandro Becker Published: 2022-06-06T00:00:00Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [Carlos Becker]() Topics: [Shell](), [hooks](), [Terminal](), [POSIX](), [ssh](), [dotfiles](), [Command-line interface]() Tags: [hooks](), [posix](), [shell](), [ssh](), [terminal]() ### AI overview A developer describes a tmux workflow for local and SSH-based remote work, including a project session selector that sorts projects by usage. The article then explains using a shell trap to avoid losing an SSH connection when exiting the last pane of a session. ### Source excerpt I wanted to share a quick thing that made my life easier on tmux lately, but before we dig into that, I feel like I need to explain how I usually work. ## Joining Charm to work on command-line tools DevFeed: [Joining Charm to work on command-line tools]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Carlos Alexandro Becker Published: 2021-12-28T00:00:00Z Content type: opinion Language: en Sources: [Carlos Becker]() Topics: [Command-line interface](), [dotfiles](), [Script](), [Tool]() Tags: [cli](), [command-line](), [scripts](), [tools](), [work]() ### AI overview The author announces that they are joining Charm to work on command-line tools, drawing on their experience with dotfiles, scripts, automations, and other tools. ### Source excerpt $ glow charm.md ## Why I migrated to the Fish Shell DevFeed: [Why I migrated to the Fish Shell]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Carlos Alexandro Becker Published: 2020-12-07T00:00:00Z Content type: opinion Language: en Sources: [Carlos Becker]() Topics: [friendly interactive shell](), [Shell](), [Zsh](), [Bash](), [dotfiles](), [Command-line interface](), [Environment Variables](), [lazy loading](), [Scripting]() Tags: [aliases](), [bash](), [environment-variables](), [lazy-loading](), [plugins](), [porting](), [prompt](), [scripting](), [shell](), [zsh]() ### AI overview The author explains migrating dotfiles from Zsh to Fish, emphasizing Fish's startup performance, universal variables, lazy loading, and built-in features such as syntax highlighting, autosuggestions, and man-page completions. The article also notes differences from POSIX shells and describes the author's plugin setup. ### Source excerpt Back in June, I started porting my dotfiles from ZSH to Fish. Here's why. ## Gestion des dotfiles et des secrets avec chezmoi DevFeed: [Gestion des dotfiles et des secrets avec chezmoi]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: brice.dutheil@gmail.com (Brice Dutheil) Published: 2020-04-01T00:00:00Z Content type: tutorial Language: fr Sources: [The Coffee Workshop]() Topics: [chezmoi](), [dotfiles](), [configuration](), [Git]() Tags: [configuration](), [git](), [repo](), [secrets]() ### AI overview This French tutorial explains how to manage dotfiles and secrets with chezmoi when configuring a new machine. It covers initializing the chezmoi repository, adding files, synchronizing the repository with a remote Git repository, reviewing differences, and applying changes between source and target files. ### Source excerpt Régulièrement il nous arrive d'avoir à re-configurer une nouvelle machine, avec notamment la re-configuration des fichiers du $HOME. Il y a plusieurs approches et outils, faire une simple archive, utiliser git pour le répertoire $HOME, utiliser des outils comme GNU stow, etc. ## Managing dotfiles and secret with chezmoi DevFeed: [Managing dotfiles and secret with chezmoi]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: brice.dutheil@gmail.com (Brice Dutheil) Published: 2020-04-01T00:00:00Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [The Coffee Workshop]() Topics: [chezmoi](), [dotfiles](), [Git](), [passwords](), [Command-line interface]() Tags: [cli](), [commands](), [files](), [git](), [machine](), [password](), [secrets](), [work]() ### AI overview A tutorial on using chezmoi to manage dotfiles across machines, synchronize them through Git, compare and apply changes, and handle secret-containing files with templating and 1Password. ### Source excerpt Every once in a while, you may need to bootstrap a new machine, and along with it to reconfigure home directory's dot files. Various approaches already exist, using simple archive, git the home directory, gnu stow (symlinks), etc. ## Speeding up my ZSH load time DevFeed: [Speeding up my ZSH load time]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Carlos Alexandro Becker Published: 2016-04-10T00:00:00Z Content type: opinion Language: en Sources: [Carlos Becker]() Topics: [Zsh](), [Terminal](), [dotfiles](), [execution](), [prompt]() Tags: [osx](), [pull-requests](), [terminal](), [zsh]() ### AI overview The author describes optimizing Zsh startup time after migrating dotfiles. By profiling shell loading, lazy-loading components, removing redundant checks and code, and adjusting file-checking logic, the reported startup time improved from almost 10 seconds initially to about 2 seconds with antibody, and later from about 0.7 seconds to about 0.4 seconds. The author keeps completion and the existing prompt enabled despite identifying them as further optimization options. ### Source excerpt This is the story on how I sped up my terminal load time. ## Maintaining a 500-Day GitHub Contribution Streak for Documentation and Habit Building DevFeed: [Maintaining a 500-Day GitHub Contribution Streak for Documentation and Habit Building]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Wojtek Gawroński (afronski) Published: 2016-02-17T22:30:00Z Content type: opinion Language: en Sources: [Wojtek Gawroński]() Topics: [Git](), [dotfiles](), [Open Source]() Tags: [c-sharp](), [canvas](), [clojure](), [css](), [css3](), [erlang](), [git](), [github](), [html](), [html5](), [javascript](), [mono](), [net](), [node-js](), [open-source](), [projects](), [sicp](), [vagrant](), [webgl]() ### AI overview The author describes maintaining a 500-day GitHub contribution streak and explains that the practice supported personal documentation, disciplined commit history, workload planning, community activities, and open-source contributions. The article also notes that contribution histories can be artificially altered using separate repositories and rewritten dates, and that streak quantity does not measure programming quality. ### Source excerpt 500 shades of Green No, it is not fake. I did it - I have managed to have real streak which last 500 days in a row and document it on Github. But, you can do it in a different way - there are couple of projects which allows you to create arbitrary history of your contributions (it uses a separate repository for that and well - it cheats using ability of git to bend the time). One is here. :wink: No, it does not mean anything. I am not a better programmer than anyone else, definitely quantity does not involve quality (I will describe this in details below). No, it does not mean that I did not have proper holidays or that I have spent all my free time on that. Why did you do that? Mainly because of two reasons: documentation and creating habits. Many of the repositories like afronski/playground-notes, afronski/dotfiles or afronski/papers_i_love are pure and private documentation of my notes, publicly visible settings and observations with commit history. It also helped me when it comes to developing new habits: Taking care about commit history, proper commit messages, linear and nice history. Working with facilities like rebase, squash or fix-ups helped me a lot in daily job. Besides that some commits have attached story with explanation why I applied that change. It is sometimes priceless, because I can drop my mental overhead related to fear of forgetting something important. And when I hit the same wall again I can tackle it with certainty and exact solution. Example here. Also having a daily habit of delivering something valuable is crucial. It helps a lot when it comes to daily work, when it comes to planning the workload, actual steps to be done. It also helps regarding planning my weeks and during a lot of other related activities - like meet-up organization, building community around them or preparing real contributions to open source projects. Another point is related with developing other habits. It is easier to develop a new habit on top of existing foundat ## Find non-ASCII chars DevFeed: [Find non-ASCII chars]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Carlos Alexandro Becker Published: 2015-02-17T00:00:00Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [Carlos Becker]() Topics: [ASCII](), [dotfiles](), [file](), [Command-line interface]() Tags: [ascii](), [command-line](), [file](), [function](), [project](), [pull-request]() ### AI overview A quick tip for finding non-ASCII characters in files, particularly dotfiles, using a command-line function. Such characters can cause shellcheck and other tools to break, and identifying them makes cleanup faster. ### Source excerpt FYI: This is a really quick tip. ## Developing on Linux DevFeed: [Developing on Linux]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Zoli Kahan Published: 2014-09-13T05:00:00Z Content type: opinion Language: en Sources: [Zolmeister]() Topics: [Linux](), [configuration](), [Development](), [dotfiles](), [Shell](), [Atom](), [Hardware](), [keyboard](), [Bash](), [Nvidia](), [GPU]() Tags: [4k](), [configuration](), [editor](), [git](), [gpu](), [hardware](), [keyboard](), [keyboard-shortcuts](), [linux](), [nvidia](), [oh-my-zsh](), [zsh]() ### AI overview A personal account of a Linux development setup covering the i3 tiling window manager, ZSH with oh-my-zsh and Powerline, Atom as an open-source editor, and desktop hardware requirements. ### Source excerpt Developing on Linux dotfiles i3 - Tiling Window Manager A tiling window manager is a type of window manager that arranges your windows as tiles, usually in such a way that makes managing them more efficient via keyboard shortcuts. i3 is my window manager of choice, after having used xmonad for a long time, i3 provides more flexibility and ease of configuration. Here is a great sceencast which will help you understand the power of tiling window managers. ## Dotfiles Are Meant to Be Forked DevFeed: [Dotfiles Are Meant to Be Forked]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Carlos Alexandro Becker Published: 2012-11-23T00:00:00Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [Carlos Becker]() Topics: [dotfiles](), [Zsh](), [Shell](), [configuration](), [Scripting](), [Bash]() Tags: [automation](), [bash](), [configuration](), [scripting](), [shell](), [zsh]() ### AI overview The author describes reorganizing personal Bash and Zsh dotfiles after finding an overly large, machine-specific configuration difficult to share. The resulting dotfiles are adapted from existing projects, intended to work on Linux and macOS, and include straightforward installation and contribution guidance. ### Source excerpt My desktop ## Versioning dotfiles in git DevFeed: [Versioning dotfiles in git]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Nelson Elhage Published: 2010-02-14T20:03:15Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [Nelson Elhage]() Topics: [dotfiles](), [Git]() Tags: [git](), [sync](), [versioning](), [workflows](), [writeup]() ### AI overview A writeup of a workflow for versioning and synchronizing dotfiles between machines with Git. It describes per-machine branches, a shared master branch, symlinked checkouts, and synchronization in a separate working copy. ### Source excerpt I've been looking for a good solution for versioning and synchronizing my dotfiles between machines for some time. I experimented with keeping all of ~ in subversion for a while, but it never worked out well for me. I've finally settled on a solution that I like using git, and so this is a writeup of my workflows for working with my dotfiles in git, in the hopes that someone else might find it useful.