Dotfiles - Development Environment

Dotfiles

A curated development environment - This repository contains configuration files for various development tools, shells, editors, and productivity applications, managed using GNU Stow for clean organization.

Overview

The dotfiles repository serves as a:

Development Environment backup and synchronization
Productivity Tool configuration collection
Learning Platform for tool customization
Template System for setting up new machines

Management Strategy

GNU Stow Approach

The repository uses GNU Stow for symlink management:

Clean Organization: Files organized by application/tool
Selective Installation: Install only what you need
Conflict Prevention: Easy to see what will be overwritten
Version Control: Full git history of configuration changes

Installation

# Clone repository
git clone https://codeberg.org/RyanParsley/dotfiles.git ~/.dotfiles
cd ~/.dotfiles

# Install all configurations
stow .

# Or install selectively
stow nvim        # Neovim configuration only
stow nushell     # Nushell configuration only
stow tmux        # Tmux configuration only

Core Components

Shell Environments

Nushell

Modern shell with structured data and powerful scripting

Zsh

Extended Bourne shell with plugins and customization

Bash

Standard shell with enhanced configuration

Development Tools

Neovim

Modal text editor with extensive plugin ecosystem

tmux

Terminal multiplexer for session management

Git

Version control with custom aliases and configuration

Ghostty

Modern terminal emulator configuration

Productivity Applications

Yazi

Terminal file manager with vim-like navigation

Amethyst

Tiling window manager for macOS

Command-line note-taking application

Configuration Highlights

Nushell Configuration

# Modern shell with structured data support
# Custom prompt, aliases, and environment variables
# Plugin system for extended functionality

Neovim Setup

-- Modal editing with extensive plugin ecosystem
-- LSP integration for multiple languages
-- Custom keybindings and workflow optimizations
-- AI assistance integration (Avante plugin)

tmux Configuration

# Terminal multiplexing with custom layouts
# Session management and persistence
# Integration with system clipboard
# Custom status bar and keybindings

Tool Ecosystem

Language Version Management

# .tool-versions (mise/asdf compatible)
nodejs 20.10.0
python 3.11.6
rust 1.74.0

Development Workflow

mise: Polyglot runtime manager
fzf: Fuzzy finder for command-line tools
ripgrep: Fast text search tool
fd: Modern find replacement
bat: Enhanced cat with syntax highlighting

Platform Considerations

macOS Specific

# Homebrew path differences (Intel vs Apple Silicon)
# Application Support directory symlinks
# System integration considerations

Cross-Platform Compatibility

Shell Scripts: POSIX compliant where possible
Configuration Files: Platform-agnostic defaults
Conditional Logic: Platform detection in scripts

Key Configurations

Git Configuration

[user]
    name = Ryan Parsley
    email = ryan@example.com

[alias]
    co = checkout
    ci = commit
    st = status
    br = branch
    lg = log --oneline --graph --decorate

[core]
    editor = nvim
    excludesfile = ~/.gitignore_global

Nushell Environment

# Custom PATH and environment variables
# Shell aliases and functions
# Plugin configurations
# Custom prompt and themes

Neovim Key Features

Plugin Management: Lazy loading system
LSP Integration: Language server protocol support
AI Assistance: Avante plugin for LLM integration
Custom Mappings: Optimized keybindings
Theme Configuration: Consistent color schemes

Installation Guide

Prerequisites

# Install GNU Stow
brew install stow  # macOS
apt install stow   # Ubuntu/Debian

# Install required tools
brew install nushell neovim tmux git fzf yazi

Step-by-Step Setup

Clone Repository

git clone https://codeberg.org/RyanParsley/dotfiles.git ~/.dotfiles
cd ~/.dotfiles

Backup Existing Files

# Backup any existing configurations
mkdir ~/dotfiles_backup
cp ~/.bashrc ~/dotfiles_backup/
cp ~/.zshrc ~/dotfiles_backup/
# ... backup other files as needed

Install Configurations

# Install all configurations
stow .

# Or install selectively
stow nushell nvim tmux git

Platform-Specific Setup

# macOS: Create Nushell symlink
ln -s ~/.dotfiles/.config/nushell/* "$HOME/Library/Application Support/nushell/"

# Install fzf integration
/opt/homebrew/opt/fzf/install

Customization Philosophy

Modular Design

Application-Specific: Each tool has its own directory
Independent Installation: Mix and match configurations
Easy Maintenance: Update individual tools without affecting others

Learning Approach

Progressive Enhancement: Start simple, add complexity as needed
Documentation First: Well-commented configurations
Version Control: Track configuration evolution

Best Practices

Idempotent Operations: Scripts can be run multiple times safely
Error Handling: Graceful degradation when tools aren’t available
Performance: Lazy loading and efficient plugin management

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Stow Conflicts

# Check what would be overwritten
stow --no --verbose nvim

# Remove conflicting files
rm ~/.config/nvim/init.lua
stow nvim

Platform Differences

# Check platform-specific files
ls -la ~/.dotfiles/*/platform/

# Install platform-specific configurations
stow macos/    # For macOS
stow linux/    # For Linux

Permission Issues

# Fix permission problems
chmod +x ~/.dotfiles/.bin/*
chown -R $USER ~/.dotfiles

Contributing

Adding New Configurations

Create Tool Directory

mkdir ~/.dotfiles/newtool
cd ~/.dotfiles/newtool

Add Configuration Files

# Copy from home directory or create new
cp ~/.config/newtool/config ~/.dotfiles/newtool/.config

Test Installation

stow --no newtool  # Dry run
stow newtool       # Install

Best Practices for Contributors

Document Changes: Update README with new tools
Platform Testing: Test on multiple platforms when possible
Version Pinning: Specify tool versions where relevant
Security Review: Check for sensitive data in configurations

Future Enhancements

Planned Improvements

Automated Setup: Installation scripts for new machines
Configuration Testing: Automated validation of configurations
Backup Integration: Automatic backup of existing configurations
Profile Management: Multiple configuration profiles
Documentation Generation: Auto-generated setup guides

Tool Integration

Additional Editors: VS Code, Emacs configurations
Cloud Services: Integration with development platforms
Container Support: Docker and development containers
Remote Development: SSH and remote machine configurations

View on Codeberg | Installation Guide