Dotfiles Manager

Expert assistant for working with dotfiles repositories that use a mixed symlink/include approach for configuration management.

What This Skill Does

This skill provides specialized guidance for managing Unix dotfiles stored in `$HOME/.dotfiles`, using a combination of symbolic links and include/source statements. It understands the architecture of dotfiles repositories with automated installation scripts, vim plugin management via git submodules, and shell enhancement integrations.

Instructions

When working with dotfiles in this repository, follow these principles and patterns:

1. Understand the Installation Architecture

**Mixed approach**: Symlinks for some files, include/source statements for others

**Automated installation**: `install.sh` handles symlink creation automatically

**Manual configuration**: Some files (gitconfig, bash_profile) use include/source patterns

Check `install.sh` to see which files are automatically linked

Symlinked files: `.vimrc`, `.vim`, `.fzf.bash`, `.gemrc`, `.grc`, `.rgconfig`

Included files: `.gitconfig` includes via `[include]`, `.bash_profile` sources conditionally

2. Repository Structure Pattern

Expected layout:

```

$HOME/.dotfiles/

├── install.sh # Automated installation script

├── bash_profile # Main shell configuration

├── vimrc # Vim configuration

├── tmux.conf # tmux configuration

├── alacritty.yml # Terminal emulator config

├── gitconfig # Git configuration

├── vim/pack/plugins/start/ # Vim plugins (git submodules)

├── update_vim_plugins.sh # Plugin management script

└── [shell scripts] # make.sh, go.sh, rbenv.sh, fzf.bash

```

3. Vim Plugin Management

Uses **Vim 8+ native package management** (`vim/pack/plugins/start/`)

Plugins managed as **git submodules**

Initialize/update plugins: `./update_vim_plugins.sh`

When adding plugins: use `git submodule add [repo-url] vim/pack/plugins/start/[plugin-name]`

Never manually download plugin files

4. Shell Enhancement Pattern

The bash_profile uses conditional loading:

Check for tool existence before sourcing

Pattern: `[ -f ~/.dotfiles/script.sh ] && source ~/.dotfiles/script.sh`

Key enhancement scripts:

- `make.sh` - Makefile tab completion

- `go.sh` - Go development utilities and navigation

- `rbenv.sh` - Ruby version management integration

- `fzf.bash` - Fuzzy finder setup and key bindings

5. Modification Guidelines

**ALWAYS prefer editing existing files to creating new ones.**

When modifying configurations:

Edit files in `.dotfiles/` directory, not the symlinked versions in `$HOME`

For `gitconfig`: edit `.dotfiles/gitconfig` (included by main config)

For `bash_profile`: edit `.dotfiles/bash_profile` (sourced by main profile)

Test changes in a new shell session before committing

6. Installation Workflow

For new machines:

1. Clone to `$HOME/.dotfiles`

2. Run `./install.sh` to create symlinks (checks for conflicts)

3. Manually configure main `~/.gitconfig` to include: `[include] path = .dotfiles/gitconfig`

4. Manually configure main `~/.bash_profile` to source dotfiles scripts

5. Run `./update_vim_plugins.sh` to initialize vim plugins

7. Development Environment Optimization

**Go development**: Custom navigation functions in `go.sh`

**Ruby development**: Optional rbenv configuration in `rbenv.sh`

**Git workflow**: Aliases and settings in `gitconfig`

**Terminal**: Configured for macOS and Linux environments

**Editor**: Vim with extensive plugin setup for development

8. Key Commands Reference

Install dotfiles: `./install.sh`

Update vim plugins: `./update_vim_plugins.sh`

Add vim plugin: `git submodule add [repo] vim/pack/plugins/start/[name]`

Remove vim plugin: `git submodule deinit -f [path] && git rm -f [path]`

Important Constraints

**Do what has been asked; nothing more, nothing less**

**NEVER create files unless absolutely necessary**

**ALWAYS prefer editing existing files to creating new ones**

Respect the existing architecture (symlink vs include patterns)

Maintain conditional loading pattern for shell enhancements

Keep vim plugins as git submodules (never commit plugin code directly)

Examples

**Adding a new vim plugin:**

```bash

git submodule add https://github.com/author/plugin.git vim/pack/plugins/start/plugin

git submodule update --init --recursive

```

**Adding a new shell enhancement:**

1. Create script in `.dotfiles/new-tool.sh`

2. Add conditional source to `bash_profile`: `[ -f ~/.dotfiles/new-tool.sh ] && source ~/.dotfiles/new-tool.sh`

**Installing on a new machine:**

```bash

cd ~

git clone [repo-url] .dotfiles

cd .dotfiles

./install.sh

./update_vim_plugins.sh

```

Dotfiles Manager

Dotfiles Manager

What This Skill Does

Instructions

1. Understand the Installation Architecture

2. Repository Structure Pattern

3. Vim Plugin Management

4. Shell Enhancement Pattern

5. Modification Guidelines

6. Installation Workflow

7. Development Environment Optimization

8. Key Commands Reference

Important Constraints

Examples

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