As a follow-up to this discussion, I’m curious to learn exactly which dotfiles (user-specific application config) folks actually customize, and more importantly, rely on, as part of their daily dev machine setup.
For example, if you bought a new computer tomorrow, what would you immediately notice feels inefficient? Subsequently, what would be the first config files you would create in order to enable your “flow“?
Is it primarily just setting aliases and env vars for your shell (via a .bashrc/.zshrc/etc. file)? Maybe your editor and Git settings (e.g. .vimrc, .gitconfig)? Something else?
Top comments (10)
Without looking at my dotfiles, the first thing id miss is my gpg/ssh config since I use my Yubikey for all SSH and git interactions. This combined with my git config should at least let me pull code and get going.
Then I'd probably want my vim config. I wouldn't be able to code for too long in totally plain vim I don't think, I like vim for it's plugins and configuration and without those I'd feel lost.
Finally my bash profile, cause I do love all my dotfiles aliases!
That would get me productive, throw in my bash_prompt and I'll feel right at home
As I went I'd probably find different tools I didn't have installed, and then I'd want to reach for my
Brewfilewhich contains all the tools I usually installOff the top of my head that's what I think I'd miss most, in the order I'd want them. But I'm probably missing something that when I check out my dotfiles I wouldn't want to be without 😆
My dotfiles for reference: github.com/coreyja/dotfiles
Although I'm on Windows I have a bunch of dot files in my home directory that are used by GitBash.
I have a handful of git aliases that I can't not type anymore, so I would at least need those.
I have a bash function
vsthat opens all Visual Studio sln files in a directory with Visual Studio. I love that thing so much 🥰.cd into my repo directory and then type vs -> enter ... Bam, my solution(s) is open in front of me.
Definitely my
.zshrcfile. I couldn't survive without all my aliases. Close second would be my.vimrc. Followed by.tmux.confThanks! Do you use Vim are your primary editor? And that’s why you’d rely on its config being present?
At the moment I do. I used Sublime and then VSCode before. Both with Vim key bindings.
I had trouble getting Vim configured to my liking so I always went back to a graphical editor. But kept the keybindings because they make me feel super-human 😄
This time switched to neovim and decided to build up my config as I ran into pain points. I love being able to fully customize every aspect of the editor despite having to use vimscript yo do it.
First thing is getting my
.vimrcset up so I can feel comfortable editing my other dot files. Check it out here:How I Vim
Vincent Blom ・ May 24 ・ 3 min read
Then it is probably onto my
.zshrcand getting my git aliases set up..gitginore is the obvious one. .bashrc for aliases and PATHs I use all the time (Laravel and Composer stuff, mainly), along with loading keychain for loading SSH keys. .nanorc for when I need to make a quick edit and don't want to open Sublime.
Hello,
I use github.com/alichtman/shallow-backup to create backup (based on a python script) of all my custom configs in a git repository (dotfiles, brew packages etc.). My dotfiles are essentially
.zshrcor.gitconfigand.shallow-backupgit, vim, & shell aliases
github.com/valbaca/dotfiles
For other tools I use (IDEs, iTerm) I don't save those configurations
.zshrc/.bashrc/.nprc and .vimrc