Configuration Overview

dottie uses a single YAML configuration file (dottie.yaml) to define your dotfiles and software installation.

Configuration File

By default, dottie looks for dottie.yaml in the current directory. You can specify a different path with the --config flag.

profiles:
  default:
    dotfiles:
      - source: dotfiles/.bashrc
        target: ~/.bashrc
    install:
      apt:
        - git
        - curl

Structure

A configuration file contains one or more profiles. Each profile defines:

• dotfiles - Symlink mappings from your repository to target locations
• install - Software packages to install from various sources

profiles:
  <profile-name>:
    extends: <parent-profile>  # Optional
    dotfiles:
      - source: <path>
        target: <path>
    install:
      apt: [...]
      github: [...]
      scripts: [...]
      fonts: [...]
      snaps: [...]
      aptRepos: [...]

Profiles

Profiles let you organize configurations for different contexts:

profiles:
  default:
    # Base configuration for all machines
    
  work:
    extends: default
    # Work-specific additions
    
  server:
    # Minimal server setup

See Profiles for details on profile inheritance.

Dotfiles

Dotfile entries define symbolic links:

dotfiles:
  - source: dotfiles/.bashrc
    target: ~/.bashrc

See Dotfiles for field reference and best practices.

Install Blocks

Install blocks define software to install:

install:
  apt:
    - git
    - curl
  github:
    - repo: BurntSushi/ripgrep
      asset: ripgrep-{arch}.tar.gz
      binary: rg

See Install Blocks for all available install types.

Validation

Always validate your configuration before applying:

> dottie validate default

This catches common errors like:

• Invalid YAML syntax
• Missing required fields
• Non-existent source files
• Circular profile inheritance

Best Practices

1. Start simple - Begin with a minimal configuration and expand
2. Use profiles - Separate configurations by context (work, home, server)
3. Validate often - Run validate after every change
4. Preview first - Use --dry-run before applying
5. Version control - Keep your dottie.yaml in git