Dotfiles

Personal macOS development environment configuration

A comprehensive dotfiles repository for setting up a fully-configured macOS development environment. Includes shell configurations, modern CLI tools, editor settings, and system customizations managed via Dotbot.

Features

• Shell Environment - Fish shell with Fisher plugin manager, Zsh fallback, and Starship prompt
• Modern CLI Tools - Rust-based replacements for traditional Unix utilities
• Development Tools - Git workflow enhancements, Docker, VS Code configuration
• Package Management - Homebrew with custom location, fnm, pyenv, pnpm
• macOS Customizations - Dock, Finder, and system preference tweaks

Tech Stack

Category	Tools
Shell	Fish, Zsh
Prompt	Starship
Editor	VS Code
Terminal	iTerm2
Package Manager	Homebrew
Bootstrap	Dotbot

What's Included

Shell Environment

• Fish - Primary shell with extensive aliases and functions
• Fisher - Fish plugin manager with 10+ plugins
• Zsh - Secondary shell configuration
• Starship - Cross-shell customizable prompt

Modern CLI Replacements

Tool	Replaces	Description
bat	cat	Syntax highlighting and git integration
eza	ls	Icons, colors, and git status
fd	find	Simpler syntax, faster search
ripgrep	grep	Fast regex search
dust	du	Intuitive disk usage
btop	top	Resource monitor with graphs
procs	ps	Modern process viewer
duf	df	Disk usage with colors
sd	sed	Intuitive find and replace
tealdeer	man	Simplified command examples

Development Tools

• Git - Delta pager (Dracula theme), extensive aliases, LFS support
• lazygit - Terminal UI for git
• Docker - Via Colima container runtime
• GitHub CLI - Repository and PR management
• VS Code - 25 extensions, custom settings and keybindings

Package & Version Management

• Homebrew - Installed at ~/Dev/homebrew (non-system location)
• fnm - Fast Node.js version manager
• pyenv - Python version manager
• pnpm - Fast npm alternative

Custom Functions

• proj - Fuzzy project switcher for ~/Workspaces and ~/Code
• ghpr - Interactive GitHub PR checkout with fzf
• gpp - Change directory and git pull
• mkd / take - Create directory and cd into it
• j - Zoxide smart directory jumping

GUI Applications

• iTerm2 - Terminal with MaterialOcean theme
• Alfred - Spotlight replacement
• Rectangle - Window management
• Tower - Git GUI client
• DBeaver - Database client

Installation

Prerequisites

• macOS
• Xcode Command Line Tools (xcode-select --install)
• Git

Setup

git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/robmcguinness/dotfiles ~/.dotfiles
~/.dotfiles/install

The install script will:

1. Create working directories (~/Code, ~/Workspaces, ~/Dev)
2. Symlink configuration files
3. Install Homebrew to ~/Dev/homebrew
4. Install packages via brew bundle
5. Configure Fish plugins via Fisher
6. Apply macOS system preferences
7. Install VS Code extensions

Directory Structure

dotfiles/
├── install              # Main installation script
├── install.conf.yaml    # Dotbot configuration
├── Brewfile             # Homebrew packages and casks
├── extensions.txt       # VS Code extensions list
├── bat/                 # Bat configuration
├── editorconfig/        # EditorConfig settings
├── fish/                # Fish shell config, aliases, functions
├── git/                 # Git config and ignore patterns
├── iterm/               # iTerm2 profile
├── scripts/             # Automation scripts (macOS setup)
├── starship/            # Starship prompt configuration
├── vscode/              # VS Code settings and keybindings
└── zsh/                 # Zsh configuration

Key Configurations

Custom Homebrew Location

Homebrew is installed to ~/Dev/homebrew instead of the default system location, providing:

• Portability across machines
• No sudo required for package management
• Isolation from system tools

Git Aliases

Common aliases configured in git/gitconfig:

• s - Short status
• d - Diff with delta
• p - Pull with submodule update
• pushup - Push current branch to origin
• lg - Pretty log with graph
• standup - Show yesterday's commits

Fish Plugins

Installed via Fisher:

• fzf.fish - Fuzzy finder integration
• forgit - Interactive git commands
• fish-you-should-use - Alias reminders
• puffer-fish - Text expansions
• fish-ssh-agent - SSH agent management

Customization

1. Fork this repository
2. Update git/gitconfig with your name and email
3. Modify Brewfile to add/remove packages
4. Edit fish/aliases.fish for custom aliases
5. Adjust vscode/settings.json for editor preferences
6. Run ./install to apply changes

Inspiration

• pgilad/dotfiles