chezmoi

Setup up chezmoi, creating a Git repository in ~/.local/share/chezmoi

$ chezmoi init

$ chezmoi init [repository_url]

$ chezmoi add [path/to/dotfile1 path/to/dotfile2 ...]

$ chezmoi re-add [path/to/dotfile1 path/to/dotfile2 ...]

$ chezmoi edit [path/to/dotfile_or_symlink]

$ chezmoi diff

$ chezmoi -v apply

$ chezmoi update

chezmoi [global-options...] command [command-options] [arguments...]

-C, --config PATH
    Configuration file path (default ~/.config/chezmoi/chezmoi.toml)

-D, --destination PATH
    Destination directory (default $HOME)

-S, --source PATH
    Source directory (default ~/.local/share/chezmoi)

--color WHEN
    Color usage: auto, never, always (default auto)

-n, --dry-run
    Simulate changes without applying

--exclude ATTR
    Exclude attributes like executable, symlink

-f, --force
    Allow potentially dangerous operations

-h, --help
    Show help for command

--no-pager
    Disable pager for output

-v, --verbose
    Enable verbose logging

--version
    Print version information

Chezmoi is a robust command-line tool for managing personal configuration files, or dotfiles, across multiple machines and operating systems including Linux, macOS, Windows, and FreeBSD.

It stores dotfiles in a source directory (often a Git repository), using templates for dynamic content, and applies them idempotently to the destination directory (usually $HOME). This ensures consistent, reproducible setups.

Key features include:
• Templating with Go template syntax for machine-specific values (e.g., usernames, paths).
• Secrets management via age encryption or PGP keys.
• State tracking to detect changes in managed files.
• Commands like init, apply, add, diff for easy workflows.
• Git integration for versioning and sharing.

Chezmoi avoids common pitfalls like overwriting local changes unless forced, supports dry runs, and handles symlinks, executables, and permissions. It's secure by default, never storing plaintext secrets, making it ideal for developers maintaining configs across work, home, and servers.

Not installed by default; requires manual installation via Go, package managers (e.g., apt, brew), or binaries. Source dir must be writable. Overwrites files on apply unless using --dry-run or state tracking.

init [--apply] [repo-url]: Initialize from Git.
apply: Apply all changes.
add file: Add file to management.
update: Pull changes and apply.
diff: Show differences.

curl -sfL https://git.io/chezmoi | sh
Or go install github.com/twpayne/chezmoi@latest.

Developed by Tom Ryder starting 2015, first public release 2018. Actively maintained with v2.0+ in 2022 introducing better secrets and templates. Widely used in DevOps for reproducible setups, with 20k+ GitHub stars.

git(1), templ(1), age(1)