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Bootstrapping

Bootstrapping is the process of setting up dots on a new machine. dots supports both fresh initialization and cloning from an existing dotfiles repository.

Fresh Start

If you don't have an existing dotfiles repo:

dots init

This creates a default config file at:

  • Unix: ~/.config/dots/config.yaml
  • Windows: %APPDATA%\dots\config.yaml

From there, add taps and install packages:

dots tap add personal git@github.com:you/dotfiles.git
dots install personal/nvim

One-Command Bootstrap

If you already have a dotfiles repo, bootstrap everything in one command:

dots init --from git@github.com:you/dotfiles.git --path dots

This:

  1. Clones the repo as a tap
  2. Installs the package at the specified --path within the tap
  3. The installed package typically contains dots' own config, completing the bootstrap

After the initial bootstrap, apply a profile to install the rest:

dots profile apply work

The dots Package Pattern

A common pattern is to include a dots package in your tap that manages dots' own configuration:

taps/personal/
  dots/
    Dotfile.yaml
    config.yaml
  nvim/
    Dotfile.yaml
    init.lua
  ...

The dots/Dotfile.yaml:

package:
  name: dots
  description: dots self-configuration
  tags: [meta]

links:
  config.yaml: "@config/dots/config.yaml"

The config.yaml inside the dots package contains your tap registrations, aliases, and preferences. When dots init --from <url> --path dots installs this package, it links your config.yaml into place, giving dots full knowledge of your taps and settings.

Recovery

If dots is installed but your config is missing or corrupted:

# Re-initialize with defaults
dots init

# Or re-bootstrap from your repo
dots init --from git@github.com:you/dotfiles.git --path dots

If you have a profile exported:

dots profile import work-profile.yaml
dots profile apply work

Platform-Specific Bootstrap

The dots package can include platform-specific configuration:

package:
  name: dots
  description: dots self-configuration

links:
  config.yaml: "@config/dots/config.yaml"

platform:
  darwin:
    hooks:
      post_install: "xcode-select --install 2>/dev/null || true"
  linux:
    hooks:
      post_install: scripts/install-deps.sh

This lets the bootstrap process install platform-specific prerequisites automatically.

Recommended Bootstrap Script

For fully automated setup on a new machine, create a small bootstrap script:

#!/bin/bash
# bootstrap.sh - Set up a new machine

# Install dots (via Homebrew or from source)
brew install jlrickert/formulae/dots

# Bootstrap from your dotfiles repo
dots init --from git@github.com:you/dotfiles.git --path dots

# Apply your profile
dots profile apply work

Save this somewhere accessible (e.g., a GitHub gist) so you can run it on any new machine.