Skill

dotfiles-manage

Manage dotfiles using dotter (symlink manager and templater). Use when deploying, adding, removing, or organizing configuration files in ~/dotfiles.

Install

npx claudepluginhub joshuarweaver/cascade-code-general-misc-2 --plugin srnnkls-tropos

Tool Access

This skill uses the workspace's default tool permissions.

Preview

Manage dotfiles using [dotter](https://github.com/SuperCuber/dotter) - a dotfile manager and templater.

SKILL.md

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Last CommitJan 12, 2026

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Manage Dotfiles Skill

Manage dotfiles using dotter - a dotfile manager and templater.

Environment

Dotfiles repo: ~/dotfiles
Dotter config: ~/dotfiles/.dotter/
- global.toml: Package definitions (files to deploy)
- local.toml: Machine-specific package selection
- cache.toml: Deployment state cache

Core Commands

# Deploy all configured files
dotter deploy

# Preview changes without applying
dotter deploy --dry-run

# Undeploy all managed files
dotter undeploy

# Watch for changes and auto-deploy
dotter watch

Workflow: Add New Dotfile

Step 1: Add Source File

Place the configuration file in ~/dotfiles:

# Example: adding a new config
cp ~/.config/app/config.toml ~/dotfiles/.config/app/config.toml

Step 2: Define in global.toml

Add a new package or extend existing one in ~/dotfiles/.dotter/global.toml:

# New package
[myapp.files]
".config/app/config.toml" = "~/.config/app/config.toml"

# Or extend existing package
[existing-package.files]
".config/app/config.toml" = "~/.config/app/config.toml"

File mapping format: "source" = "target"

Source: relative path from dotfiles repo root
Target: absolute path or ~ for home directory

Step 3: Enable Package (if new)

Add package to ~/dotfiles/.dotter/local.toml:

packages = ["doom", "myapp"]

Step 4: Deploy

cd ~/dotfiles && dotter deploy

Workflow: Remove Dotfile

Undeploy first: dotter undeploy
Remove from global.toml: Delete the file mapping
Remove package from local.toml (if removing entire package)
Redeploy: dotter deploy
Clean up source (optional): Remove file from dotfiles repo

Package Organization

Group related files into packages:

# Shell configuration
[shell.files]
".zshrc" = "~/.zshrc"
".zprofile" = "~/.zprofile"
".config/starship.toml" = "~/.config/starship.toml"

# Editor configuration
[nvim.files]
".config/nvim" = "~/.config/nvim"

# Git configuration
[git.files]
".gitconfig" = "~/.gitconfig"
".gitignore_global" = "~/.gitignore_global"

Templating

Dotter supports Handlebars templating for machine-specific values:

# In global.toml - define variables
[package.variables]
email = "default@example.com"

# In local.toml - override per machine
[variables]
email = "work@company.com"

In template files, use \{{email}} syntax.

Troubleshooting

Conflict with existing file:

# Force overwrite (use with caution)
dotter deploy --force

Check deployment status:

dotter deploy --dry-run --verbose

View what's currently deployed:

cat ~/dotfiles/.dotter/cache.toml

Best Practices

Keep packages granular and focused
Use descriptive package names
Commit changes to dotfiles repo after modifications
Test with --dry-run before deploying
Use templating for machine-specific values (email, paths)