Dotfiles

This repository contains my personal dotfiles for an immutable workstation setup, including yadm + Ansible bootstrap configuration and devcontainer support for Chromebook and AVF environments.

What this repo does

• Manages shell, editor, and terminal configuration with version-controlled dotfiles.
• Uses yadm to clone and bootstrap the repository, keeping the working tree and home directory synced.
• Runs an Ansible-based bootstrap to install essential packages, configure third-party repos, and enable automated system services.
• Includes local reusable utilities and a small service automation setup for user-level systemd timers.

Included configuration

Shell and terminal

• .zshrc

  • Enables zsh completions and command correction.
  • Uses a clean colored prompt with a cyan right prompt showing the current directory.
  • Configures history settings, ls alias, and vim as the default editor.
  • Adds helpful functions:
    • retry retries a command until it succeeds.
    • funny prints a random fortune with cowthink and lolcat.
  • Exports Wayland-friendly environment flags for Chrome/Electron applications.
  • Automatically starts tmux for interactive shells.

• .tmux.conf

  • Uses Ctrl+a as the tmux prefix instead of the default Ctrl+b.
  • Enables mouse support and vi copy mode.
  • Adds Vim-style pane movement and resize bindings.
  • Loads a custom powerline-double-cyan theme.

• .vimrc

  • Loads Vim plugin manager configuration from .config/vimplug.
  • Enables syntax highlighting, 256-color support, and a dark color theme.
  • Sets sane tab, indent, clipboard, and search settings.
  • Defines convenient mappings for window movement, NERDTree, and Vimux operations.

Git

• .gitconfig
  • Sets user name and email.
  • Configures push behavior, rebase on branch setup, and color UI.
  • Uses GitHub CLI credential helper for GitHub and Gist access.

System and application config

• .config/ansible/site.yml and tasks/

  • Bootstraps workstation packages using Ansible.
  • Installs git, zsh, tmux, vim, yadm, curl, wget, gh, code, Docker packages, and more.
  • Configures unattended upgrades and APT daily timers.
  • Adds the current user to the docker group.

• .config/yadm/bootstrap

  • Runs the Ansible site playbook after clone.
  • Boots Vim plugin sync when vim is installed.

• .config/systemd/user/

  • yadm-sync.timer / yadm-sync.service keeps the dotfiles repo synced hourly.
  • git-clean.timer / git-clean.service runs weekly Git cleanup.
  • docker-clean.timer / docker-clean.service runs weekly Docker cleanup.

• .local/bin/

  • Includes helper scripts such as git-clean and docker-clean used by the user-level timers.

Cool repository features

• yadm-managed dotfiles deployment with a bootstrap hook.
• yadm hook support that hides README.md from the home directory after clone.
• Ansible automation for installing packages and configuring repos.
• GitHub Actions coverage that validates yadm clone, README hiding, Ansible bootstrap, and devcontainer builds.
• User-level systemd timers for repo sync and cleanup tasks.
• Custom zsh, tmux, and vim workflows built for terminal productivity.
• Wayland-friendly environment flags for Chromium and Electron apps.

Setup instructions

Run the following commands on a Debian/Ubuntu-based machine:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install yadm ansible

yadm clone https://github.com/jckimble/dotfiles.git --bootstrap

After cloning, the bootstrap will execute Ansible and install the configured packages. If vim is present, it also syncs Vim plugins automatically.

Notes

• The repo expects files and service definitions to be installed into the home directory via yadm.
• If your environment uses Wayland, the .zshrc exports flags to help Chrome and VS Code run in a Wayland-compatible mode.
• The post_clone hook rewrites .config/weston.ini for AVF-specific configuration and removes the repository copy of README.md from tracking.