Prerequisites

• Git
• Sudo access (for package installation)

Quick Install

With git

git clone http://github.com/margoussian/dotfiles && cd dotfiles && ./scripts/setup.sh

Without git

curl -sL https://github.com/margoussian/dotfiles/archive/master.tar.gz | tar xz && cd dotfiles-master && ./scripts/setup.sh

What It Does

• Installs essential CLI tools and dependencies
• Configures Fish as the default shell
• Symlinks configuration files to ~/.config/ using GNU Stow, with --no-folding so real directories are created and only tracked files are linked (see Stow layout)
• Platform-specific setup (macOS system preferences, etc.)

Stow Layout

Stow runs with --no-folding (set in .stowrc). Without it, Stow collapses a package whose target directory does not yet exist into a single directory symlink -- ~/.config/fish -> this repo. Everything fisher, tide and Zed then write to ~/.config lands inside the working tree, filling the repo with untracked files. With --no-folding, Stow creates real directories and links only leaf files, so tool-generated state stays in ~/.config.

Upgrading a machine set up before this fix

./scripts/setup.sh repairs the old layout automatically:

cd ~/Projects/dotfiles
git status          # commit or discard local changes first
git pull
./scripts/setup.sh

It removes the folded symlinks, moves tool-generated files out to ~/.config, and restows so only tracked config is linked. Re-running it is a no-op.

Note that anything untracked inside a package directory is treated as tool-generated and moved to ~/.config, so commit any work you mean to keep before running it.

Platform-Specific Notes

macOS

• Requires Homebrew (installed automatically if missing)
• Sets system defaults (dark mode, Finder preferences, etc.)
• Installs Ghostty as the terminal emulator

Linux (Arch)

• Uses pacman for package management
• Installs Alacritty as the terminal emulator
• Requires restart or re-login for shell changes to take effect

Manual Steps After Installation

1. Restart Shell: Log out and back in, or restart your terminal for shell changes to take effect

2. Tmux Plugins: First time launching tmux, install plugins

   • Press prefix + I (capital I) to install plugins
   • Default prefix is Ctrl+a

3. Machine-Specific Config: Copy and customize locals file (optional)

   cp ~/.config/fish/locals.fish.example ~/.config/fish/locals.fish
   # Edit with machine-specific settings, aliases, environment variables

4. GitHub CLI: Authenticate with GitHub

   gh auth login

Verify Installation

After completing setup, verify everything works:

• Open a new terminal - Fish should be your default shell
• Check prompt - Tide prompt should be configured
• Test aliases: ls, cat, v, zed
• Git commands work with your identity
• Tmux launches with correct theme and settings