Jesse Spevack's Dotfiles

Modern dotfiles managed with GNU Stow for easy installation and maintenance across machines.

What's Included

• zsh - Zsh shell configuration
• git - Git configuration and global ignore file
• tmux - tmux terminal multiplexer with Catppuccin theme
• nvim - Neovim with LazyVim setup
• ghostty - Ghostty terminal emulator
• starship - Cross-shell prompt
• ssh - SSH client configuration

Prerequisites

• GNU Stow
• Git

Install GNU Stow

macOS:

brew install stow

Linux (Debian/Ubuntu):

sudo apt install stow

Installation

Fresh Install

1. Clone this repository:

git clone https://github.com/jesse-spevack/dotfiles.git ~/dotfiles
cd ~/dotfiles

2. Install all packages:

stow zsh git tmux nvim ghostty starship ssh

Or install packages selectively:

stow zsh git nvim

Existing Dotfiles

If you already have dotfiles in place, you'll need to back them up or remove them first:

# Backup existing configs
mv ~/.zshrc ~/.zshrc.backup
mv ~/.gitconfig ~/.gitconfig.backup
# etc...

# Then run stow
cd ~/dotfiles
stow zsh git

How GNU Stow Works

GNU Stow creates symlinks from this repo to your home directory. For example:

~/dotfiles/zsh/.zshrc  →  ~/.zshrc
~/dotfiles/nvim/.config/nvim/  →  ~/.config/nvim/

This means you can edit files directly in your home directory, and changes are automatically tracked in the git repo.

Making Changes

1. Edit your config files as normal (e.g., ~/.zshrc)
2. Changes are immediately reflected in the repo
3. Commit and push:

cd ~/dotfiles
git add .
git commit -m "Update zsh config"
git push

Uninstalling

To remove symlinks for a package:

cd ~/dotfiles
stow -D zsh  # Removes zsh symlinks

Setting Up a New Machine

1. Clone the repo
2. Install GNU Stow
3. Run stow for the packages you want
4. Done!

Package Structure

Each directory represents a "package" that mirrors your home directory structure:

dotfiles/
├── zsh/
│   └── .zshrc
├── nvim/
│   └── .config/
│       └── nvim/
│           └── init.lua
└── git/
    ├── .gitconfig
    └── .config/
        └── git/
            └── ignore

Notes

• SSH keys are not tracked (see .gitignore)
• Generated files like lazy-lock.json are excluded
• Old dotfiles from previous setup are in old/ directory

Resources

• GNU Stow Manual
• Managing Dotfiles with GNU Stow