

To do this, simply initialise your dotfiles folder with git init, create a repository on GitHub, I named mine dotfiles, and then just push to it. Most people share their configuration files and put them on GitHub. You can now actually share your 🏡 with other people if you wish.
#Dotbot tutorial full#
You have to make sure however to write the correct file for the symlink as only the full correct name will be seen by zsh. In my case the original file actually lies in dotfiles and the symlink I have created in my home directory points to it. The syntax for creating symbolic links looks like this: dotfiles’ and inside it, I have folder zsh which has a file named zshrc. For example, in my case I have the folder ‘. A symlink is just a shortcut, like a portal from getting from point A to B on your system. You can avoid this by creating a symlink from dotfiles to the home directory. zshrc file in the home directory but will not find anything so no custom configs you wrote will get run. If you do just move it, then Zsh will try to search for the. zshrc file to your newly created home in ’dotfiles’, you can’t. zshrc and it is located in your home directory together with most other configuration files. The file that Zsh reads when you first boot it up is named. The name ’dotfiles’ is chosen because it will contain various hidden configuration files that on Unix start with a dot. Most people create a folder called ‘.dotfiles’ in their home directory.

Dotfilesīut before we start customizing our shell, let’s create a home for it on our system. GitHub is an awesome place to find such plugins amongst other things. And the awesome thing is that you can change how your shell looks and what your shell can do by downloading various plugins that other people have created and shared.

Why does your shell have to look like this: However both Zsh and Bash are pretty boring when you first try them. In this guide however I will go over what my shell looks like and how I often communicate with it.
#Dotbot tutorial how to#
The download instructions for each of these shells can be found on their websites alongside the documentation and tutorials for how to effectively use them. Some good choices include Zsh, Fish or Elvish. If you wish however, you can change your shell. There are a couple of different shells available that you can choose from and each has a different interface you can use to talk and communicate with it. There is actually not that much that you have to do to make a really powerful and modern looking shell on your brand new Unix machine. It is best to get familiar with it and make it your best friend. It is a ‘shell’ around your kernel that takes the commands that you write to it and performs actions based on the commands you give. A shell is your most open channel for communicating with the kernel of your operating system.
