🌟 Arch Linux Dotfiles

A modern, reproducible, and elegant dotfiles configuration for Arch Linux using GNU Stow.

• 🎨 Clean and organized configuration structure
• 🔧 Fully reproducible system configuration
• 📦 Modular package management with GNU Stow
• 🚀 Easy installation and management
• 📝 Well-documented setup process
• 🎯 Optimized for daily use

• OS: Arch Linux
• Window Manager: Hyprland
• Shell: Zsh with Starship prompt
• Terminal: Kitty
• File Manager: Thunar
• Audio: Pipewire, PulseAudio

This dotfiles repository includes configurations for:

• dconf - Desktop configuration
• go - Go development environment
• gtk-3-0 - GTK 3.0 theme configuration
• hypr - Hyprland window manager
• kitty - Kitty terminal emulator
• pavucontrol - PulseAudio Volume Control
• pipewire - Pipewire audio system
• pulse - PulseAudio configuration
• starship - Starship prompt configuration
• systemd - Systemd user services
• thunar - Thunar file manager
• xfce4 - XFCE4 desktop environment
• yay - Yay AUR helper configuration

Note: Browser profiles, cache directories, and sensitive data are excluded from this repository. Only actual configuration files are version controlled.

• Arch Linux (or compatible distribution)
• GNU Stow (will be installed automatically if missing)
• Git (for cloning this repository)

1. Clone the repository:

git clone <your-repository-url> ~/.dotfiles
cd ~/.dotfiles

2. Run the installation script:

./install.sh

The script will:

• Check for GNU Stow and install it if missing
• Backup your existing .config directory
• Create symlinks for all packages using Stow

3. Verify installation:

ls -la ~/.config

You should see your configuration directories linked to the dotfiles repository.

To see what would be installed without making changes:

./install.sh --dry-run

To specify a custom backup directory:

./install.sh --backup-dir ~/my-backup

To install a specific package:

cd ~/.dotfiles
stow --target="$HOME" <package-name>

Example:

stow --target="$HOME" hypr

To remove a package (delete symlinks):

cd ~/.dotfiles
stow -D --target="$HOME" <package-name>

Example:

stow -D --target="$HOME" hypr

To update symlinks after making changes:

cd ~/.dotfiles
stow --restow --target="$HOME" <package-name>

Or restow all packages:

cd ~/.dotfiles
find . -maxdepth 1 -type d ! -path . ! -name ".*" | \
    xargs -I {} stow --restow --target="$HOME" {}

.dotfiles/
├── .gitignore              # Git ignore rules
├── .stowrc                 # Stow configuration
├── install.sh              # Installation script
├── README.md               # This file
├── <package-name>/         # Individual package directories
│   └── .config/
│       └── <app-name>/     # Application configuration
└── ...

Each package follows the structure: package-name/.config/app-name/ which creates symlinks from ~/.config/app-name/ to the dotfiles repository.

1. Create a new directory for your package:

mkdir -p ~/.dotfiles/my-app/.config/my-app

2. Add your configuration files:

cp ~/.config/my-app/* ~/.dotfiles/my-app/.config/my-app/

3. Install the package:

cd ~/.dotfiles
stow --target="$HOME" my-app

1. Edit files in the package directory:

nano ~/.dotfiles/hypr/.config/hypr/hyprland.conf

2. Restow the package to update symlinks:

cd ~/.dotfiles
stow --restow --target="$HOME" hypr

The installation script automatically creates a backup of your existing .config directory before installation. Backups are stored in ~/.config-backup-TIMESTAMP.

To restore your original configuration:

cp -r ~/.config-backup-TIMESTAMP ~/.config

Or restore a specific package:

cp -r ~/.config-backup-TIMESTAMP/<app-name> ~/.config/

If symlinks are not being created:

1. Check that GNU Stow is installed:

which stow

2. Verify the package structure is correct:

ls -la ~/.dotfiles/<package-name>/.config/

3. Try reinstalling the package:

cd ~/.dotfiles
stow -D --target="$HOME" <package-name>
stow --target="$HOME" <package-name>

If you have existing files that conflict with dotfiles:

1. Backup the conflicting files:

mv ~/.config/<app-name> ~/.config/<app-name>.backup

2. Install the package:

cd ~/.dotfiles
stow --target="$HOME" <package-name>

3. Compare and merge configurations if needed

If you encounter permission issues:

1. Check file permissions:

ls -la ~/.dotfiles/<package-name>/

2. Fix permissions if needed:

chmod -R u+rw ~/.dotfiles/<package-name>/

• Always backup your configuration before installation
• Only actual configuration files are included (browser profiles, cache, and sensitive data are excluded)
• The .gitignore file excludes sensitive data and cache directories
• Some packages may require additional system configuration
• Browser configurations are intentionally excluded from version control

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit issues and pull requests.

When contributing:

1. Follow the existing package structure
2. Update this README if adding new packages
3. Test your changes before submitting
4. Ensure sensitive data is excluded via .gitignore

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

• Inspired by modern dotfiles management practices
• Structure adapted from Chere3/dots-nixos
• Uses GNU Stow for symlink management

Made with ❤️ using Arch Linux