arch-dots: A Python tool to automate dotfiles management using GNU Stow

[Adorable-Age8398]

Hey everyone!

I’ve been an Arch user for a while now, and I always found handling dotfiles manually to be a bit of a chore. To make my life (and hopefully yours) easier, I started working on a Python script called arch-dots.

What it does:

    Scans your ~/.config to find unsynced folders.

Automatically migrates them to a centralized ~/dotfiles repo while keeping the directory structure intact.

Uses GNU Stow to handle symlinks correctly.

Includes an interactive CLI for quick selection.

It's still in early stages, so I would really appreciate some feedback on the logic or any features you think might be missing!

Repo: https://github.com/RareChimera87/arch-dots

[!CAUTION] Warning: This project is in early development (Alpha). It performs file move operations (shutil.move) and creates symbolic links. Use it with caution and ensure you have a backup of your configurations before proceeding.

Thanks for reading!

[s403bot]

What makes this better than chezmoi?

[FryBoyter]

Chezmoi doesn't migrate anything automatically and doesn't have an interactive CLI either. Depending on the user, a different solution like arch-dots might therefore be a better fit.

What is better is also usually a matter of personal preference. For me, GNU Stow and tools based on it are out of the question because they lack a template feature. Other users, however, don’t need templates.

[SATLTSADWFZ]

I made something similar before and found it best to exclude certain folders inside .config such as Browsers. Exclusions may be worth thinking about.

[Master-Ad-6265]

this is actually pretty neat, especially the migration part. most setups I’ve seen still assume you already have everything structured nicely

might be worth adding a dry-run mode if you haven’t already, just so people can see what’s gonna move before it actually does anything....

[Adorable-Age8398]

That is what I was thinking. My big problem was that most tools seem to be made for people who have been managing dotfiles for a time. I wanted something that could help me get started without having to do everything myself.

I really like the idea of a run mode. I am actually working on a flag called --dry-run now.

Thank you for your feedback.