dotfiles

Settings I use across Macs. macOS-only.

Replaces https://ryanbrooks.co.uk/posts/2013-06-10-setting-up-os-x-mountain-lion/.

What's in here

• Shell: zshrc, zshenv, zprofile, vimrc, jekyllconfig, plus .config/zsh/ (plugin list + per-tool snippets) and .config/starship.toml
• Runtimes: mise via .config/mise/config.toml (reads .tool-versions)
• Git: gitconfig (plus per-repo overrides via includeIf)
• SSH: ssh/config (uses 1Password's SSH agent)
• iTerm: iterm/com.googlecode.iterm2.plist (loaded via iTerm's "custom folder")
• Sublime Text: sublime/*.sublime-settings
• Alfred: alfred/ (loaded via Alfred's "sync folder")
• Finicky: finicky.js (browser router)
• macOS defaults: osx
• Packages: Brewfile
• bin/gits: multi-repo git status summariser (config in .config/gits/)

Shell setup

Zsh, no framework (oh-my-zsh was removed in favour of lighter, explicit pieces). Warm startup is ~0.2s.

• Prompt: starship (.config/starship.toml), echoing the old robbyrussell look. The original oh-my-zsh prompt is captured as a comment in zshrc.
• Plugins: antidote loads .config/zsh/plugins.txt — zsh-autosuggestions, fast-syntax-highlighting, and a few oh-my-zsh plugins (git, dotenv, colored-man-pages) pulled individually, without the framework.
• Runtimes: mise (.config/mise/config.toml), reading .tool-versions. Replaced asdf; ruby/node/python install as precompiled binaries (ruby.compile = false).
• History: atuin, with the up-arrow binding left on muscle memory.
• File roles: zshenv is env/PATH only (runs for every shell, including scripts); zprofile is login-only (brew, OrbStack); zshrc is interactive config and sources per-tool snippets from .config/zsh/conf.d/*.zsh. A single compinit runs, daily-cached.

The starship prompt needs a Nerd Font (FiraCode, installed via the Brewfile) selected in the terminal.

Fresh install

1. SSH key

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "ryan@slatehorse.com"
ssh-add --apple-use-keychain ~/.ssh/id_ed25519
pbcopy < ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

Add it to GitHub SSH keys.

2. Clone and bootstrap

mkdir -p ~/src && cd ~/src
git clone git@github.com:spikeheap/dotfiles
cd dotfiles
./_bootstrap.sh

_bootstrap.sh is idempotent. It installs Homebrew, runs brew bundle, installs language runtimes with mise, symlinks dotfiles into $HOME (backing up any pre-existing file as *.bak.<timestamp>), and applies macOS defaults from osx.

3. Manual follow-ups

The bootstrap prints these at the end as a reminder:

• iTerm: Settings → General → Preferences → tick Load preferences from a custom folder or URL → point at ~/src/dotfiles/iterm, tick Save changes to folder when iTerm quits.
• iTerm font: Settings → Profiles → Text → Font → FiraCode Nerd Font (needed for starship glyphs).
• Alfred: Settings → Advanced → Set sync folder → ~/src/dotfiles/alfred. Alfred will copy its bundle there and manage it.
• Disable Spotlight's ⌘-Space, then set Alfred's hotkey to ⌘-Space.
• First-run setup for: Backblaze, Little Snitch, 1Password, Dropbox.
• Sharing → Remote Login (iMac only); set hostname.
• Keyboard → Modifier Keys: Caps Lock → Control.
• Sign in to Slack, Obsidian, etc.

4. If you see compaudit/compinit errors

chmod 755 /opt/homebrew/share

Layout

.
├── Brewfile               # brew bundle
├── _bootstrap.sh          # idempotent installer
├── osx                    # macOS defaults (defaults write …)
├── .config/gits/          # linked to ~/.config/gits
├── .config/zsh/           # plugins.txt + conf.d/ per-tool snippets
├── .config/mise/          # mise (runtime manager) config
├── .config/starship.toml  # prompt config
├── alfred/                # Alfred sync folder (Alfred writes into here)
├── bin/                   # added to PATH via zshenv
├── git/                   # untracked: per-repo overrides
├── iterm/                 # iTerm custom-folder source
├── ssh/config             # linked to ~/.ssh/config
└── sublime/               # linked into ~/Library/Application Support/Sublime Text/Packages/User/

Thanks

Originally cribbed from George Hickman's dotfiles and Mathias Bynens's macOS defaults.