Dotfiles

Personal configs for Neovim, tmux, zsh, git, Ghostty, and Claude Code — with deploy scripts for local macOS and remote Linux VMs.

Contents

File	Deploys to	Description
zshrc	~/.zshrc	Zsh: history, completion, autosuggestions, fzf, zoxide, aliases, functions
starship.toml	~/.config/starship.toml	Starship prompt: directory, git status, language versions
ghostty.conf	~/.config/ghostty/config	Ghostty: font, catppuccin-mocha theme, zsh integration, Option-as-Alt
gitconfig	~/.gitconfig	Git: delta diff pager, aliases, sensible defaults
gitconfig.local	~/.gitconfig.local	Default identity (LinkedIn) + includeIf for ~/perso/
gitconfig.personal	~/.gitconfig.personal	Personal identity (Apache) for ~/perso/ repos
gitignore_global	~/.gitignore_global	Global gitignore: macOS, editors, secrets, build artifacts
ssh_config.custom	~/.ssh/config.custom	SSH: route git@github.com to personal key for ~/perso/
nvim_init.lua	~/.config/nvim/init.lua	Neovim: markdown editing, folding, TOC sidebar, render-markdown
tmux.conf	~/.tmux.conf	Tmux: Ctrl+Space prefix, mouse, vim navigation, 50k scrollback
statusline-command.sh	~/.claude/statusline-command.sh	Claude Code statusline: git branch, token usage, cost, model
claude-settings.json	~/.claude/settings.json	Claude Code: statusline config + allow/deny permissions
Brewfile	—	All Homebrew packages, installed via brew bundle
macos-defaults.sh	—	macOS system settings: keyboard, trackpad, Finder, Dock, screenshots
bin/tmux-sessionizer	~/.local/bin/tmux-sessionizer	Fuzzy-pick a repo/worktree under ~/work or ~/perso → tmux session
deploy-dotfiles-local	~/bin/deploy-dotfiles-local	Deploy all configs to local macOS
deploy-dotfiles	~/bin/deploy-dotfiles	Deploy configs to remote Linux VMs via SSH

---

Setup

First-time install (macOS)

git clone git@github.com:b-slim/.dotfiles.git ~/.dotfiles && ~/.dotfiles/deploy-dotfiles-local

This clones the repo and immediately deploys everything: installs all packages via Homebrew, symlinks all configs, installs Neovim plugins.

Or step by step:

git clone git@github.com:b-slim/.dotfiles.git ~/.dotfiles

# Preview what will happen without touching anything
~/.dotfiles/deploy-dotfiles-local --dry-run

# Deploy (symlinks configs, installs packages via Brewfile)
~/.dotfiles/deploy-dotfiles-local

# Also apply macOS system settings (keyboard, Dock, Finder)
~/.dotfiles/deploy-dotfiles-local --macos-defaults

Configs are symlinked by default — git pull in ~/.dotfiles keeps everything up to date automatically.

---

deploy-dotfiles-local

Options

Flag	Description
(none)	Symlink all configs — stays in sync with git pull
--copy	Copy files instead of symlinking
--dry-run	Preview all actions without making any changes
--macos-defaults	Also run macos-defaults.sh (keyboard, Dock, Finder, screenshots)
--help	Show usage

What it deploys

1. Homebrew — installs if missing
2. Brewfile — brew bundle --no-upgrade (all packages at once)
3. zshrc → ~/.zshrc
4. starship.toml → ~/.config/starship.toml
5. ghostty.conf → ~/.config/ghostty/config
6. gitconfig → ~/.gitconfig
7. gitignore_global → ~/.gitignore_global
8. gitconfig.local → ~/.gitconfig.local (LinkedIn default + includeIf ~/perso/)
9. gitconfig.personal → ~/.gitconfig.personal (bslim@apache.org)
10. ssh_config.custom → ~/.ssh/config.custom (chmod 600)
11. nvim_init.lua → ~/.config/nvim/init.lua
12. tmux.conf → ~/.tmux.conf + reload if tmux is running
13. statusline-command.sh → ~/.claude/statusline-command.sh (chmod +x)
14. claude-settings.json → merged into ~/.claude/settings.json via jq
15. bin/* → ~/.local/bin/ (e.g. tmux-sessionizer)
16. Headless Neovim — nvim --headless "+Lazy! sync" +qa
17. ~/bin/ — symlinks for both deploy scripts

Existing regular files are backed up as .bak before being replaced.

After deploying

source ~/.zshrc                             # load zsh config in current session
deploy-dotfiles-local --macos-defaults      # optional: apply system settings

---

Zsh

Features

Feature	Details
History	100k entries, deduplication, shared across sessions, timestamps
Completion	Case-insensitive, colored, cached, interactive menu
autosuggestions	Fish-like inline suggestions — → to accept
syntax-highlighting	Command coloring as you type (must be sourced last)
fzf	Ctrl+R history, Ctrl+T files, Alt+C dirs — with bat previews
zoxide	z <partial> jumps to frequent dirs, replaces cd
Starship	Single-line prompt: dir + git branch/status + language versions
eza	Better ls with icons, git status, tree view
bat	Better cat with syntax highlighting, used as fzf preview

Aliases

Alias	Expands to
v / vi / vim	nvim
ll	eza -lah --icons --git
lt	eza --tree --icons -L 2
cat	bat --paging=never
gs	git status -s
ga / gaa	git add / git add --all
gc / gcm	git commit / git commit -m
gp / gpl	git push / git pull
gd / gds	git diff / git diff --staged
glog	git lg (pretty graph log)
lg	lazygit
j <dir>	zoxide jump
.. / ... / ....	cd up 1 / 2 / 3 levels
brewup	brew update && brew upgrade && brew cleanup
path	Print $PATH one entry per line
cleanup	Remove .DS_Store and ._* files recursively
flushdns	Flush macOS DNS cache

Functions

Function	Description
fv	fzf → pick file → open in nvim (with bat preview)
fcd	fzf → pick directory → cd into it (with eza tree preview)
fgl	fzf → browse git log → show diff for selected commit
wt	fzf → pick a worktree of the current repo → cd into it
wtnew <branch> [path]	Create worktree for branch (existing or new) as sibling of repo → cd into it
wtrm	fzf → pick a worktree → remove (refuses main, prompts to confirm)
mkcd <dir>	mkdir -p + cd in one step
extract <file>	Extract any archive (tar.gz, zip, bz2, 7z, …)
serve [port]	Start a Python HTTP server in the current dir (default: 8000)
topcmds	Show the 10 most used shell commands

Local overrides

Machine-specific config (work proxies, private env vars, etc.) goes in ~/.zshrc.local — sourced at the end of .zshrc, not tracked in this repo.

Building muscle memory

zshrc.local.example contains nag wrappers that print a hint when you reach for an old command, then run it anyway so nothing breaks:

cp ~/.dotfiles/zshrc.local.example ~/.zshrc.local
source ~/.zshrc

Old habit	Nag fires	New habit
cd <path>	yes	z <partial>
find	yes	fd
grep	yes	rg
man <tool>	yes	tldr <tool>

Remove each wrapper once it feels automatic. Delete ~/.zshrc.local when done.

---

Git

Config highlights

Setting	Value
Diff pager	delta — syntax-highlighted, side-by-side, line numbers
Editor	nvim
Default branch	main
Push default	current + auto setup remote
Fetch	Prune deleted remote branches automatically
Rebase	Auto-stash before rebase
Rerere	Remember and reuse conflict resolutions
Branch sort	Most recently active first
Diff algorithm	histogram (better than default Myers)

Aliases

Alias	Command
git lg	Pretty graph log (all branches)
git lgs	Pretty graph log (current branch)
git st	git status -s
git aa	git add --all
git cm	git commit -m
git amend	git commit --amend --no-edit
git undo	Reset last commit, keep changes staged
git new	git checkout -b
git brd	git branch -d
git sa	Stash including untracked files
git sp	git stash pop
git changed	Files changed in last commit
git file-log	Full log for a specific file (git file-log -- path)
git aliases	List all configured aliases

Identities

Two identities switch automatically based on directory:

Directory	Name	Email
Everywhere (default)	Slim Bouguerra	sbouguerra@linkedin.com
~/perso/**	Slim Bouguerra	bslim@apache.org

Wired up via includeIf "gitdir:~/perso/" in ~/.gitconfig.local. Verify the active identity in any repo:

git config user.email

---

SSH

~/.ssh/config is managed by LinkedIn and cannot be modified directly. Personal SSH config lives in ~/.ssh/config.custom (included by the managed config).

ssh_config.custom configures:

Match host github.com user git
    IdentityFile ~/.ssh/personal_github_b-slim
    IdentitiesOnly yes
    IdentityAgent none

This routes git@github.com connections to the personal SSH key when working in ~/perso/, keeping it separate from LinkedIn's SSH agent.

---

Ghostty

Setting	Value
Font	JetBrainsMono Nerd Font Mono, size 14, thickened
Theme	catppuccin-mocha
Shell integration	zsh — cursor shape per mode, prompt marks, title updates
Option as Alt	Enabled — required for zsh word nav (Alt+.) and fzf (Alt+C)
Scrollback	100,000 lines
Window padding	10px horizontal, 8px vertical
Titlebar style	Tabs
Cursor	Block, no blink
Copy on select	Disabled
Mouse hide	While typing

---

macOS Defaults

Run via deploy-dotfiles-local --macos-defaults or directly:

~/.dotfiles/macos-defaults.sh

Keyboard

Setting	Value	Default
Key repeat rate	2	6
Initial repeat delay	15	25
Press-and-hold accent menu	Disabled	Enabled
Auto-correct	Disabled	Enabled
Smart quotes / dashes	Disabled	Enabled
Auto-capitalize	Disabled	Enabled
Auto-period on double-space	Disabled	Enabled
Full keyboard access (Tab in dialogs)	All controls	Text fields only

Trackpad

Setting	Value
Tap to click	Enabled

Finder

Setting	Value
Show hidden files	Yes
Show all file extensions	Yes
Show path bar	Yes
Show status bar	Yes
Default view	List
New window target	Home folder
Folders on top when sorting	Yes
Warn on extension change	No
.DS_Store on network volumes	Disabled
.DS_Store on USB volumes	Disabled
Disk image verification	Disabled (faster mounting)

Dock

Setting	Value
Auto-hide	Enabled
Auto-hide delay	0s
Auto-hide animation	0.2s
Show recent apps	No
Icon size	48px
Minimize into app icon	Yes
Mission Control animation	0.1s

Screenshots

Setting	Value
Save location	~/Desktop/Screenshots/
Format	PNG
Drop shadow	Disabled

Other

App	Setting
Activity Monitor	Show all processes, sort by CPU
TextEdit	Default to plain text, UTF-8

Some settings (keyboard, trackpad) require a logout/restart to take full effect.

---

Homebrew Packages

All packages are defined in Brewfile. Install everything:

brew bundle --file=~/.dotfiles/Brewfile

Package	Description
zsh-autosuggestions	Fish-like inline suggestions
zsh-syntax-highlighting	Command coloring as you type
fzf	Fuzzy finder
starship	Shell prompt
zoxide	Smarter cd
git	Version control
git-delta	Syntax-highlighted diffs
lazygit	TUI git client
gh	GitHub CLI
neovim	Text editor
tmux	Terminal multiplexer
bat	Better cat
eza	Better ls
fd	Better find
ripgrep	Better grep
sd	Better sed
jq / yq	JSON / YAML processors
bc	Calculator (Claude statusline)
tldr	Concise man pages
htop	Process monitor
watch	Run command repeatedly
font-jetbrains-mono-nerd-font	Terminal font with icons
ghostty	Terminal emulator
mosh	Better SSH — survives sleep/wake and network roaming
colima	Lightweight Docker daemon (replaces Docker Desktop)
docker	Docker CLI
docker-compose	Multi-container apps
lazydocker	TUI for Docker
dive	Inspect Docker image layers
kubectl	Kubernetes CLI
k9s	Kubernetes TUI
kubectx	Switch cluster contexts and namespaces fast
jenv	Java version manager (per-directory via .java-version)
maven	Build tool
temurin@21	Eclipse Temurin JDK 21 (current LTS)
temurin@17	Eclipse Temurin JDK 17 (previous LTS)

---

SSH

~/.ssh/config.custom configures:

Setting	Value	Effect
ControlMaster auto	All hosts	Reuses existing TCP connection — subsequent SSH to same host is instant
ControlPersist 10m	All hosts	Keeps the master connection alive 10 min after last session
ServerAliveInterval 60	All hosts	Sends keepalive every 60s — prevents idle disconnects
Personal key	github.com git	Routes to ~/.ssh/personal_github_b-slim

mosh — use instead of ssh for remote VMs. Survives sleep/wake, network switches, and high latency:

mosh user@vm1          # instead of ssh user@vm1

---

Docker

Colima provides the Docker daemon without Docker Desktop.

colstart               # start Docker daemon
colstop                # stop it

Aliases

Alias	Command
dps / dpsa	docker ps / docker ps -a
di	docker images
dex <ctr> <cmd>	docker exec -it
dlf <ctr>	docker logs -f
drm / drmi	docker rm / docker rmi
dcup / dcdown	docker-compose up -d / down
dclogs	docker-compose logs -f
lzd	lazydocker TUI
dive <image>	Inspect image layers

---

Kubernetes

Aliases

Alias	Command
k	kubectl
k9 / k9s	Kubernetes TUI
kctx <ctx>	kubectx — switch cluster context
kns <ns>	kubens — switch namespace
kgp / kgpa	get pods / get pods --all-namespaces
kgs / kgd / kgn	get services / deployments / nodes
klf <pod>	kubectl logs -f
kex <pod> <cmd>	kubectl exec -it
kdp / kds	describe pod / describe service

---

Java / jenv

jenv manages which JDK is active globally or per directory.

Plugins enabled by deploy script

Plugin	What it does
export	Sets JAVA_HOME automatically when JDK switches
maven	Makes mvn use the jenv-selected JDK
gradle	Makes gradle use the jenv-selected JDK

Per-directory switching

Drop a .java-version file in any repo to pin its JDK:

jvl 17          # writes .java-version = 17 in current dir
jvl 21          # switch to 21 for this project
jvs             # list all registered JDKs
jvg 21          # set global default

Commit .java-version to the repo so every developer gets the same JDK automatically.

Maven aliases

Alias	Command
mvnci	mvn clean install -T4 (4 threads)
mvncp	mvn clean package
mvnt	mvn test
mvnst	mvn install -DskipTests
mvntree	mvn dependency:tree

---

Neovim

Markdown-focused configuration with lazy.nvim plugin manager.

Plugins

Plugin	Purpose
vim-markdown	Folding, syntax
render-markdown	Rich in-buffer rendering
outline.nvim	TOC sidebar panel
nvim-treesitter	Syntax parsing

Keymaps

Leader key is Space.

Key	Action
<Space>t	TOC in quickfix
<Space>o	TOC sidebar panel
<Space>ff	Toggle fold under cursor
<Space>fu	Open one fold under cursor
<Space>fU	Open all nested folds under cursor
<Space>fa	Fold all
<Space>fo	Unfold all
<Space>f1 / f2 / f3	Fold to level 1 / 2 / 3
]]	Jump to next heading
[[	Jump to previous heading
gx	Open URL under cursor in browser
<Space>mr	Toggle render-markdown

---

Tmux

Setting	Value
Prefix	Ctrl+Space
Mouse support	Enabled
Scrollback	50,000 lines
Pane navigation	Prefix + h/j/k/l (vim-style)
Alt navigation	Alt+h/j/k/l (no prefix needed)
Sessionizer	Prefix + f — fuzzy-pick repo/worktree → switch session
Color	24-bit (true color)

Sessionizer (per-project tmux sessions)

bin/tmux-sessionizer turns "switch to project X" into one keystroke. Each repo / worktree under ~/work or ~/perso becomes its own persistent tmux session — keeping shell history, running dev servers, and editor state isolated per project.

Key	Where	Action
Prefix+f	Inside tmux	Open picker → switch-client to the chosen session (creates it if needed)
Ctrl+f	Plain shell	Open picker → attach to the chosen session (creates it if needed)

Picker scope: every git worktree list of every git repo found as a direct child of ~/work or ~/perso. Non-repo dirs (heap dumps, archives, etc.) are filtered out. Roots are configured at the top of bin/tmux-sessionizer.

Ctrl+f shadows zsh's default forward-char — right-arrow does the same thing.

Session names come from basename of the worktree path, with ., :, and spaces replaced by _ (tmux name restrictions). So ~/work/trino-fix-LTS-bug/ becomes the session trino-fix-LTS-bug.

---

Worktree + Sessionizer workflow

The wt* functions and tmux-sessionizer are designed to work as one system: one git worktree = one directory = one tmux session. No context-switching cost, no stash dance, no re-running dev servers.

The functions, at a glance

Command	What it does
wtnew <branch>	Create a worktree as a sibling of the current repo (../<repo>-<branch>) and cd into it. Creates the branch if it doesn't exist.
wtnew <branch> <path>	Same, but at an explicit path.
wt	fzf-pick any worktree of the current repo → cd into it.
wtrm	fzf-pick a worktree → confirm → git worktree remove it (refuses the main worktree).
Ctrl+f / Prefix+f	Picker across all repos+worktrees under ~/work and ~/perso → tmux session.

Example 1 — Start a new feature branch alongside the main checkout

You're in ~/work/trino on main with uncommitted exploratory work you don't want to disturb. You need to start a clean branch for fix-LTS-cache-miss:

cd ~/work/trino
wtnew fix-LTS-cache-miss
# → creates branch + worktree at ~/work/trino-fix-LTS-cache-miss
# → cd's you there

# Hit Prefix+f (or Ctrl+f from a plain shell), pick the new worktree
# → you're now in a dedicated tmux session named `trino-fix-LTS-cache-miss`

The main ~/work/trino worktree is untouched — its dev server keeps running in its own session. Switch between them with Prefix+f any time.

Example 2 — Review a teammate's PR without trashing your in-flight work

A PR review request lands while you're mid-feature. Don't stash; don't switch branches in place — make a throwaway worktree:

cd ~/work/trino
git fetch origin pull/8421/head:pr-8421     # fetch the PR ref as a local branch
wtnew pr-8421                                # worktree + cd
# Prefix+f → pick the new session, build/test there
# When done:
wtrm                                         # fzf-pick pr-8421 → confirm → gone
git branch -D pr-8421                        # drop the branch too

Your original feature session is exactly where you left it — same editor state, same dev server, same shell history.

Example 3 — Jump between projects without losing state

You're deep in a Trino debugging session. Slack pings about a claude-assistant doc fix:

Prefix+f → type "assist" → Enter

Lands you in the claude-assistant session (creates it on first jump). Fix, commit, push. Prefix+f → "trino" → Enter, and you're back exactly where you were.

This is the main reason the sessionizer exists: context-switch cost = one fuzzy match.

Example 4 — Clean up after a feature ships

cd ~/work/trino                              # back in the main worktree
git worktree list                            # see what's still around
wtrm                                         # fzf-pick the merged worktree → remove

wtrm refuses to remove the main worktree, and if you happen to be standing in the worktree you're removing, it cds you back to main first. Branches stick around after wtrm — delete them separately with git branch -d <name> if you're done with them.

When to use wt vs Ctrl+f / Prefix+f

Want to…	Use
Switch to another worktree of the current repo, in the current shell	wt (just cds — no tmux)
Jump to any project (different repo, different worktree) with a dedicated tmux session	Ctrl+f (plain shell) or Prefix+f (in tmux)
Create a new worktree from scratch	wtnew <branch>
Tear one down	wtrm

Tips

• Naming: wtnew feature/foo-bar sanitizes the slash → directory is ../<repo>-feature-foo-bar. The branch keeps its slash.
• First-time setup on a new VM: ensure ~/work (and/or ~/perso) exists before the picker has anything to show. The sessionizer silently produces nothing if both roots are missing.
• Adding more roots: edit ROOTS=(...) at the top of bin/tmux-sessionizer and redeploy.
• Existing branch: wtnew <existing-branch> checks out the existing branch instead of creating a new one — useful for resuming abandoned work.

---

Claude Code Statusline

Displays in Claude Code's terminal:

• Directory (robbyrussell-style green arrow)
• Git branch with dirty indicator
• Token usage — color-coded: green <50%, yellow 50–79%, red ≥80%
• Estimated session cost (based on per-model pricing)
• Active model name
• Agent name (when running a subagent)
• Keyboard shortcuts reference line

Installed to ~/.claude/statusline-command.sh. Settings in ~/.claude/settings.json.

---

Claude Code Permissions

Allowed

• File operations: Read, Edit, Write
• Shell utilities: ls, cat, grep, find, head, tail, diff, sort, awk, sed, cut, tr, xargs, tree, etc.
• Git: all git commands
• Build tools: gradle, ./gradlew, npm
• Languages: python, python3, java
• GitHub CLI: gh pr, gh api, gh issue, gh search, gh auth
• Kubernetes: kubectl get, kubectl describe, kubectl logs
• MCP tools: mcp__captain__*, mcp__glean_default__*

Denied

• Sensitive files: .env, .pem, .key, .p12, .pfx, .keystore, .netrc, .pgpass
• Credential dirs: ~/.datavault, ~/.azure, ~/.azure-devops, ~/dev.src
• Destructive git: git push --force, git reset --hard, git clean -f
• Destructive shell: rm -rf /
• Network tools: ssh, scp, nc, netcat, telnet
• WebSearch

---

Deploy to Remote VMs

# Single host
deploy-dotfiles user@vm1

# Multiple hosts
deploy-dotfiles user@vm1 user@vm2 user@vm3

What it does per host

1. Installs/updates Neovim if missing or below v0.8.0 (user-local to ~/.local/, no sudo)
2. Deploys nvim_init.lua → ~/.config/nvim/init.lua
3. Deploys tmux.conf → ~/.tmux.conf + reloads if running
4. Deploys statusline-command.sh → ~/.claude/ (chmod +x)
5. Merges claude-settings.json → ~/.claude/settings.json via jq
6. Installs Ghostty terminfo (xterm-ghostty) from local machine if available
7. Runs headless Neovim to auto-install plugins via lazy.nvim

Prerequisites on remote VMs

• git, curl (Neovim install), jq (settings merge), bc (statusline cost calc)
• A Nerd Font in your terminal (for icons)