Minimal DevOps Dotfiles

A small dotfiles configuration optimized for personal DevOps workflows.

Philosophy

• Minimal: Only essential tools and configurations
• Fast: Quick shell startup (<0.5s)
• Simple: Easy to understand and maintain
• Platform-friendly: Works on macOS and Linux
• DevOps-focused: Tools for containers, cloud, IaC, and Kubernetes

What's Included

🛠️ Core Tools

• Version Control: Git with useful aliases and git-delta for better diffs
• Containers: Docker & Kubernetes (kubectl, helm, k9s)
• Infrastructure as Code: Terraform, Ansible
• Cloud CLIs: AWS, Azure, GCP (commented out by default)
• Productivity: fzf, bat, ripgrep, fd, zoxide, tig

📝 Configurations

• Shell: Pure ZSH with git-aware prompt (no oh-my-zsh)
• Git: Sensible defaults with helpful aliases
• Aliases: DevOps-focused shortcuts for git, kubectl, terraform, docker
• Editor: nano as default with editorconfig support

Quick Start

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/jier/dotfiles.git ~/.dotfiles
cd ~/.dotfiles

2. Test First (Optional)

Preview what will be installed without making changes:

./install --dry-run

3. Install

./install

The installer will:

• Create symlinks for all config files
• Backup existing configs (if any)
• Create local config templates
• Optionally install Homebrew packages

Install Options:

• ./install - Normal installation
• ./install --dry-run or ./install -n - Preview changes without installing
• ./install --help or ./install -h - Show help message

4. Configure

Edit these files with your personal settings:

# Required: Set your git identity
nano ~/.gitconfig_local

# Optional: Machine-specific settings
nano ~/.zshrc.local

5. Reload Shell

source ~/.zshrc
# or restart your terminal

File Structure

dotfiles/
├── install              # Smart installer with OS detection
├── install-apt.sh       # APT installer for Debian/Ubuntu
├── Brewfile             # Homebrew packages (macOS/Linux)
├── packages.apt         # APT package reference (Debian/Ubuntu)
├── config/
│   ├── zshrc            # ZSH configuration
│   ├── aliases          # Shell aliases
│   ├── gitconfig        # Git configuration
│   ├── gitignore        # Global gitignore
│   ├── gitattributes    # Git attributes
│   ├── ssh_config       # SSH configuration
│   └── editorconfig     # Editor configuration
└── README.md            # This file

Customization

Adding Tools

Edit Brewfile and uncomment or add packages you need:

# Uncomment cloud tools you use
brew "awscli"
# brew "azure-cli"
# brew "google-cloud-sdk"

# Add your own tools
brew "your-tool"

Then install:

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

Adding Aliases

Edit ~/.aliases or add them to ~/.zshrc.local:

# In ~/.zshrc.local
alias myalias='my command'

Machine-Specific Config

Use ~/.zshrc.local for machine-specific settings:

# AWS Profile
export AWS_PROFILE=production

# Custom kubeconfig
export KUBECONFIG=~/.kube/prod-config

# Company proxy
export HTTP_PROXY=http://proxy.company.com:8080

Useful Aliases

Git

• g → git
• gs → git status
• gp → git push
• gl → git pull
• glog → git log --oneline --graph

Kubernetes

• k → kubectl
• kgp → kubectl get pods
• kgs → kubectl get services
• kl → kubectl logs
• kx → kubectl exec -it

Terraform

• tf → terraform
• tfi → terraform init
• tfp → terraform plan
• tfa → terraform apply

Docker

• d → docker
• dc → docker-compose
• dps → docker ps
• dex → docker exec -it

Features

Smart Directory Navigation

• z <partial-name> → Jump to frequently used directories (zoxide)
• Ctrl-T → Fuzzy find files (fzf)
• Alt-C → Fuzzy find directories (fzf)

Enhanced Git

• Better diffs with git-delta
• Useful aliases (see git config --get-regexp alias)
• Global gitignore for common files

Fast Completions

• Tab completion for all tools
• Case-insensitive matching
• History-based suggestions

Updating

cd ~/.dotfiles
git pull
./install  # Re-run to update symlinks

Uninstalling

# Remove symlinks
rm ~/.zshrc ~/.aliases ~/.gitconfig ~/.gitignore_global ~/.gitattributes_global ~/.editorconfig

# Restore backups (if you want)
mv ~/.zshrc.backup ~/.zshrc
mv ~/.gitconfig.backup ~/.gitconfig
# ... etc

Requirements

• macOS 10.15+ or Linux
• ZSH (usually pre-installed)
• Package manager: Homebrew (macOS/Linux) or APT (Debian/Ubuntu)

Platform Support

This dotfiles setup supports multiple platforms with automatic detection:

macOS

Recommended: Use Homebrew (installed by default on modern macOS)

# If Homebrew is not installed:
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

# Then run the installer:
./install

The installer will use the Brewfile to install packages, including the macOS-only application casks.

Linux with Homebrew

Option 1: Install Homebrew on Linux (works on most distributions)

# Install Homebrew for Linux:
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

# Then run the installer:
./install

The installer will use the formulae in the Brewfile and skip macOS-only application casks.

Debian/Ubuntu (without Homebrew)

Option 2: Use the native APT installer

# Run the installer:
./install

# When prompted, choose to install via APT
# Or run directly:
./install-apt.sh

The install-apt.sh script will:

• Install packages from Ubuntu/Debian repositories
• Add necessary third-party repositories (GitHub CLI, Kubernetes, HashiCorp, etc.)
• Download and install binary releases where needed (k9s, git-delta, etc.)
• Create proper symlinks for Ubuntu package names (batcat → bat, fdfind → fd)

Other Linux Distributions

For other distributions (Fedora, Arch, etc.):

1. Recommended: Install Homebrew for Linux (easiest)
2. Manual: Use packages.apt as a reference for package names
3. Adapt: Create your own package list for your package manager

Package Files

• Brewfile: Homebrew packages (macOS and Linux with Homebrew)
• packages.apt: Reference list for Debian/Ubuntu packages
• install-apt.sh: Automated installer for Debian/Ubuntu systems

Comparison to Original

Aspect	Before	After
Files	~30 files	~10 files
Brewfile size	198 lines	54 lines
Dependencies	~140 packages	~30 packages
Shell startup	2-3 seconds	<0.5 seconds
Frameworks	oh-my-zsh + zplug	Pure ZSH
Installation	dotbot (4 steps)	Simple script

License

MIT - Use freely!

Validation

Pull requests and pushes run ShellCheck against the Bash installers, parse the Zsh configuration, and execute the installer in dry-run mode on Linux and macOS.

Credits

Simplified from sobolevn/dotfiles with focus on DevOps workflows.