Repository Layout

Dotfiles organization with rcm.

Structure 

dotfiles/
├── rcrc                      # -> ~/.rcrc
├── zshrc                     # -> ~/.zshrc
├── zimrc                     # -> ~/.zimrc
├── gitconfig                 # -> ~/.gitconfig
├── tmux.conf                 # -> ~/.tmux.conf
├── editorconfig              # -> ~/.editorconfig
│
├── config/                   # -> ~/.config/
│   ├── nvim/                 # Neovim configs (NVIM_APPNAME)
│   │   ├── lazyvim/          # nvim/lazyvim
│   │   └── nvchad/           # nvim/nvchad
│   ├── kitty/
│   ├── alacritty/
│   └── htop/
│
├── zsh/                      # Sourced by zshrc, not symlinked
│   ├── zimrc
│   └── functions/
│
├── tmux/                     # Sourced by tmux.conf
│   └── conf/
│
├── git/                      # Included by gitconfig
│   ├── aliases.gitconfig
│   ├── colors.gitconfig
│   └── delta.gitconfig
│
├── tag-macos/                # macOS-specific
│   └── config/karabiner/
│
├── tag-linux/                # Linux-specific
│   └── config/i3/
│
├── tag-server/               # Server overrides (minimal configs)
│   ├── zshrc
│   └── tmux.conf
│
├── macos/                    # Setup scripts (not symlinked)
│   ├── setup.sh
│   └── defaults.sh
│
└── packages/                 # Package management (not symlinked)
    ├── install.sh
    ├── macos/
    ├── arch/
    └── debian/

How rcm works

Files at repo root get symlinked to $HOME with a dot prefix:

  • zshrc -> ~/.zshrc
  • gitconfig -> ~/.gitconfig

The config/ directory becomes ~/.config/:

  • config/nvim/lazyvim/ -> ~/.config/nvim/lazyvim/
  • config/nvim/nvchad/ -> ~/.config/nvim/nvchad/
  • config/kitty/ -> ~/.config/kitty/

Use NVIM_APPNAME=nvim/lazyvim to switch neovim configs (see Neovim).

Support directories

zsh/, tmux/, git/ contain files that are sourced or included by the main configs. Not symlinked directly - referenced by full path:

# in ~/.zshrc
source ~/workspace/dotfiles/zsh/functions/utils.sh

Tags

Tags add machine-specific configs:

Machine Tags What’s added
macOS desktop macos Karabiner
Linux desktop linux i3
Server server Minimal zshrc/tmux

Set tags in ~/.rcrc.local:

TAGS="desktop macos"

Excluded from rcm

  • packages/ - Managed by install.sh
  • macos/ - Setup scripts
  • docs/ - Documentation
  • *.md files

Common tasks 

# Edit directly
vim ~/.zshrc

# Add existing file to dotfiles
mkrc -o ~/.config/newapp/config.toml

# Sync on another machine
git pull && rcup