Dotfiles Setup

Personal Arch Linux dotfiles + bootstrap script. Automates installing core tooling (shell, editors, CLI utilities, desktop bits), sets sane defaults, and symlinks configs safely (with backups). Includes optional private package mode.

Target: Minimal Arch install (with AUR) Script assumes pacman + AUR helper (paru). Other distros are NOT supported by the current script (README previously overstated this).

Key Features

• Automated install of base packages, AUR apps, developer tooling, fonts.
• Safe idempotent symlinking (backs up existing files with numbered .bak suffixes).
• Opinionated Zsh setup (Oh My Zsh + plugins + Spaceship theme).
• Neovim bootstrap (kickstart.nvim clone, auto-replaced if different repo).
• Post-install desktop defaults (qutebrowser, zathura, display/login assets).
• Optional private mode: --private installs extra packages.

Prerequisites

• Arch Linux (or derivative with pacman + ability to build AUR packages).
• sudo access.
• git, curl (will install if missing in base step).

Quick Start

git clone https://github.com/knownasnaffy/dotfiles.git
cd dotfiles
./setup.sh            # standard
./setup.sh --private  # include private extras

The script will:

1. Install base compilers & tools (pacman -Sy zsh make gcc ripgrep unzip git xclip neovim base-devel).
2. Install / build paru if missing.
3. Sync + install large program set via paru (see list below).
4. Install Homebrew (if absent) then bun, pipx, fnm, cargo battery-notify.
5. Setup Oh My Zsh plugins + Spaceship prompt.
6. Link dotfiles (user + select /etc configs via sudo symlinks).
7. Run post-install tweaks (bat cache, xdg defaults, enable ly).

Package Highlights

AUR + repo installs include (subset):

• Shell/tools: zsh, fzf, ripgrep, bat, eza, zoxide, btop, eva, jq, brightnessctl.
• Terminal/UI: ghostty, rofi (+ greenclip), polybar, picom, dunst, i3-wm, i3lock-color, keyd.
• Fonts & visuals: ttf-hack-nerd, noto-fonts-emoji, fastfetch, ueberzug.
• Apps: qutebrowser, zathura (+ poppler), spotifyd, flameshot, pass.
• Audio: pipewire, wireplumber, pipewire-pulse, pipewire-alsa, alsa-utils.
• Misc/fun: thefuck, cowsay, fortune-mod.
• Dev extras: bun, fnm (Node LTS), pipx, cargo battery-notify.

Private mode adds: jrnl (and can be extended).

Managed Dotfiles / Configs

User-level symlinks:

• .gitconfig, .zshrc, .zsh_functions
• ~/.config: gh, ghostty, qutebrowser, picom, polybar, i3, rofi, fastfetch, bat, eza, zathura, yazi, pycodestyle, battery-notify, spotifyd, systemd, dunst, btop, greenclip.toml, BeeperTexts (custom.css, config.json), fonts (under .local/share/fonts)
• ~/.Xresources, ~/.lesskey

System-level (sudo) symlinks:

• /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/30-touchpad.conf
• /etc/ly/config.ini
• /etc/keyd

If a target exists it is renamed to filename.bak (or numbered .bakN).

Neovim Setup Logic

If an existing ~/.config/nvim is a git repo pointing to knownasnaffy/kickstart.nvim, it is kept. Any other existing config is removed then the kickstart repo is cloned.

Boot & Memory Notes

ZRAM + optional swapfile instructions (for half-RAM zram + 2G fallback file) are documented below.

ZRAM Quick Reference

paru -S zram-generator
sudo nvim /etc/systemd/zram-generator.conf
# contents:
[zram0]
zram-size = ram / 2
compression-algorithm = zstd
swap-priority = 100
sudo systemctl daemon-reexec
sudo systemctl restart systemd-zram-setup@zram0
swapon --show

Optional swapfile:

sudo fallocate -l 2G /swapfile
sudo chmod 600 /swapfile
sudo mkswap /swapfile
sudo swapon /swapfile
echo '/swapfile none swap sw,pri=10 0 0' | sudo tee -a /etc/fstab

Aerc Tip

Use port 465 (implicit TLS) for Gmail outgoing instead of 587 if STARTTLS fails.

Structure (simplified)

.
├── setup.sh
├── README.md
├── images/
│   ├── fastfetch.png
│   └── tokyonight-wallpaper.png
├── etc/
│   ├── X11/...
│   ├── keyd/...
│   └── ly/config.ini
└── .config/...

Fastfetch example (images/fastfetch.png):

Troubleshooting

1. Shell still bash: log out or run chsh $(id -un) --shell $(command -v zsh) manually.
2. Symlink missing: check permissions (sudo for /etc) and ensure parent directories exist.
3. Neovim config not replaced: remove existing ~/.config/nvim and rerun.
4. ly not starting: sudo systemctl enable ly && sudo systemctl start ly.

Extending

Add new config under repo then append a create_symlink (or create_sudo_symlink) call in link_dotfiles() maintaining grouping. Keep changes minimal & idempotent.

License

No license file currently included. Add one (MIT, etc.) if you intend to share/reuse.

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Previously claimed cross-distro support was removed to match actual script behavior.