mrk1 — macOS bootstrap & dotfiles

Phase 1 of macOS setup. A clean, idempotent way to spin up a new Mac with Zsh, dotfiles, and a few sane defaults. Easy to read, easy to trust.

• Safe by default. Any conflicting dotfiles get backed up. Defaults come with a rollback script.
• Idempotent. Run it again anytime.

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Quick start

git clone https://github.com/sevmorris/mrk1.git ~/mrk1
cd ~/mrk1
make fix-exec && make install

make fix-exec just makes sure all scripts are executable before install.
You can also run ./scripts/install directly.

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What it sets up

• Zsh as your login shell
• Dotfiles safely linked into $HOME with timestamped backups
• Scripts & tools from both scripts/ and bin/ linked into ~/bin
• macOS defaults applied by scripts/defaults.sh, with an automatic rollback script

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Common make targets

make fix-exec     # ensure scripts/* and bin/* are executable
make install      # full bootstrap (dotfiles → tools → defaults)
make update       # pull latest changes and reinstall
make tools        # link scripts/bin into ~/bin
make dotfiles     # link dotfiles with backups
make defaults     # apply defaults + write rollback script
make status       # check installation status
make uninstall    # unlink scripts and optionally roll back defaults

Installer Options

# Run specific phase only
./scripts/install --only dotfiles
./scripts/install --only tools
./scripts/install --only defaults

# Preview changes without applying
./scripts/install --dry-run

# Validate configuration before installing
./scripts/install --validate

# Continue even if a phase fails
./scripts/install --continue-on-error

# Skip specific phases
./scripts/install --no-dotfiles --no-defaults

# See all options
./scripts/install --help

Check Installation Status

# Check what's installed and linked
./scripts/status
# or
make status

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Uninstall

./scripts/uninstall

What it does:

• Removes symlinks created in ~/bin
• Optionally runs ~/.mrk1/defaults-rollback.sh
• Leaves your personal files and dotfiles alone

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Rollback for macOS defaults

Whenever you run make defaults or the main installer, a rollback helper is generated:

~/.mrk1/defaults-rollback.sh

It only records keys changed by mrk1, so you can safely undo tweaks later.

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Repo layout

bin/                  # small user-facing tools
scripts/
  install             # main installer
  uninstall           # removes symlinks + optional defaults rollback
  defaults.sh         # apply defaults + author rollback
dotfiles/             # shell/editor/git configs, etc.
Makefile
README.md

Both scripts/ and bin/ are linked into ~/bin.
Keep "end-user" commands in bin/, bootstrap helpers in scripts/.

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Logging

Installer output goes to:

~/mrk1-install.log

Uninstall logs straight to the terminal.

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Contributing

• Keep scripts short and clear.
• Comment every macOS default you touch.
• Avoid "cleanup" or destructive operations.

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Related Projects

• mrk2 — Phase 2: Homebrew packages, applications, and Mac App Store apps

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