This repo contains my dotfiles. There are many others like it, but this one is mine. My dotfiles are my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me, my dotfiles are useless. Without my dotfiles, I am useless. (quote from Full Metal Jacket for the Gen Z'ers)

Originally forked from @Holman's dotfiles, I took his general premise and edited them to fit my own needs.

I use (Typescript/JavaScript, Node, Go, git, system libraries, and so on), so the project is structured accordingly.

Fork it, remove what you don't use, and build on what you do use.

Below is the general layout of my setup. Please review this before running the install scripts.

• bin/: Anything in bin/ will be added to your $PATH and available everywhere.

• Brewfile: Manages three types of applications:

  1. Brew Tap - service level tasks
  2. Brew formulas - command-line tools and packages
  3. Cask - GUI applications like Chrome, Discord, Warp, and Zoom

  Note: Mac App Store apps via mas are currently disabled due to compatibility issues with macOS Sequoia (15.x). These apps are commented out in the Brewfile and should be installed manually through the App Store.

  You'll want to edit this file before you run the initial setup.

• claude/: Configuration for Claude Desktop and Claude Code MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers. The install.sh script manages:

  • Claude Desktop: Symlinks MCP server config to ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/
  • Claude Code: Adds MCP servers via CLI (sequential-thinking, serena)
  • Gracefully skips setup if Claude Desktop/Code is not installed
  • Preserves existing user configurations

• topic/*.zsh: Any files ending in .zsh get loaded into your environment.

• topic/path.zsh: Any file named path.zsh is loaded first and is expected to set up $PATH or similar.

• topic/completion.zsh: Any file named completion.zsh is loaded last and is expected to set up autocomplete.

• topic/*.symlink: Any files ending in *.symlink get symlinked into your $HOME. This is so you can keep all of those versioned in your dotfiles but still keep those autoloaded files in your home directory. These get symlinked in when you run dot bootstrap or script/bootstrap.

On a fresh macOS machine, run this one-liner to install everything:

bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/akornmeier/dotfiles/main/install.sh)"

This will:

1. Clone the dotfiles repository to ~/.dotfiles
2. Run dot bootstrap to set up everything
3. Prompt you through Git configuration and installation

Note: You'll need Git installed first. On macOS, run xcode-select --install if you don't have it.

If you prefer more control, clone and run manually:

# Clone (or fork) the repo
git clone https://github.com/akornmeier/dotfiles.git ~/.dotfiles

# Navigate to the directory
cd ~/.dotfiles

# Run the bootstrap command
dot bootstrap
# or use the legacy script
# script/bootstrap

Before running the installation, you may want to review and customize:

• Brewfile: Edit to include/exclude applications you want installed
• zsh/zshrc.symlink: Update paths specific to your machine
• macos/set-defaults.sh: Review macOS system preferences to be set

The bootstrap command will:

1. 🔧 Set up your Git configuration (name and email)
2. 🔗 Create symlinks for dotfiles in your home directory
3. 📦 Check if Homebrew is installed (installs if needed)
4. ❓ Prompt you to continue with the full installation

If you choose to continue, the installation (dot install) will:

1. 📦 Install all packages from the Brewfile (brew, cask, and mas apps)
2. 🔧 Set up FNM and Node.js LTS
3. ⚙️ Run all topic-specific installers (macos, fnm, zsh, claude)
4. 🍏 Apply macOS system defaults

You may be prompted for your password a few times during installation:

1. For FNM symlinks (only on first run) - Creates system-wide Node.js access
2. For macOS defaults - Applies system-level preferences

On subsequent runs, if everything is already configured, you may not be prompted at all!

• Homebrew packages: Command-line tools like git, fnm, starship, uv, etc.
• Cask applications: GUI apps like Chrome, Discord, Warp, Zoom, Claude
• Node.js: Latest LTS version via FNM
• Oh My Zsh: If not already installed
• Claude MCP servers: Model Context Protocol servers for Claude Desktop and Claude Code
  • sequential-thinking: Enhanced reasoning capabilities (via npx)
  • serena: Advanced code analysis and understanding (via uvx)
• macOS preferences: System defaults and configurations

Note on Mac App Store Apps: Due to compatibility issues with mas on macOS Sequoia (15.x), Mac App Store apps must be installed manually. The following apps are recommended but commented out in the Brewfile:

• Be Focused (Pomodoro Timer)
• CopyClip (Clipboard Manager)
• Dato (Calendar/Time Zone App)
• Hand Mirror (Screen Mirroring)
• Keycastr (Keystroke Visualizer)
• Lungo (Prevents Sleep)
• Magnet (Window Manager)

The unified dot command provides intelligent management for your dotfiles:

dot              # Smart updates (default - only updates what's needed)
dot update       # Same as above
dot bootstrap    # First-time setup
dot install      # Full installation
dot --edit       # Open dotfiles directory in your editor
dot --help       # Show help

Intelligently updates only what's needed - perfect for regular maintenance:

• 🔗 Updates symlinks only if changed
• 🍺 Updates Homebrew to latest version
• 📦 Upgrades outdated packages only
• 📦 Installs missing Brewfile packages only
• 🧹 Cleans up Homebrew cache
• 🚫 Removes Homebrew's Node if detected (we use FNM)

No unnecessary operations - if everything is up-to-date, it will say so!

Full installation - useful after major changes or pulling updates:

• 🔗 Updates all symlinks
• 📦 Installs all Brewfile packages
• ⚙️ Runs all topic installers (macOS, FNM, Zsh, Claude)
• 🤖 Configures Claude Desktop/Code MCP servers
• 🍏 Applies macOS system defaults
• 🔐 Only prompts for sudo when actually needed

First-time setup only - run this once when setting up a new machine:

• 📝 Sets up Git configuration (name and email)
• 🔗 Creates symlinks for dotfiles
• 🍺 Installs Homebrew if not present
• ❓ Prompts to continue with full installation

Quickly open your dotfiles directory in your default editor ($EDITOR).

You can find this script in bin/dot.

This project uses Changesets to manage versions and releases.

When you make significant changes to the dotfiles, create a changeset:

pnpm changeset
# or
pnpm changeset:add

This will prompt you to:

1. Select the type of change (major, minor, or patch)
2. Provide a description of your changes

The changeset file will be created in .changeset/ and committed with your PR.

When changes are merged to main, the GitHub Action workflow will:

1. Detect changesets and create a "Version Packages" PR
2. The PR will update the version in package.json and generate CHANGELOG.md
3. When the version PR is merged, it creates a Git tag for the release

• Major (1.x.x → 2.0.0): Breaking changes, major refactors
• Minor (x.1.x → x.2.0): New features, backward-compatible changes
• Patch (x.x.1 → x.x.2): Bug fixes, small improvements

pnpm changeset:add      # Create a new changeset
pnpm changeset:status   # View pending changesets
pnpm version            # Consume changesets and update version
pnpm release            # Create git tags for new versions

The mas CLI tool has known compatibility issues with macOS Sequoia (15.x) and newer versions. Due to Apple's changes in the App Store authentication system:

• mas account and mas signin commands no longer work
• Installation often fails with PKInstallErrorDomain Code=201 errors
• Even after manually "purchasing" apps, installation may fail

Solution: Install Mac App Store apps manually through the App Store GUI. All mas entries in the Brewfile are commented out by default.

FNM (Fast Node Manager) is used instead of nvm for better performance. Node.js binaries are symlinked to /usr/local/bin for system-wide access, which is particularly useful for:

• Claude MCP servers
• GUI applications that need Node.js
• System services and LaunchAgents

Claude Desktop and Claude Code can be extended with MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers. The dotfiles automatically configure two powerful servers:

• sequential-thinking: Provides enhanced reasoning and step-by-step problem solving
• serena: Offers advanced code analysis and symbol-level understanding

Setup Requirements:

• Claude Desktop must be installed via Brewfile (cask 'claude')
• OR Claude Code must be installed (brew install --cask claude-code)
• Node.js via FNM (for npx command)
• uv via Homebrew (for uvx command)

Post-Installation:

• Claude Desktop: After running dot install, fully quit Claude (File → Exit, not just close window) and restart
• Claude Code: Run /mcp command to authenticate MCP servers
• Look for the hammer icon in Claude Desktop interface to verify MCP tools are loaded

Adding More MCP Servers:

• Claude Desktop: Edit claude/claude_desktop_config.json.template and run ./claude/install.sh
• Claude Code: Use claude mcp add command (see claude mcp --help)

Preserving Custom Configurations: If you already have a Claude Desktop config file, the installer will preserve it and show a warning. To use the dotfiles config, backup your existing file and re-run the installer.