First you need to fork this github repository. If you want to use a separate git provider, please check the How to use other git providers section and come back here afterwards.
Install Gnome Boxes or use your preferred virtualization solution. Create a new Virtual Machine and install on it the latest Fedora or Ubuntu release. easy-dotfiles sample supports out of the box Fedora and Ubuntu with Gnome Shell 40+ as desktop environment.
Make sure that the VM Operating System is up to date by running the corresponding command in a terminal:
- Fedora:
sudo dnf update -y - Ubuntu:
sudo apt-get update -y
Now inside the VM OS, create a new user ionut that has admin (sudo) privileges. This is needed in order to experience the full easy-dotfiles potential (the sample data was created under a user with that name).
Log in with the ionut user, open a terminal and check that you have git installed on your VM: git --version
If you don't have it installed, use your package manager to install it:
- Fedora:
sudo dnf install git -y - Ubuntu:
sudo apt-get install git -y
Now you need to setup your git authentication. I recommend using SSH authentication because it's more reliable and all the upcoming examples will use that. It will be also useful later on when we talk about scheduling automatic actions.
If git SSH setup was successfully done you will now locally clone your forked version of easy-dotfiles. For other git providers follow the guide from here.
Get the forked repo URL from your github account, open a terminal and adapt the following by using your SSH link:
cd ~ && git clone [email protected]:your_github_username/easy-dotfiles.gitNow you need to configure your local installation of easy-dotfiles:
cd ~/easy-dotfiles/ && ./scripts/git/setup.shFollow the git setup script instructions, use the sample data when prompted and choose to push your configuration at the end.
You will now have a properly configured installation of easy-dotfiles and can start using its awesomeness 🎉
Let's install all the apps and extensions configured in the easy-dotfiles sample:
cd ~/easy-dotfiles/ && ./scripts/install.shSelect the corresponding distro when prompted and sit back and relax 🌴 while the configured applications and extensions are automatically installed.
When the installation has finished, run this to import all the managed dotfiles and settings:
cd ~/easy-dotfiles/ && ./scripts/import.shLog out and log in again into the ionut user account. Now you need to open the Extension Manager app (that is also pinned to the dash), disable all the System Extensions and enable all the User-Installed Extensions. Cool, all the managed apps and Gnome extensions are installed and already configured.
You now have a fully setup VM exactly like mine 😲 Awesome job! 👏 🥳
If you switch to Dark Mode, boom 💥, another custom desktop image is displayed. If you open Visual Studio Code, boom 💥, the easy-dotfiles project is already there and some files are open, magic? Yes, Bash Magic 🪄 😅
The Github Desktop app is also already configured to handle the easy-dotfiles repos (forked and private).
Double Commander will open at configured paths on the left and right sides.
Gnome Weather is configured with some locations and specific temperature settings. Gnome Shell and other apps have specific configuration applied to them. You can check the tweaks configuration json file and corresponding data folder.
Also, keybindings were imported and the managed miscellaneous files.
Don't worry about the data files, they are automatically handled. All you need to do when using easy-dotfiles is to configure it to your liking by adapting these simple json files:
- Applications config
- Extensions config
- Keybindings config
- Miscellaneous files config
- Gnome tweaks config
That's all. Easy! 🤩
Are you now convinced of the easy-dotfiles awesomeness? 😁 If yes, please continue reading this section to see how you can configure it on your main desktop 💻
If you don't like github or you already have another git provider, don't worry, I got you covered 👍
On your git provider website interface create the following repositories:
- easy-dotfiles - Public (or private) EMPTY repository.
❗NOTE: It's very important that the easy-dotfiles repo is utterly empty, no readme, no nothing.
- easy-dotfiles-private - Private NON-EMPTY repository.
❗NOTE: It's very important that the easy-dotfiles-private repo is not empty. When creating the private repository, use the Add README.md file option, if available. If that option is not available, you need to manually add an empty README.md file to this repository's root.
After setting up the repositories, have their SSH urls on hand because you will need them later on.
If you came from Quick demo, go back there and follow the steps for setting up the VM. When you have git running and SSH authentication working with your git provider inside the VM, come back here.
Now you will clone the github easy-dotfiles repository.
Open a terminal and run:
cd ~ && git clone https://github.com/ionutbortis/easy-dotfiles.gitYou need to change the git remote URL from this local clone to point to your git provider's easy-dotfiles repo you previously created. Open a terminal and adapt the following by using your easy-dotfiles SSH repo URL:
cd ~/easy-dotfiles
git remote set-url origin git@your_git_provider.com:your_user_name/easy-dotfiles.git
git branch -M main && git push -uf origin mainIf everything went fine, you can configure now your local installation of easy-dotfiles:
cd ~/easy-dotfiles/ && ./scripts/git/setup.shFollow the git setup script instructions, use the sample data when prompted and choose to push your configuration at the end.
You will now have a properly configured installation of easy-dotfiles and can start using its awesomeness 🎉
Go here to follow instructions on how to install sample apps, extensions and import configurations.