Platform Details

The dotfiles support Linux, macOS, Windows, and WSL — each with platform-specific tooling and behavior.

Linux (Ubuntu 22.04+)

The primary platform. Bootstrap installs packages via apt, then layers on direct-download tools (Neovim AppImage, lazygit, delta, yazi, atuin, etc.) — all SHA256-verified.

• Stows 6 config packages: bash, git, vim, zsh, tmux, nvim
• Sets Zsh as the default login shell
• SSH server installed and enabled automatically
• Supports both x86_64 and arm64 architectures

Architecture support

Every direct-download installer detects the CPU architecture at runtime and fetches the correct binary. No manual flags needed.

WSL

Auto-detected via /proc/version. WSL-specific behavior adjusts the bootstrap to work within the Windows Subsystem for Linux constraints.

• Skips SSH server and font installation (use the Windows host for these)
• Configures Git to use the Windows Credential Manager
• Installs wslu for Windows integration utilities
• Installs Azure CLI via the dedicated apt-based installer

Fonts on WSL

Since WSL runs inside a Windows terminal, install fonts on the Windows side. The dotfiles Windows bootstrap or a manual MesloLGS NF install handles this.

macOS

Uses Homebrew and a declarative install/Brewfile for all tools. Bootstrap exits with instructions if brew is not found.

• All CLI tools come from Homebrew — no manual downloads needed
• Meslo Nerd Font installed via font-meslo-lg-nerd-font cask
• Includes Ghostty, Zed, and VS Code Insiders casks
• Optional system defaults automation:

APPLY_MACOS_DEFAULTS=1 ./bootstrap.sh

macOS Defaults

When APPLY_MACOS_DEFAULTS=1 is set, bootstrap configures:

Area	What changes
Finder	Show file extensions, show path bar
Dock	Autohide enabled, smaller icons
Keyboard	Fast key repeat rate
Screenshots	PNG format, saved to ~/Screenshots

WARNING

macOS defaults require a logout or restart to take full effect.

Windows (PowerShell 7+)

Parallel bootstrap flow using winget and PowerShell modules.

• Installs tools via winget (idempotent — safe to re-run)
• Links dotfiles with symlinks/junctions; falls back to managed copies when restricted
• Managed copies are tracked via .dotfiles-managed sidecar markers
• Configures Starship prompt, PSReadLine predictions, and module lazy-loading

Managed-copy fallback

When symlinks or junctions aren't available (e.g., no developer mode), bootstrap copies the file and places a .dotfiles-managed marker next to it. Re-running bootstrap updates managed copies automatically.