• Neovim editor configured with LazyVim💤
• Starship prompt
• Shell support for both Zsh and Fish with 95% functional parity via shared configuration
• Flexible, terminal-based dev environment with ghostty 👻 + Tmux!
• Fast, idempotent setup with GNU Stow
• New Mac bootstrap based on thoughtbot’s Laptop
• Support for both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs

• Quick Setup
• Prerequisites
• New Mac Bootstrap
• Zsh or Fish?
• Shared Configuration Framework
• Documentation
• Markdown Linting
• About Neovim Distributions
• My Favorite Programming Fonts
• Nerd Fonts and Icons
• A Note about Vim performance and Ruby files
• Identifying Sources of Slow Startup Times (Zsh)
• Awesome Neovim Dotfiles, Distros, and Starters
• Some of my favorite dotfile repos
• Helpful web resources on dotfiles, et al.
• License

For first-time users: See the complete setup documentation for detailed guidance.

Make sure macOS is up to date and you have installed the required software.

Clone this repo.

git clone https://github.com/joshukraine/dotfiles.git ~/dotfiles

Read the setup script and check available options.

less ~/dotfiles/setup.sh
~/dotfiles/setup.sh --help

Preview what the setup script will do (dry-run mode).

~/dotfiles/setup.sh --dry-run

Run the setup script.

~/dotfiles/setup.sh

For detailed guidance on installation, customization, and troubleshooting:

The dotfiles assume you are running macOS with (at minimum) the following software pre-installed:

• Git
• Homebrew (including coreutils)
• asdf
• Ruby
• Node.js
• Zsh and/or Fish
• Neovim
• Starship
• yq (for regenerating abbreviations from shared YAML source)

All of the above and more are installed with my fork of Laptop.

This is what I would do if I bought a new Mac computer today. The steps below assume you have already completed the basics:

• Log in to iCloud
• Check for software updates
• Install Xcode Command Line Tools

▹ github.com/joshukraine/laptop

Download the mac script:

curl --remote-name https://raw.githubusercontent.com/joshukraine/laptop/main/mac

Download .local.laptop for additional customizations:

curl --remote-name https://raw.githubusercontent.com/joshukraine/dotfiles/master/laptop/.laptop.local

Review both scripts before proceeding:

less mac

less .laptop.local

Execute the mac script:

sh mac 2>&1 | tee ~/laptop.log

I’ve made the following changes to my fork of Laptop:

• Install asdf via git instead of Homebrew
• Comment out Heroku-related code
• Comment out unused Homebrew taps and formulae

It is worth noting that the Laptop script (mac) is idempotent and can be safely run multiple times to ensure a consistent baseline configuration.

The dotfiles setup.sh script uses GNU Stow to symlink all the config files to your $HOME directory. If you already have an identically-named file/directory in $HOME (e.g. ~/.zshrc leftover from installing Laptop), this will cause a conflict, and Stow will (rightly) abort with an error.

The setup script will try to detect and backup these files ahead of Stow, but it’s still a good idea to check your $HOME directory as well as $HOME/.config and $HOME/.local/bin.

Clone

git clone https://github.com/joshukraine/dotfiles.git ~/dotfiles

Read and preview

less ~/dotfiles/setup.sh
~/dotfiles/setup.sh --help
~/dotfiles/setup.sh --dry-run  # Preview changes without applying them

Setup

~/dotfiles/setup.sh

If you do encounter Stow conflicts, resolve these and run setup again. The script is idempotent, so you can run it multiple times safely.

Zap describes itself as a “minimal zsh plugin manager that does what you expect.”

▹ zapzsh.com

Review the included Brewfile and make desired adjustments.

less ~/Brewfile

Install the bundle.

brew bundle install

• Launch LazyVim (nvim) and run :checkhealth. Resolve errors and warnings. Plugins should install automatically on first launch.
• Add personal data as needed to *.local files such as ~/.gitconfig.local, ~/.laptop.local, ~/dotfiles/local/config.fish.local.
• (Optional) Set up 1Password CLI for managing secrets.
• (Optional) Set up 1Password SSH key management.
• If using Fish, customize your setup by running the fish_config command.
• Install Tmux plugins with <prefix> + I (https://github.com/tmux-plugins/tpm)

Having used both Zsh and Fish for several years, I’ve decided to keep my configs for both. One thing I particularly love about Fish is the concept of abbreviations over aliases. Happily, there is now zsh-abbr which brings this functionality to Zsh.

▹ Fish abbr docs

My Zsh and Fish configs have 95% functional parity via shared configuration:

• Same prompt (Starship)
• Identical abbreviations (250+) generated from single YAML source
• Shared environment variables
• Smart git functions with automatic branch detection

brew install zsh

# Apple Silicon Macs:
echo /opt/homebrew/bin/zsh | sudo tee -a /etc/shells

# Intel Macs:
echo /usr/local/bin/zsh | sudo tee -a /etc/shells

# Or use this universal command:
echo $(which zsh) | sudo tee -a /etc/shells

chsh -s $(which zsh)

 brew install fish

# Apple Silicon Macs:
echo /opt/homebrew/bin/fish | sudo tee -a /etc/shells

# Intel Macs:
echo /usr/local/bin/fish | sudo tee -a /etc/shells

# Or use this universal command:
echo $(which fish) | sudo tee -a /etc/shells

chsh -s $(which fish)

The dotfiles use a unified configuration system that eliminates duplication between Fish and Zsh shells:

• shared/abbreviations.yaml - Single source of truth for all 250+ abbreviations
• shared/environment.sh and shared/environment.fish - Common environment variables
• shared/generate-all-abbr.sh - Unified script to regenerate abbreviations for all shells
• shared/generate-fish-abbr.sh and shared/generate-zsh-abbr.sh - Individual shell-specific generation scripts

1. Edit ~/dotfiles/shared/abbreviations.yaml

2. Regenerate all abbreviations (from any directory):

   reload-abbr    # Available as a shell function - works from anywhere!

3. Reload your shell configuration:

   • Fish: exec fish or open a new terminal
   • Zsh: src or open a new terminal

cd ~/dotfiles/shared
./generate-all-abbr.sh     # Updates both Fish and Zsh abbreviation files

cd ~/dotfiles/shared
./generate-fish-abbr.sh    # Updates fish/.config/fish/abbreviations.fish
./generate-zsh-abbr.sh     # Updates zsh/.config/zsh-abbr/abbreviations.zsh

The shared configuration includes intelligent git functions that automatically detect your main branch:

• gpum - Pull from upstream main/master
• grbm - Rebase on main/master
• gcom - Checkout main/master
• gbrm - Remove branches merged into main/master

These functions work with both main and master branch names automatically.

This repository includes comprehensive documentation for all shell functions and abbreviations to improve maintainability and user experience.

All 35+ shell functions are thoroughly documented with standardized inline comments and external reference guides:

• Function Overview - Complete index of all functions with descriptions and categories
• Git Functions - Smart git operations with automatic branch detection
• Development Tools - Development utilities, navigation shortcuts, and command wrappers
• Tmux Functions - Terminal multiplexer session management and workflows
• System Functions - System utilities, process management, and command enhancements

All 289 shell abbreviations are documented with usage examples and descriptions:

• Complete Abbreviations Reference - Comprehensive guide to all abbreviations across categories
  • UNIX commands with enhanced options
  • Git workflow shortcuts
  • Development tool shortcuts
  • Homebrew package management
  • Docker, Rails, Node.js, and more

• Standardized Format: All functions include usage, arguments, examples, and return values
• Cross-Shell Consistency: Identical documentation quality in both Fish and Zsh
• Practical Examples: Real-world usage scenarios and workflow integration
• Cross-References: Links between related functions and abbreviations

Function Documentation: Manually maintained with standardized inline comments and reference guides.

Abbreviation Documentation: Fully automated! Generated from shared/abbreviations.yaml:

# Regenerate everything (abbreviations + documentation)
reload-abbr

# Or manually from the dotfiles directory
~/dotfiles/shared/generate-all-abbr.sh

# Individual generators (for development)
~/dotfiles/shared/generate-fish-abbr.sh          # Fish abbreviations only
~/dotfiles/shared/generate-zsh-abbr.sh           # Zsh abbreviations only
~/dotfiles/shared/generate-abbreviations-doc.sh  # Documentation only

What gets regenerated automatically:

• fish/.config/fish/abbreviations.fish (288 abbreviations)
• zsh/.config/zsh-abbr/abbreviations.zsh (289 abbreviations)
• docs/abbreviations.md (complete reference documentation)

After regeneration: Reload your shell (exec fish or src) to use new abbreviations.

This repository includes a complete markdownlint setup for consistent markdown formatting across all projects.

• Global Configuration: Uses ~/.markdownlint.yaml with sensible defaults:
  • Disabled line length rule (MD013) for better readability
  • Allows common inline HTML elements (details, summary, strong)
  • Supports trailing punctuation including CJK characters
  • Allows bare URLs (MD034 disabled)
• Shell Abbreviations: Quick access via mdl commands
• Editor Integration: Works seamlessly with Neovim/LazyVim
• CI/CD Support: Includes sample GitHub Actions workflow

# Install markdownlint-cli2 (if not already installed)
brew bundle install

# Lint files using abbreviations
mdl README.md              # Lint single file
mdlf README.md             # Auto-fix single file
mdla                       # Lint all .md files recursively
mdlaf                      # Fix all .md files recursively

# Or use the global helper script
mdl-global README.md       # Always uses ~/.markdownlint.yaml

Copy the example workflow to any project:

cp ~/dotfiles/.github/workflows/markdownlint.yml.example .github/workflows/markdownlint.yml

This will run markdownlint on all markdown files in pull requests and pushes.

• Global config: Edit ~/dotfiles/markdown/.markdownlint.yaml
• Project-specific: Create .markdownlint.yaml in your project root
• Add abbreviations: Edit ~/dotfiles/shared/abbreviations.yaml and run reload-abbr

📺 Zero to IDE with LazyVim

Back in the day if you wanted to use Vim (and later Neovim) you had to code a ton of configuration on your own. With Vim we got Vimscript 🤢, but then came Neovim which brought us Lua 🤩. I went from ye olde crunchy .vimrc to the more adventurous init.vim to the blessed path of init.lua. 😇

Meanwhile, there were the VS Code boys across the fence, bragging about their fancy icons, shiny tabs, and the oh-so-cool LSP. I confess, I even tried VS Code for a bit. That didn't last long. 😬

But Neovim has caught up. And wow have they. caught. up. Not only do we have native LSP support in Neovim (have had for a while now — v0.5), but we are solidly in the era of pre-baked Neovim distributions that are really challenging the notion of Vim/Neovim as austere, command-line editors. (I will say that I think we owe a lot to VS Code for raising the bar here. But I'm still glad I'm with Neovim. 😉)

If you want a quick primer on Neovim distros, check out the YouTube video below. I started with LunarVim (my first entry into distro-land) and now I'm with LazyVim and the Folke gang. Bottom line: you can still config Neovim from scratch if you want to, but you can get a HUGE head-start by just grabbing a distro and tweaking it to your needs.

📺 I tried Neovim Distributions so you don't have to

Boy, when I reminisce about the days of writing PHP for Internet Explorer in BBEdit...

Over the years, I’ve branched out to explore a variety of mono-spaced fonts, both free and premium. Here is a list of my favorites.

Included in my Brewfile and installed by default via Homebrew Cask Fonts

• Cascadia Code
• Fira Code
• Hack
• JetBrains Mono
• Monaspace Argon
• Monaspace Neon
• Symbols Nerd Font Mono (for icons only)

You have to give people money if you want these. 🤑

• Operator Mono
• MonoLisa
• Comic Code

I first discovered ligatures through Fira Code, which IMHO is probably the king of programming fonts. After using Fira Code, it’s hard to go back to a sans-ligature typeface. Therefore all the fonts I’ve included in my fave’s list do include ligatures, although some have more than others.

Back in the day, I started using the VimDevicons plugin so I could have fancy file-type icons in Vim. (Remember NERDTree?) In order for this to work, one had to install patched “Nerd-font” versions of whatever programming font one wanted to use. For example:

# Original font
$ brew install --cask font-fira-code

# Patched variant
$ brew install --cask font-fira-code-nerd-font

Patching fonts with icons still works fine of course, and is, I think, pretty widely used. However, during my exploration of kitty, I discovered that there is a different (better?) approach to icon fonts. It turns out, you don't need a patched version of your chosen mono-spaced font. You can get most if not all the icons you need and use them alongside any font by just installing the Symbols Nerd Font Mono font.

Leveraging this approach depends on your terminal. In iTerm2, for example, you need to check “Use a different font for non-ASCII text” in the Preferences panel. Then select Symbols Nerd Font Mono font under “Non-ASCII font”. (see screenshot below)

kitty does things a little differently. If you install a patched font, it will mostly work. Mostly. But the “kitty way” can be broken down in three steps:

1. Install a normal, un-patched mono-spaced font, such as Cascadia Code
2. Install a dedicated icon font, such as Symbols Nerd Font Mono
3. Create a set of Unicode symbol maps¹ to tell kitty which font to use for which icons (symbols)

More work up front, maybe, but less guesswork in the long-term once you understand what's going on. And if you're using my dotfiles, you have it easy. All the fonts you need are installed in Brewfile, and I have a set of Unicode symbol maps ready to go. 😎

If you want to check whether icons and ligatures are working properly, try running the included nerd-font-smoke-test.sh script from the root of the dotfiles folder like so:

bash nerd-font-smoke-test.sh

If your terminal is configured correctly, the output of the test should look like this:

Again, thank you, Elijah Manor!

• Nerd Fonts
• Nerd Font Cheat Sheet
• Programming Fonts - Test Drive
• Homebrew Cask Fonts

Once upon a time, I almost left Vim due to some crippling performance issues. These issues were particularly painful when editing Ruby files. I documented what I learned here:

▹ What I’ve learned about slow performance in Vim

The .zshrc script can be profiled by touching the file ~/.zshrc.profiler and starting a new login shell. To see the top 20 lines that are taking the most time use the zshrc_profiler_view. zshrc_profiler parameters are number of lines to show (20) and path to profiler log file ($TMPDIR/zshrc_profiler.${PID}log).

• https://github.com/LazyVim/lazyvim
• https://github.com/LunarVim/LunarVim
• https://github.com/NvChad/NvChad
• https://github.com/LunarVim/Launch.nvim
• https://github.com/folke/dot
• https://github.com/nvim-lua/kickstart.nvim
• https://github.com/ThePrimeagen/init.lua
• https://github.com/elijahmanor/dotfiles
• https://github.com/cpow/cpow-dotfiles
• https://github.com/josean-dev/dev-environment-files
• https://github.com/glepnir/nvim
• https://github.com/numToStr/dotfiles
• https://github.com/jdhao/nvim-config
• https://github.com/brainfucksec/neovim-lua
• https://github.com/disrupted/dotfiles
• https://github.com/topics/neovim-dotfiles
• https://github.com/topics/neovim-config

• Pro Vim (https://github.com/Integralist/ProVim)
• Trevor Brown (https://github.com/Stratus3D/dotfiles)
• Chris Toomey (https://github.com/christoomey/dotfiles)
• thoughtbot (https://github.com/thoughtbot/dotfiles)
• Lars Kappert (https://github.com/webpro/dotfiles)
• Ryan Bates (https://github.com/ryanb/dotfiles)
• Ben Orenstein (https://github.com/r00k/dotfiles)
• Joshua Clayton (https://github.com/joshuaclayton/dotfiles)
• Drew Neil (https://github.com/nelstrom/dotfiles)
• Kevin Suttle (https://github.com/kevinSuttle/OSXDefaults)
• Carlos Becker (https://github.com/caarlos0/dotfiles)
• Zach Holman (https://github.com/holman/dotfiles/)
• Mathias Bynens (https://github.com/mathiasbynens/dotfiles/)
• Paul Irish (https://github.com/paulirish/dotfiles)

• http://dotfiles.github.io/
• https://medium.com/@webprolific/getting-started-with-dotfiles-43c3602fd789
• http://code.tutsplus.com/tutorials/setting-up-a-mac-dev-machine-from-zero-to-hero-with-dotfiles--net-35449
• https://github.com/webpro/awesome-dotfiles
• http://blog.smalleycreative.com/tutorials/using-git-and-github-to-manage-your-dotfiles/
• http://carlosbecker.com/posts/first-steps-with-mac-os-x-as-a-developer/
• https://mattstauffer.co/blog/setting-up-a-new-os-x-development-machine-part-1-core-files-and-custom-shell

Copyright © 2014–2025 Joshua Steele. MIT License