Dotfiles

Personal Arch Linux + Hyprland configuration with safe HOME backups and separate device/display profiles.

Preview

Quick Start

git clone https://github.com/Xlerq/dotfiles.git ~/.dotfiles
cd ~/.dotfiles

./dotfiles install --dry-run
./dotfiles install

Prerequisite: an Arch Linux user account with working sudo access (git is needed for the clone). The default package step installs rsync before HOME deployment.

On a fresh HOME, the default install uses the minimal package lists, detects CPU/GPU and laptop/desktop automatically, applies the safe generic display layout, and backs up replaced HOME files. A previously saved profile selection is reused.

The installer also enables audio-sanity.service (masks/stops PulseAudio and restarts PipeWire) and hyprpolkitagent.service when available. Use --skip-user-services to leave user services unchanged.

For this repository's AOC 1440p + Samsung 1080p desktop layout:

./dotfiles install --device desktop --display desktop-dual

Add --with-extras to install GUI applications, development tools, gaming packages, and Zed:

./dotfiles install --with-extras

Everyday Use

Direction	Preview	Apply
Repository → HOME	./dotfiles apply --dry-run	./dotfiles apply
HOME → repository	./dotfiles capture --dry-run	./dotfiles capture

A real capture requires a Git worktree and refuses to run when it is dirty; its dry-run only warns. Commit/stash existing changes first; --force is available for intentional exceptions. Capture updates the common files and only the selected device/display profiles, so pass explicit profile flags when capturing on another machine.

After applying inside a running Hyprland session, log out and back in so UWSM, cursor variables, startup programs, and Waybar all use the new configuration.

Compatibility wrappers remain available:

./scripts/deploy-home.sh  # same as: ./dotfiles apply
./scripts/sync-home.sh    # same as: ./dotfiles capture

List the common tracked HOME components (profile overlays are listed separately by profiles):

./dotfiles list

Profiles

Profiles have two independent axes, applied in this order:

common dotfiles → device profile → display profile

Device profiles:

• desktop: enables the Spotatui/Cava dashboard (installed with --with-extras), keeps the full Waybar status set, and turns displays off without suspending the PC automatically.
• laptop: skips the dashboard, adds a battery module, avoids the continuously polled system-info module, and suspends after 30 minutes of inactivity.

Display profiles:

• generic: preferred resolution, automatic position and scale; safe for unknown displays and laptops.
• laptop-1080p: preferred resolution with native 1x scale for 1080p laptop panels.
• desktop-dual: AOC 2560×1440@155 with Waybar plus Samsung 1920×1080@60 on the left; monitors are matched by description rather than unstable connector numbers.

Choose profiles explicitly when needed:

./dotfiles apply --device laptop --display generic
./dotfiles apply --device laptop --display laptop-1080p
./dotfiles apply --device desktop --display desktop-dual

The last applied selection is stored under ${XDG_STATE_HOME:-~/.local/state}/dotfiles/selection, so later apply and capture commands do not need repeated flags. See the saved selection (or auto before the first apply) with:

./dotfiles profiles

Dashboard windows and the power menu scale from the active monitor geometry, so a new resolution normally does not need another profile. Add a display profile only for a real layout that needs different outputs, scale, refresh rate, or monitor positions. Copy profiles/display/generic/, inspect identifiers with hyprctl monitors all, then edit its monitor.lua and Waybar display.jsonc. Hyprland expects desc:MAKE MODEL SERIAL; Waybar uses the same description without desc:. An empty Waybar object ({}) shows bars on all outputs, while "output" restricts it to one.

Safety

• --dry-run does not modify HOME or the repository.
• By default, real apply operations back up replaced/deleted HOME files under ~/.dotfiles-backups/<timestamp>/.
• Only explicitly listed legacy files are removed; deployment never performs a global --delete against HOME.
• capture first builds a temporary snapshot, excludes ignored/private filenames, checks changed text files for secret-like assignments, and only then updates the repository. It never deletes repository files automatically; a failed update restores the original managed files and keeps a recovery snapshot.
• Spotatui secret-like fields are reset during capture, its local file remains private (0600), HOME paths become @HOME@, and Zed runtime data is never captured.
• Machine-specific LACT GPU identifiers and transient systemd/Micro state are filtered.

Installer Options

The installer remains Arch-specific and never applies system/ unless requested:

./dotfiles install --with-extras
./dotfiles install --cpu intel --gpu nvidia
./dotfiles install --apply-system
./dotfiles install --help

On a fresh system, --skip-aur also omits wlogout, so the Waybar power button will not open its menu.

Package sets live in packages/:

• official-minimal.txt / aur-minimal.txt
• official-extra.txt / aur-extra.txt
• CPU/GPU-specific lists

Repository Layout

• manifest/home-items.tsv — common HOME mappings and capture policies.
• profiles/device/ — laptop/desktop behavior overlays.
• profiles/display/ — monitor layout overlays.
• application directories (hypr/, waybar/, zed/, etc.) — common configuration.
• scripts/dotfiles.sh — implementation behind the public ./dotfiles command.
• scripts/install-arch.sh — package/system installer.