Chezmoi Workflows

Self-Evolving Skill: This skill improves through use. If instructions are wrong, parameters drifted, or a workaround was needed - fix this file immediately, don't defer. Only update for real, reproducible issues.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• Backing up dotfiles to Git repository
• Syncing configuration files across machines
• Tracking changes to shell configs, editor settings, or other dotfiles
• Managing templated configurations with chezmoi
• Troubleshooting dotfile drift between source and target

Architecture

1. Status Check

chezmoi source-path                    # Show source directory
chezmoi git -- remote -v               # Show GitHub remote
chezmoi status                         # Show drift between source and target
chezmoi managed | wc -l                # Count tracked files

2. Track File Changes

After editing a config file, add it to chezmoi:

chezmoi status                         # 1. Verify file shows as modified
chezmoi diff ~/.zshrc                  # 2. Review changes
chezmoi add ~/.zshrc                   # 3. Add to source (auto-commits if configured)
chezmoi git -- log -1 --oneline        # 4. Verify commit created
chezmoi git -- push                    # 5. Push to remote

3. Track New File

Add a previously untracked config file:

chezmoi add ~/.config/app/config.toml  # 1. Add file to source
chezmoi managed | grep app             # 2. Verify in managed list
chezmoi git -- push                    # 3. Push to remote

4. Sync from Remote

Pull changes from GitHub and apply to home directory:

chezmoi update                         # 1. Pull + apply (single command)
chezmoi verify                         # 2. Verify all files match source
chezmoi status                         # 3. Confirm no drift

5. Push All Changes

Bulk sync all modified tracked files to remote:

chezmoi status                         # 1. Review all drift
chezmoi re-add                         # 2. Re-add all managed files (auto-commits)
chezmoi git -- push                    # 3. Push to remote

6. First-Time Setup

Install chezmoi

brew install chezmoi                   # macOS
sudo pacman -S chezmoi                 # Arch Linux

Initialize (fresh start)

/usr/bin/env bash << 'CONFIG_EOF'
chezmoi init                           # Create empty source
chezmoi add ~/.zshrc ~/.gitconfig      # Add first files
gh repo create dotfiles --private --source="$(chezmoi source-path)" --push
CONFIG_EOF

Initialize (clone existing)

chezmoi init git@github.com:<user>/dotfiles.git
chezmoi apply                          # Deploy to home directory

7. Configure Source Directory

Move source to custom location (e.g., for multi-account SSH):

/usr/bin/env bash << 'SKILL_SCRIPT_EOF'
mv "$(chezmoi source-path)" ~/path/to/dotfiles
SKILL_SCRIPT_EOF

Edit ~/.config/chezmoi/chezmoi.toml:

sourceDir = "~/path/to/dotfiles"

Verify:

chezmoi source-path                    # Should show new location

8. Change Remote

Switch to different GitHub account or repository:

chezmoi git -- remote -v                                              # View current
chezmoi git -- remote set-url origin git@github.com:<user>/<repo>.git # Change
chezmoi git -- push -u origin main                                    # Push to new remote

9. Resolve Merge Conflicts

/usr/bin/env bash << 'GIT_EOF'
chezmoi git -- status                  # 1. Identify conflicted files
chezmoi git -- diff                    # 2. Review conflicts
# Manually edit files in $(chezmoi source-path)
chezmoi git -- add <resolved-files>    # 3. Stage resolved files
chezmoi git -- commit -m "Resolve merge conflict"
chezmoi apply                          # 4. Apply to home directory
chezmoi git -- push                    # 5. Push resolution
GIT_EOF

10. Validation (SLO)

After major operations, verify system state:

chezmoi verify                         # Exit 0 = all files match source
chezmoi diff                           # Empty = no drift
chezmoi managed                        # Lists all tracked files
chezmoi git -- log --oneline -3        # Recent commit history

11. Forget (Untrack) a File

Stop tracking a file without deleting it from home directory:

chezmoi managed | grep config.local     # 1. Confirm file is tracked
chezmoi forget --force ~/.config/app/config.local.toml  # 2. Remove from source (--force skips TTY prompt)
chezmoi git -- push                     # 3. Push removal to remote
ls ~/.config/app/config.local.toml      # 4. Verify file still exists in home

When to use: Machine-specific configs, files with secrets that shouldn't be synced, files accidentally added.

12. Template Management

Create OS/architecture-conditional configs using Go templates:

Convert existing file to template

chezmoi add --template ~/.config/app/config.toml  # 1. Add as template (creates .tmpl suffix in source)
chezmoi edit ~/.config/app/config.toml             # 2. Edit template in $EDITOR
chezmoi diff ~/.config/app/config.toml             # 3. Preview what would change
chezmoi apply ~/.config/app/config.toml            # 4. Apply rendered template to home

Common template patterns

# OS-conditional block
{{ if eq .chezmoi.os "darwin" -}}
export HOMEBREW_PREFIX="/opt/homebrew"
{{ else if eq .chezmoi.os "linux" -}}
export HOMEBREW_PREFIX="/home/linuxbrew/.linuxbrew"
{{ end -}}

# Architecture-conditional
{{ if eq .chezmoi.arch "arm64" -}}
ARCH="aarch64"
{{ else -}}
ARCH="x86_64"
{{ end -}}

# Custom data from chezmoi.toml [data] section
git_name = "{{ .git.name }}"
git_email = "{{ .git.email }}"

# 1Password secret (requires op CLI)
api_key = {{ onepasswordRead "op://Vault/Item/Field" }}

Verify template renders correctly

chezmoi execute-template < "$(chezmoi source-path)/dot_config/app/config.toml.tmpl"
chezmoi cat ~/.config/app/config.toml   # Show rendered output without applying

13. Safe Update (Diff Before Apply)

Pull from remote with review step - safer than blind chezmoi update:

chezmoi git -- pull                    # 1. Pull source changes only (no apply)
chezmoi diff                           # 2. Review what WOULD change in home directory
chezmoi apply --dry-run --verbose      # 3. Dry run - shows actions without executing
chezmoi apply                          # 4. Apply after review
chezmoi status                         # 5. Confirm clean state

When to use: When pulling changes made on another machine, or after a long gap between syncs. Avoids surprise overwrites of local edits.

14. Doctor (Diagnostic)

Troubleshoot chezmoi setup and environment:

chezmoi doctor                         # Full diagnostic - checks all components

Key fields to verify:

chezmoi doctor | grep -v "^ok"         # Show only warnings and errors

Reference

• Setup Guide - Installation, multi-account GitHub, migration
• Prompt Patterns - Detailed workflow examples
• Configuration - chezmoi.toml settings, templates
• Secret Detection - Handling detected secrets

Chezmoi docs: https://www.chezmoi.io/reference/

Troubleshooting

Post-Execution Reflection

After this skill completes, check before closing:

1. Did the command succeed? - If not, fix the instruction or error table that caused the failure.
2. Did parameters or output change? - If the underlying tool's interface drifted, update Usage examples and Parameters table to match.
3. Was a workaround needed? - If you had to improvise (different flags, extra steps), update this SKILL.md so the next invocation doesn't need the same workaround.

Only update if the issue is real and reproducible - not speculative.