sync:dotfiles

Sync Dotfiles with Chezmoi

Sync the user's modified dotfiles to the remote repository using chezmoi. The user's chezmoi configuration is set up with git.autoCommit and git.autoPush enabled, so chezmoi will automatically commit and push changes after each sync operation.

Follow these steps carefully:

1. Check Status

Run chezmoi status and interpret the two-column output for the user:

Status	Meaning	Action needed
M	Home dir changed, source unchanged	Sync home → source
M	Source changed, home unchanged	Apply source → home
MM	Both changed	Conflict — ask user which wins

If no files are modified, inform the user that the repository is already synced and stop.

2. Show Differences

Run chezmoi diff to display what changed. Note that the diff shows:

• Left side = what chezmoi would apply (source/target state)
• Right side = what is currently in the home directory

3. Ask for Confirmation

Ask the user if they want to proceed with syncing these changes. For any MM (conflict) files, ask explicitly: should the source win or the home directory win?

4. Sync Changes

For each modified file, select the appropriate command based on its source attributes. Use chezmoi source-path <file> to get the source filename, then inspect it:

File attributes	Command
Non-template, not encrypted	chezmoi re-add <file>
Non-template, encrypted (source starts with encrypted_)	chezmoi re-add <file>
Template (source ends in .tmpl), not encrypted	chezmoi add --template <file>
Template, encrypted	chezmoi add --template --encrypt <file>

For MM conflict files:

• Source wins → chezmoi apply --force <file>
• Home dir wins → use the appropriate add command from the table above

5. Verify and Confirm

Run chezmoi status again after syncing. If any files are still listed as modified, chezmoi re-add likely silently skipped a template file — re-run using chezmoi add --template <file> for those files.

Once status is clean, confirm to the user that the sync completed successfully.

Error Handling

Silent no-op (status still dirty after re-add): The file is a template that re-add skipped without warning. Use chezmoi add --template <file> instead.

TTY error on MM files: chezmoi apply on a conflicted file tries to open an interactive merge. If you see could not open a new TTY, use chezmoi apply --force <file> instead.

Network/auth errors: Check:

• Remote is accessible
• SSH keys are configured
• Network connection is working
• Auto-commit/auto-push settings in ~/.config/chezmoi/chezmoi.toml

Known Template Files

These files are templates and must always be synced with chezmoi add --template <file>. Do not use chezmoi re-add for these files — it will silently do nothing.

Home path	Source path
~/.gitconfig	dot_gitconfig.tmpl
~/.lein/profiles.clj	dot_lein/symlink_profiles.clj.tmpl
~/.config/fish/config.fish	private_dot_config/private_fish/config.fish.tmpl
~/.config/fish/fish_variables	private_dot_config/private_fish/fish_variables.tmpl
~/.config/homebrew/Brewfile	private_dot_config/homebrew/Brewfile.tmpl
~/.config/jj/config.toml	private_dot_config/private_jj/config.toml.tmpl

To rediscover this list at any time: find ~/.local/share/chezmoi -name "*.tmpl"

Important Notes

• chezmoi re-add silently skips template files (.tmpl) — always verify status is clean after running it
• chezmoi re-add preserves encryption attributes automatically; chezmoi add requires --encrypt to be passed explicitly
• Auto-commit and auto-push are enabled in the user's configuration
• Commit messages are auto-generated by chezmoi