---

name: dotter-manager description: Manage dotfiles using Dotter. Use for deploying configurations, adding new packages, debugging templates, and managing global/local configs.

Dotter Manager

This skill helps you manage the dotfiles repository using Dotter.

Core Workflows

1. Deploy Changes

Always test with dry-run first.

Copy# Preview changes
dotter deploy --dry-run

# Apply changes
dotter deploy -v

# Force apply (overwrite)
dotter deploy -f

2. Add New Configuration

1. Move config to repo: mv ~/.config/app ./app
2. Edit .dotter/global.toml:

   Copy[app.files]
   "app/config" = "~/.config/app/config"
   

3. Test: dotter deploy --dry-run

3. Machine-Specific Config

Edit .dotter/local.toml (do not commit this file):

Copypackages = ["default", "app"] # Select active packages

[variables]
theme = "light" # Override global variables

4. Templating & Syntax

See syntax.md for Handlebars and TOML reference. For deep details, check docs/dotter-templates.md in the repo.

Troubleshooting

• Variable not found: Check global.toml [variables] section or local.toml.
• Symlink failed: Use -f to force overwrite if file exists.
• Template not rendering: Ensure file has {{ or set type = "template" in toml.
• Debug: Use dotter deploy -vv for verbose logs.