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twpayne/chezmoi

📈 Trending★ 19,792GoAudience · developerComplexity · 2/5ActiveLicenseSetup · easy

TLDR

Sync your dotfiles (config files like .bashrc.vimrc) across multiple machines securely, keeping settings consistent everywhere.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((chezmoi))
    What it does
      Manages dotfiles
      Syncs across machines
      Handles secrets safely
    How it works
      Central repository
      Applies consistently
      Tracks changes
    Use cases
      Multi-machine setup
      Team config sharing
      Secure credentials
    Tech stack
      Go language
      Linux and macOS
    Key features
      Password protection
      API key management

Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Keep your shell config, editor settings, and git configuration identical across your laptop, work desktop, and servers.

USE CASE 2

Store API keys and passwords in your dotfiles repository without exposing them in plain text.

USE CASE 3

Share a team's standard development environment setup across multiple developers' machines.

USE CASE 4

Quickly restore your entire development environment on a new machine by running chezmoi on it.

Tech stack

GoLinuxmacOS

Getting it running

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min
Use freely for any purpose, including commercial use, as long as you keep the copyright notice.

In plain English

Chezmoi is a tool for managing "dotfiles", the hidden configuration files (like .bashrc, .vimrc, or .gitconfig) that control how your development tools behave on a computer. The problem it solves is keeping those settings in sync when you work across multiple machines: a home laptop, a work desktop, and a remote server might all need the same setup. Chezmoi tracks your dotfiles in a central repository and applies them consistently across every machine. It also handles sensitive values like passwords or API keys securely, without exposing them in plain text. Written in Go, it runs on Linux and macOS and is documented at chezmoi.io.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
How do I use chezmoi to manage my dotfiles across my laptop and work computer?
Prompt 2
Show me how to store sensitive values like API keys in chezmoi without exposing them in my repository.
Prompt 3
I want to set up chezmoi to sync my .bashrc.vimrc, and .gitconfig across three machines. What are the steps?
Prompt 4
How can I use chezmoi to share a standard development environment configuration with my team?
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Generated 2026-05-18 · Model: sonnet-4-6 · Verify against the repo before relying on details.