Please read this

The way this repository uses for storing my dotfiles is with a bare repository. This makes it easy to clone, and it doesn't need to use system links.

The technique consists in storing a Git bare repository in a "side" folder (like $HOME/.cfg or $HOME/.myconfig) using a specially crafted alias so that commands are run against that repository and not the usual .git local folder, which would interfere with any other Git repositories around.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

What are the prerequisites for this?

Install git.

Warning

If you install git using brew you will break completion.

How do I import the dotfiles?

Use this command:

git clone --bare git@github.com:datwaft/dotfiles.git $HOME/.dotfiles

This will clone the contents of the remote repository (the .git link) to the home directory (~) while referencing ~/.dotfiles as the local bare repository (the —seperate-git-dir part).

After that add the alias to the current shell scope:

alias .git='git --git-dir ~/.dotfiles --work-tree ~'

And after that do a checkout to add the files to the home directory:

.git checkout

Warning

Your home directory shouldn't contain any of the dotfiles present inside the directory.

Where did you get the information for using your dotfiles like this?

Here: https://www.atlassian.com/git/tutorials/dotfiles

And Here: https://martijnvos.dev/using-a-bare-git-repository-to-store-linux-dotfiles/