Choose your setup

Use this page to make the installation choices explicit. The configuration generator produces a command for a checkout at ~/dotfiles. It does not inspect your computer or run a shell command.

Start with the target

macOS

• Install the Xcode Command Line Tools when prompted by Homebrew.
• Allow administrator authentication for initial Homebrew setup.
• Review the macOS workstation guide for services, input preferences, window management, and GUI integrations.
• A configured MCP client does not grant Accessibility, Automation, Screen Recording, or account access.

Linux

• The public package-manager bootstrap runs without sudo and installs into the managed local prefix.
• Custom-prefix Homebrew may compile packages that cannot use relocated bottles.
• Use PLAT isolation if multiple architectures share one home directory.
• Review the new-machine workflows and runtime paths before enabling scratch relocation.

Compose the command

Target machine

macOS Linux

Tool profile

Core Full

Explicit options

Isolate binaries by platform for a shared home Include local-model tooling

Local MLX tooling requires the Full profile on an Apple Silicon Mac. Model downloads are a separate opt-in step.

Install the Blender MCP addon (requires Blender)

Core narrows optional Python/Cargo tools. Homebrew still installs its declared package set.

Review, then run from your terminalCopy command

DF_PROFILE=core DF_USE_PLAT=0 DF_DO_LOCAL_LLM=0 DF_DO_BLENDER_MCP=0 ~/dotfiles/bootstrap.sh

This page generates a command; it does not execute it.

DF_PROFILE=core narrows optional Python and Cargo tools. It does not select a minimal Homebrew manifest or uninstall tools left by a previous full setup. Explicit DF_DO_* gates control individual stages. Turning a stage off generally skips reconciliation; it is not an uninstall operation.

Run and verify

1. Clone and inspect the source:

   Create the local checkout

   git clone https://github.com/cadebrown/dotfiles ~/dotfiles
   cd ~/dotfiles
   less bootstrap.sh

2. Copy the generated command, review the bootstrap guide, then run it from an interactive terminal. Identity prompts are cached by chezmoi.

3. Read the final verification and degradation output. Check the runtime paths independently:

   Inspect the resulting environment

   bash ~/dotfiles/install/verify-path.sh
   command -v git node npm python cargo

4. Open a new login shell, then follow the relevant operator guide. Preserve the selected flags and output with the machine’s setup notes.

Match a recipe to the problem

Use case	Main choice	Relevant evidence
Personal workstation	Full profile, selected GUI integrations	New shell resolves managed tools; app settings visible in the app
Narrower CI or SSH host	Core plus explicit stage gates	Required command smoke tests on that host
Shared NFS home	DF_USE_PLAT=1	Per-host PLAT and resolved executable paths
Local model experiments	Full profile on Apple Silicon macOS; enable local LLM tools	Model license, successful load, end-to-end task, measured latency
Blender automation	Blender installed; addon selected	Bridge health, render, saved .blend, reopen/import evidence

Source contracts: bootstrap.sh, shared runtime defaults, and package profiles.