Beginner-Exploring-Linux

[![Author](https://img.shields.io/badge/Author-Senka_Wolf-4044ee?style=for-the-badge)](https://github.com/silentz) [![License](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-Apache--2.0-blue?style=for-the-badge)](./LICENSE.md) ![GitHub last commit](https://img.shields.io/github/last-commit/senkawolf/Software-List?style=for-the-badge)

Expand Table Here

- [My CachyOS Setup](#My-CachyOS-Setup)

CachyOS Plasma KDE dotfiles (backup with GNU stow)

Step 1 - Setup Prep

Install GNU Stow:

$ sudo pacman -Sy stow

Make a directory within the home directory.

$ mkdir dotfiles

mkdir - Make folder/directory
dotfiles - folder/directory name

[!NOTE] The ~ symbolises the home directory and this is where all the configs are found and also the place we should store our backup directory as well. This is because GNU Stow will symlink files using the same file paths and files found within the directory we just made to the home directory.

Step 2 - Files

If you are setting it up for the first time you need to move your current files to the folder we just made to make the backup or clone a repo into the directory if you are restoring a backup.

Move onto either Step 2.1 - Moving Current Files or Step 2.2 Restoring Backup depending on your situation.

Step 2.1 - Moving Current Files

If you want to make a backup of the current files you will need to move them from the current directory and into the dotfiles folder.

Navigate into the directory:

$ cd dotfiles #Navigate into the directory
$ mv ~/.zshrc ./ #Move the files you want to backup

Below explains a breakdown of the command, the files being moved can be change to suit the files you wish to backup.

mv - move
~/.zshrc - .zshrc file found in the home directory. Change this path to any dotfiles you wish to include in the backup.
./ - Put the files in the current directory you are in.

If you want some examples of dotfiles to backup look at the Files To Backup section. Here is an example of how your folder should look after you have moved your files, remember this will vary depending on your install applications.

└── dotfiles/
    ├── .zshrc
    └── .config/
        ├── plasma-org.kde.plasma.desktop-appletsrc
        ├── kwinrc
        ├── kdeglobals
        ├── btop/
        │   └── btop.conf
        ├── fastfetch/
        │   └── config.jsonc
        └── starship.toml

Once you have moved all the files, we then need to initialise a new repository by

$ git init
$ git add --all #Stage all the files
$ git commit -m "Message Here" #Commit the files
$ git push #Finally to push it to the repository

[!CAUTION] Be careful as some dotfiles may contain sensative data which could be a security risk and should not be shared. To be safe ensure the GitHub repository is private unless you know what you are doing!

Step 2.2 Restoring Backup

Now we need to make a SSH key to allow us to access the already existing repo.

$ ssh-keygen -C GUN-Stow-Repo

ssh-keygen - Generates a new public/private key pair.
-C - This allows us to add a comment.
GUN-Stow-Repo - Comment, you can put anything you want just make it descriptive.

Next it will ask were do you want to save the key. I like to leave it as default so just press enter.

You will get a prompt to override, type y and continue.

You will now be asked for a passphrase, type what you like or if you wish to not have one leave it blank and press enter. This will then output something like:

$ Your identifiation has been saved in /home/senkawolf/.ssh/id_ed25519
$ Your public key has been saved in /home/senkawolf/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub
$ The key fingerprint is:
$ SHA256:MmGMLEPB+om6hVMoFEz1DxxcfYkSS3TcUHSAlihgdr4 GUN-Stow-Repo

Copy the public key directory path and run the below:

cat /home/senkawolf/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

This will then print your SSH key in the terminal, copy everything. Or you can use your window explorer and manually navigate to the file, just remember the .ssh folder is hidden and you will need to turn on hidden files.

Then go to your Github settings, then go to the Access section and you will see “SSH and GPG keys”.

Click New SSH key, type whatever title you want just make sure it is descriptive and then paste in the key you copied from the terminal. You will be asked to enter your password or F2A to finalise adding the SSH key.

Now you can clone your repository, make sure you are in the home ~ directory. Then go to your repo on GitHub, click on the code button and get the SSH reference. Your will differ to the below but will be something like git clone git@github.com:<username>/<repo name>.git

$ cd ~
$ git clone git@github.com:SenkaWolf/dotfiles.git

If you added a passphrase when making the SSH key it will be asked during this setup.

Step 3 - GNU Stow

Now that we have the directory made with the files we want to symlink.

$ cd dotfiles #Make sure you are in the dotfiles directory.
$ stow . #Run this to create the symlink.

Step 4 Using the setup

Now whenevery you make a change and want to back it up you can repeat the below steps as used in Step 2.1 - Moving Current Files.

Pushing Files

To push the file to github you must do the following:

$ git add --all #Stage all the files
$ git commit -m "Message Here" #Commit the files
$ git push #Finally to push it to the repository

Pulling Files

$ git status #Check the status of the repo.
$ git pull #Pull changes

Adding New Files

Stow doesn’t constantly look for new links so if you add a new file to the repository folder manually or via git you will need to rerun:

$ cd dotfiles
$ stow .

[!NOTE] If a file already exists in the location the symlink is being made you will get an error. If this happens you can simply navigate to the directory and delete the file. Then repeat the same steps above again and it will work.

Notes

Files To Backup

There are many files you can back up, but here are a few important ones. These can include system files as well as application files, and the exact files you choose will depend on the applications you use.

File / Directory	Type	Notes / Description
~/.zshrc	Linux	Zsh shell
~/.config/kdeglobals	plasmashell	General KDE Plasma settings (theme, colors, fonts)
~/.config/kwinrc	Application	KWin window manager configuration (window rules, effects)
~/.config/plasma-org.kde.plasma.desktop-appletsrc	plasmashell	Plasma desktop layout and widgets configuration
~/.gitconfig	Application	Git global configuration
~/.ssh/	Application	SSH keys and settings
~/.gnupg/	Application	GPG keys and settings
~/.config/<General Apps>	Application	Most modern Linux apps store configs here

General Apps

Some examples of these are:

btop (~/.config/btop/btop.conf)
htop (~/.config/htop/htoprc)
fastfetch (~/.config/fastfetch/config.jsonc)
ghostty (~/.config/ghostty/config)

Restarting Plasma

If you have cloned files from a repo which effect the plasma desktop you need to run the below command to stop and restart the process so the changes can take effect.

$ plasmashell --replace & #or use the below
$ systemctl --user restart plasma-plasmashell.service

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