Andy's Dotfiles

A set of custom dotfiles created to help me understand ZSH and stop relying on Oh-My-ZSH / Prezto.

It is designed around zplug. When you first start up your terminal with the custom .zshrc file it should install zplug, then install all of it's own dependencies.

I am trying to create a system similar to the way npm handles dependencies.

Installation

1. Get the repo

   git clone <url_for_this_repo>

2. Switch to zsh shell (Unix-like systems):

   chsh -s /bin/zsh

3. Install the dot files

   cd path/to/dotfiles
   ./install.sh

Package Installation

This repository includes a cross-platform package installer (install_packages.py) that automatically installs common development tools based on your operating system.

Usage

Windows:

• Double-click install_packages.bat or install_packages.ps1
• Or run in PowerShell: .\install_packages.ps1
• Or run in Command Prompt: install_packages.bat

macOS/Linux:

python3 install_packages.py

Requirements:

• Python 3.x must be installed
• Internet connection for downloading packages

The script will automatically detect your OS and install appropriate packages using:

• Windows: WinGet
• macOS: Homebrew
• Linux: APT

Troubleshooting

If the script window closes immediately on Windows, it usually means:

1. Python is not installed or not in PATH
2. There was an error during execution

Use the .bat or .ps1 files instead of running the Python script directly - they provide better error messages and won't close immediately.

Mac Setup

Add spacers into Dock

defaults write com.apple.dock persistent-apps -array-add '{"tile-type"="small-spacer-tile";}';
killall Dock

Notes

Fonts

# Mac
brew install font-fira-code-nerd-font

# Windows
scoop bucket add nerd-fonts
scoop update
scoop install FiraCode-NF

Hub

You might get errors about not being able to find hub, install it with:

# Mac
brew install hub

# Debian
sudo apt install hub

Locales

As these dotfiles are intended for a UK user, you might get errors about missing locales.

perl: warning: Please check that your locale settings are supported and installed on your system

To fix this (http://askubuntu.com/a/227513):

# Generate a locale
sudo locale-gen "en_GB.UTF-8"

# Set the system up to use the new locale
sudo dpkg-reconfigure locales

Stylish

• StackOverflow full screen
• Github Wide

Meld

Dark Mode (Windows)

To enable dark mode open C:\Program Files (x86)\Meld\etc\gtk-3.0 and change:

[Settings]
gtk-application-prefer-dark-theme=0

to

[Settings]
gtk-application-prefer-dark-theme=1

Reference: https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/meld/-/issues/554#note_1059359