dot

dot is a declarative CLI frontend for package managers and developer-tool installers.

You write down the tools and apps you want in one config file, then run dot apply to bring your machine closer to that state. The current version is focused on macOS and Homebrew.

What works today

• Manage Homebrew formulae with brew
• Manage Homebrew casks with cask
• Generate and apply a temporary Brewfile
• Preview planned commands with --dry-run
• Show generated files and commands with --verbose

There is also early npm support, but it is currently safe/preview-only: npm commands are printed through echo and do not change global npm packages yet.

Configuration

Create a config file at:

~/.config/dot/config.yaml

Example:

brew:
  - jq
  - node@20

cask:
  - firefox
  - visual-studio-code

npm:
  - typescript

Usage

Preview what dot would do:

dot apply --dry-run

Show more detail, including generated files:

dot apply --verbose --dry-run

Apply the configuration:

dot apply

Warning: dot apply runs real Homebrew commands. Use --dry-run first if you want to inspect the plan.