DotCtl

dotctl is a powerful CLI tool to manage, save, apply, export, and import system configurations as named profiles.
It helps centralize dotfiles and service configurations in Git repositories for seamless replication across systems.

Designed for developers and sysadmins, it supports pre/post hook scripts and is ideal for setting up consistent environments across desktops and servers.

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📚 Table of Contents

• DotCtl
  • 📚 Table of Contents
  • 🚀 Features
  • 📁 Profile Config Structure (dotctl.yaml)
    • 🧠 Concept Overview
    • 🗝 Available Path Keys
    • ✅ Example: Minimal Config
    • 💻 Real World: Full Ubuntu + KDE Config
    • 📦 Profile Usage Flow (e.g., nginx)
  • 🔄 Profile Workflow Diagram
  • 📊 Profile Block Table
  • 🔁 Example Workflow Table
  • 🔧 Installation
  • 📘 Usage
  • 🛠️ Commands
    • 📁 init
    • 💾 save
    • 📋 list / ls
    • 🔀 switch / sw
    • 🆕 create / new
    • ❌ remove / rm / delete / del
    • 🧪 apply
    • 🔄 pull
    • 🔍 status
    • 🔎 diff
    • 📤 export
    • 📥 import
    • 🔥 wipe
  • ⚠️ Limitations & Notes
  • 🧑‍💻 Development & Publishing
    • Setup Development Environment
    • Test the new code
    • Build the Package
    • Publish to TestPyPI
    • Publish to PyPI
  • 🙋 Contact

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🚀 Features

• 📦 Profile Management — Create, switch, save, remove, and apply system profiles.
• 🌀 Pre/Post Hooks — Run scripts before or after activating a profile (e.g., install packages, restart services).
• 🔄 Git Integration — Sync profiles with local or remote Git repositories.
• 📁 Portable Configs — Export/import profiles using .dtsv files for easy backups and sharing.
• ⚙️ Custom Configs — Define tracking rules via dotctl.yaml.
• 🧹 Prune Support — Clean stale files no longer listed in your profile with --prune.

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📁 Profile Config Structure (dotctl.yaml)

The dotctl.yaml config file defines what files and directories to track, save, and export as part of a system profile. This enables seamless migration, sharing, and restoration of system configs and personalizations—perfect for dotfiles, apps, or entire setups like KDE.

🧠 Concept Overview

The config has two main sections:

• save:
  Specifies config files or directories that should be version-controlled (typically small files like dotfiles).
  These are committed to Git and restored via dotctl apply.
• export:
  For large or non-versioned files (like fonts, themes, or binaries) that shouldn't go into Git, but you still want to package and move using dotctl export/import.
  This is helpful in offline environments or when syncing across machines.

Each section can define any number of data blocks, and every block contains:

• location: A base directory (like $HOME or $CONFIG_DIR).
• entries: A list of files/directories to include relative to the location.

🗝 Available Path Keys

To simplify path definitions, these keys can be used in location:

Key	Path
$HOME	/home/<user>
$APP_DIR	~/.dotctl
$CONFIG_DIR	~/.config
$SHARE_DIR	~/.local/share
$BIN_DIR	~/.local/bin
$SYS_SHARE_DIR	/usr/share
$SYS_CONFIG_DIR	/etc

Use them to make profiles portable across systems.

Each save or export section may set required_sudo: true when its configured location should be accessed through sudo. If sudo is omitted or false, dotctl first uses normal access and asks for sudo only if the path is restricted. At the prompt, you can provide a password or skip the current path/all paths.

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✅ Example: Minimal Config

save:
  configs:
    location: $HOME
    entries:
      - test.txt

export:
  share_folder:
    location: $HOME/.local/share
    entries: []
  home_folder:
    location: $HOME/
    entries: []

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💻 Real World: Full Ubuntu + KDE Config

save:
  configs:
    location: $CONFIG_DIR
    entries:
      - gtk-2.0
      - gtk-3.0
      - gtk-4.0
      - Kvantum
      - latte
      - dolphinrc
      - konsolerc
      - kcminputrc
      - kdeglobals
      - kglobalshortcutsrc
      - klipperrc
      - krunnerrc
      - kscreenlockerrc
      - ksmserverrc
      - kwinrc
      - kwinrulesrc
      - plasma-org.kde.plasma.desktop-appletsrc
      - plasmarc
      - plasmashellrc
      - gtkrc
      - gtkrc-2.0
      - lattedockrc
      - breezerc
      - oxygenrc
      - lightlyrc
      - ksplashrc
      - khotkeysrc
      - autostart

  app_layouts:
    location: $HOME/.local/share/kxmlgui5
    entries:
      - dolphin
      - konsole

  home_folder:
    location: $HOME/
    entries:
      - .zshrc
      - .p10k.zsh

  sddm_configs:
    location: $SYS_CONFIG_DIR
    entries:
      - sddm.conf.d

export:
  home_folder:
    location: $HOME/
    entries:
      - .fonts
      - .themes
      - .icons
      - .wallpapers
      - .conky
      - .zsh
      - .bin
      - bin

  share_folder:
    location: $SHARE_DIR
    entries:
      - plasma
      - kwin
      - konsole
      - fonts
      - kfontinst
      - color-schemes
      - aurorae
      - icons
      - wallpapers

  root_share_folder:
    location: $SYS_SHARE_DIR
    entries:
      - plasma
      - kwin
      - konsole
      - fonts
      - kfontinst
      - color-schemes
      - aurorae
      - icons
      - wallpapers
      - Kvantum
      - themes

  sddm:
    location: $SYS_SHARE_DIR/sddm
    required_sudo: true
    entries:
      - themes

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📦 Profile Usage Flow (e.g., nginx)

For a service like nginx, your profile might:

• save: files like /etc/nginx/nginx.conf, /etc/nginx/sites-*
• Include a pre-hook to install nginx (apt-get install -y nginx)
• Use a post-hook to reload the service (systemctl reload nginx)

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🔄 Profile Workflow Diagram

This diagram shows the typical lifecycle of using a dotctl profile, from saving configs to applying them on another machine:

            ┌──────────────┐
            │ dotctl.yaml  │
            └──────┬───────┘
                   │
         ┌─────────▼──────────┐
         │  `save` Section    │  ◄──── Config Files
         └────────┬───────────┘
                  │
         ┌────────▼───────────┐
         │  dotctl save       │
         └────────┬───────────┘
                  │
                  ▼
         Push to Git Repository
                  │
                  ▼
        ┌─────────────────────┐
        │  Transfer to New PC │
        └────────┬────────────┘
                 │
         ┌───────▼──────────┐
         │  dotctl apply    │
         └───────┬──────────┘
                 │
     ┌───────────▼────────────┐
     │ Pre-hook (e.g. install)│
     └───────────┬────────────┘
                 ▼
     Apply saved config files
                 │
  ┌──────────────▼─────────────────┐
  │ Post-hook (e.g. restart/reload)│
  └────────────────────────────────┘

                 │
                 ▼
        ┌─────────────────────┐
        │     dotctl export   │
        └────────┬────────────┘
                 ▼
          Create `.dtsv` file
                 │
        Transfer `.dtsv` file
                 ▼
        ┌─────────────────────┐
        │     dotctl import   │
        └─────────────────────┘

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📊 Profile Block Table

Section	Field	Description
save	location	Base path of tracked files (can use a key like $CONFIG_DIR)
	entries	Files/folders to track under that location
	required_sudo	Whether restricted paths in this section require sudo
export	location	Base path of export files (e.g., large assets not suited for Git)
	entries	Assets or binaries to package in .dtsv
	required_sudo	Whether restricted paths in this section require sudo

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🔁 Example Workflow Table

Action	Command	Description
Save configs	dotctl save	Saves configured files to the active profile and syncs Git
Export assets	dotctl export	Package large, non-Git assets into .dtsv file
Transfer assets	scp profile.dtsv ...	Manually copy to another machine
Import assets	dotctl import	Unpack .dtsv on another system
Apply profile	dotctl apply	Pull from repo, run pre/post hooks, and apply saved configs

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🔧 Installation

pip install dotctl

Profile operations require the git command. Commands that copy files also require rsync. Restricted paths prompt for a sudo password when needed.

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📘 Usage

dotctl [OPTIONS] <COMMAND> [ARGS]

Run dotctl -h for global help or dotctl <COMMAND> -h for command-specific help.

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🛠️ Commands

📁 init

Initialize a new profile.

dotctl init [-h] [-u <git-url>] [-p <profile>] [-c <config-path>] [-e <env>]

Examples:

dotctl init -e kde
dotctl init -u https://github.com/user880/dots.git -p mydesktop
dotctl init -c ./my_custom_config.yaml

Options:

• -e, --env – Target environment (e.g., kde, gnome, server).
• -u, --url – Git URL to clone profile from.
• -p, --profile – Activate this profile after init.
• -c, --config – Path to custom YAML config.

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💾 save

Save current system state to a profile.

dotctl save [-h] [-p <password>] [--skip-sudo] [--prune] [profile]

Examples:

dotctl save
dotctl save my_web_server --skip-sudo
dotctl save --prune
dotctl save a_new_profile

Without a profile name, save targets the active profile. If the named profile already exists, dotctl saves to it and then returns to the previously active profile. If it does not exist, dotctl creates it from the active profile, saves the current system state there, and returns to the previous profile. When a remote is configured, dotctl pushes a target branch that is not on the remote, even if the save produced no file changes.

Prefer the interactive sudo prompt over passing a password with -p, since command-line arguments can be recorded in shell history or visible to other local processes.

Tip: Use --prune to clean files that were saved before but are no longer listed in the config.

Options:

• --skip-sudo – Ignore restricted resources.
• -p, --password – Password for restricted resources.
• --prune – Remove stale files from the dot repo that are no longer listed in the current dotctl.yaml config.
• profile – Target profile. A new name starts as a copy of the active profile; omitted means the active profile.

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📋 list / ls

List all profiles.

dotctl list [-h] [--details] [--fetch]

Examples:

dotctl list
dotctl list --details
dotctl list --fetch

Options:

• --details – Show extended info.
• --fetch – Refresh remote data.

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🔀 switch / sw

Switch to another profile.

dotctl switch [-h] [--fetch] [profile]

Examples:

dotctl switch MyProfile
dotctl sw MyProfile --fetch

Options:

• --fetch – Refresh profile info before switching.

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🆕 create / new

Create a new, empty profile and initialize its config and hooks. The new profile becomes active.

dotctl create [-h] [--fetch] [-c <path>] [-e <env>] profile

Examples:

# Create a fresh profile using the detected environment or default config.
dotctl create myserver

# Create a fresh profile from a specific environment.
dotctl create -e kde kde_desktop

# Create a fresh profile from a custom config.
dotctl create -c ./my_custom_config.yaml my_custom_profile

Options:

• --fetch – Sync with remote before creating.
• -c, --config – Path to custom YAML config.
• -e, --env – Target environment (e.g., kde, gnome, server).

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❌ remove / rm / delete / del

Remove a profile locally and/or remotely.

dotctl remove [-h] [-y] [--fetch] <profile>

Examples:

dotctl rm MyProfile
dotctl del MyProfile --fetch
dotctl del MyProfile -y

Options:

• --fetch – Refresh data before removal.
• -y, --no-confirm – Skip confirmation prompt.

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🧪 apply

Apply a saved profile.

dotctl apply [-h] [-p <password>] [--skip-sudo] [--skip-hooks] [--skip-pre-hooks] [--skip-post-hooks] [--ignore-hook-errors] [--hooks-timeout <timeout>] [profile]

Examples:

dotctl apply
dotctl apply mydesktop --skip-hooks
dotctl apply mydesktop --hooks-timeout 10
dotctl apply MyProfile --skip-pre-hooks --ignore-hook-errors

Options:

• --skip-sudo – Ignore restricted resources.
• --skip-hooks – Skip all hooks.
• --skip-pre-hooks – Skip only pre-hooks.
• --skip-post-hooks – Skip only post-hooks.
• --ignore-hook-errors – Don’t abort if hooks fail.
• --hooks-timeout – Timeout in seconds for hooks.
• -p, --password – Password for restricted actions.

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🔄 pull

Pull the latest changes from the dotfiles repository.

dotctl pull [-h]

Examples:

dotctl pull

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🔍 status

Inspect the current profile health and detect configuration drift between the repository and local system.

dotctl status [--json] [--short]

Examples:

dotctl status
dotctl status --short
dotctl status --json

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🔎 diff

Compare tracked files between the repository and local system.

dotctl diff [--color] [--side-by-side]

Examples:

dotctl diff
dotctl diff --color
dotctl diff --side-by-side

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📤 export

Export a profile to .dtsv.

dotctl export [-h] [-p <password>] [--skip-sudo] [profile]

Examples:

dotctl export
dotctl export my_web_server --skip-sudo
dotctl export my_web_server -p mYsecretp@ssw0rd

Options:

• --skip-sudo, -p same as above.

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📥 import

Import a .dtsv profile.

dotctl import [-h] [-p <password>] [--skip-sudo] <file.dtsv>

Examples:

dotctl import my_web_server.dtsv
dotctl import /data/backup/web.dtsv --skip-sudo

Options:

• --skip-sudo, -p same as above.

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🔥 wipe

Remove all local profiles.

dotctl wipe [-h] [-y]

Examples:

dotctl wipe
dotctl wipe -y

Options:

• -y, --no-confirm – Do not prompt before wiping.

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⚠️ Limitations & Notes

• Configured filesystem operations (save, apply, export, import, status, and diff) support sudo access for restricted paths. Set required_sudo: true on the relevant config section when sudo access is expected; otherwise dotctl tries normal access and requests sudo if needed.
• status and diff can report paths as inaccessible when access is denied or the user skips the sudo request.
• Ensure tracked files/directories have proper read permissions before adding them to dotctl.yaml.
• Missing or inaccessible files may appear as drift during status or diff operations.

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🧑‍💻 Development & Publishing

Setup Development Environment

python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # Linux/macOS
venv\Scripts\activate     # Windows

pip install -r requirements.txt

Test the new code

cd src
python -m dotctl.main --help
python -m dotctl.main new my_profile
python -m dotctl.main save
python -m dotctl.main apply

Build the Package

python -m build

Publish to TestPyPI

twine upload --repository testpypi dist/*

Publish to PyPI

twine upload --repository pypi dist/*

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🙋 Contact

• Maintainer: Pankaj Jackson
• Support: Open an Issue