README.md: Make intro less scary

[code/vcsh.git] / README.md

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@@ -1,71 +1,143 @@
-vcsh - manage config files in $HOME via fake bare git repositories
+vcsh - Version Control System for $HOME - multiple Git repositories in $HOME

 
 

-# Index #

 
 

-1. Contact
-2. Introduction
-3. Overview
-4. Getting Started
-5. Usage
+# Index

 
 

-# 1 Contact #
+1. [30 second howto](#30-second-howto)
+2. [Introduction](#introduction)
+3. [Usage Exmaples](#usage-examples)
+4. [Overview](#overview)
+5. [Getting Started](#getting-started)
+6. [Contact](#contact)

 
 

-There are several ways to get in touch with the author and a small but committed
-community around the general idea of version controlling your (digital) life.

 
 

-* IRC: #vcs-home on irc.oftc.net
+# 30 second howto
+
+While it may appear that there's an overwhelming amount of documentation and
+while the explanation of the concepts behind `vcsh` needs to touch a few gory
+details of `git` internals, getting started with `vcsh` is extremely simple.
+
+Let's say you want to version control your `vim` configuration:
+
+    vcsh init vim
+    vcsh vim add ~/.vimrc ~/.vim
+    vcsh vim commit -m 'Initial commit of my Vim configuration'
+    # optionally push your files to a remote
+    vcsh vim remote add origin <remote>
+    vcsh vim push -u origin master
+    # from now on you can push additional commits like this
+    vcsh vim push
+
+If all that looks a _lot_ like standard `git`, that's no coincidence; it's
+a design feature.
+
+
+# Introduction
+
+[vcsh][vcsh] allows you to maintain several Git repositories in one single
+directory. They all maintain their working trees without clobbering each other
+or interfering otherwise. By default, all Git repositories maintained via
+`vcsh` store the actual files in `$HOME` but you can override this setting if
+you want to.
+All this means that you can have one repository per application or application
+family, i.e. `zsh`, `vim`, `ssh`, etc. This, in turn, allows you to clone
+custom sets of configurations onto different machines or even for different
+users; picking and mixing which configurations you want to use where.
+For example, you may not need to have your `mplayer` configuration on a server
+or available to root and you may want to maintain different configuration for
+`ssh` on your personal and your work machines.
+
+A lot of modern UNIX-based systems offer pacakges for `vcsh`. In case yours
+does not read `INSTALL.md` for install instructions or `PACKAGING.md` to create
+a package, yourself. If you do end up packaging `vcsh` please let us know so we
+can give you your own packaging branch in the upstream repository.
+
+## Talks
+
+Some people found it useful to look at slides and videos explaining how `vcsh`
+works instead of working through the docs.
+All slides, videos, and further information can be found
+[on the author's talk page][talks].
+
+
+# Usage Examples
+
+There are three different ways to interact with `vcsh` repositories; this
+section will only show the simplest and easiest way.
+Certain more advanced use cases require the other two ways, but don't worry
+about this for now. If you never ewen bother playing with the other two
+modes you will still be fine.
+`vcsh enter` and `vcsh run`  will be covered in later sections.
+
+
+## Initialize a new repository "vim"

 
 

-* Mailing list: http://lists.madduck.net/listinfo/vcs-home
+    vcsh init vim

 
 

-* Pull requests or issues on https://github.com/RichiH/vcsh
+## Clone an existing repository

 
 

-# 2 Introduction #
+    vcsh clone <remote> <repository_name>

 
 

-vcsh allows you to have several git repositories, all maintaining their working
-trees in $HOME without clobbering each other. That, in turn, means you can have
-one repository per config set (zsh, vim, ssh, etc), picking and choosing which
-configs you want to use on which machine.
+## Add files to repository "vim"

 
 

-vcsh was designed with [mr] [1] in mind so you might want to install that, as
-well.
+    vcsh vim add ~/.vimrc ~/.vim
+    vcsh vim commit -m 'Update Vim configuration'

 
 

-Read INSTALL.md for detailed setup instructions.
+## Add a remote for repository "vim"

 
 

-The following overview will try to give you an idea of the use cases and
-advantages of vcsh. See sections 3 and 4 for detailed instructions and
-examples.
+    vcsh vim remote add origin <remote>
+    vcsh vim push origin master:master
+    vcsh vim branch --track master origin/master

 
 

-## 2.1 Talks ##
+## Push to remote of repository "vim"

 
 

-Some people found it useful to look at slides and videos explaining how vcsh works.
-They can all be found at [here](http://richardhartmann.de/talks/).
+    vcsh vim push

 
 

-# 3 Overview
+## Pull from remote of repository "vim"

 
 

-## 3.1 Comparison to Other Solutions ##
+    vcsh vim pull
+
+
+
+# Overview
+
+## From zero to vcsh
+
+You put a lot of effort into your configuration and want to both protect and
+distribute this configuration.

 
 Most people who decide to put their dotfiles under version control start with a
 
 Most people who decide to put their dotfiles under version control start with a

-**single repository in $HOME**, adding all their dotfiles (and possibly more)
+single repository in `$HOME`, adding all their dotfiles (and possibly more)

 to it. This works, of course, but can become a nuisance as soon as you try to
 manage more than one host.
 
 The next logical step is to create single-purpose repositories in, for example,
 to it. This works, of course, but can become a nuisance as soon as you try to
 manage more than one host.
 
 The next logical step is to create single-purpose repositories in, for example,

-~/.dotfiles and to create **symbolic links in $HOME**. This gives you the
+`~/.dotfiles` and to create symbolic links into `$HOME`. This gives you the

 flexibility to check out only certain repositories on different hosts. The
 downsides of this approach are the necessary manual steps of cloning and
 flexibility to check out only certain repositories on different hosts. The
 downsides of this approach are the necessary manual steps of cloning and

-symlinking the individual repositories. It will probably become a nuisance when
-you try to manage more than two hosts.
+symlinking the individual repositories.

 
 

-**vcsh** takes this second approach one step further. It expects
-**single-purpose repositories** and stores them in a hidden directory (similar
-to ~/.dotfiles). However, it does not create symbolic links in $HOME; it puts
-the **actual files right into $HOME**.
+`vcsh` takes this approach one step further. It enables single-purpose
+repositories and stores them in a hidden directory. However, it does not create
+symbolic links in `$HOME`; it puts the actual files right into `$HOME`.

 
 

-Furthermore, by making use of [mr] [1], it makes it very easy to enable/disable
-and clone a large number of repositories. The use of mr is technically optional
-(see 4.3), but it will be an integral part of the proposed system that follows.
+As `vcsh` allows you to put an arbitrary number of distinct repositories into
+your `$HOME`, you will end up with a lot of repositories very quickly.

 
 

-## 3.2 Default Directory Layout ##
+To manage both `vcsh` and other repositories, we suggest using [mr](mr). `mr`
+takes care of pulling in and pushing out new data for a variety of version
+control systems.
+
+`vcsh` was designed with [mr][mr], a tool to manage Multiple Repositories, in
+mind and the two integrate very nicely. `mr` has native support for `vcsh`
+repositories and to `vcsh`, `mr` is just another configuration to track.
+This make setting up any new machine a breeze. It takes literally less than
+five minutes to go from standard installation to fully set up system
+
+This is where `mr` comes in. While the use of `mr` is technically
+optional, but it will be an integral part of the proposed system that follows.
+
+## Default Directory Layout

 
 To illustrate, this is what a possible directory structure looks like.
 
 
 To illustrate, this is what a possible directory structure looks like.
 


@@ -101,7 +173,7 @@ To illustrate, this is what a possible directory structure looks like.
         |-- .mrconfig
         `-- .mrtrust
 
         |-- .mrconfig
         `-- .mrtrust
 

-### available.d ###
+### available.d

 
 The files you see in $XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/mr/available.d are mr configuration files
 that contain the commands to manage (checkout, update etc.) a single
 
 The files you see in $XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/mr/available.d are mr configuration files
 that contain the commands to manage (checkout, update etc.) a single


@@ -119,7 +191,7 @@ this repository and fork your own.
     status   = vcsh run zsh git status
     gc       = vcsh run zsh git gc
 
     status   = vcsh run zsh git status
     gc       = vcsh run zsh git gc
 

-### config.d ###
+### config.d

 
 $XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/mr/available.d contains *all available* repositories. Only
 files/links present in mr/config.d, however, will be used by mr. That means
 
 $XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/mr/available.d contains *all available* repositories. Only
 files/links present in mr/config.d, however, will be used by mr. That means


@@ -127,7 +199,7 @@ that in this example, only the zsh, gitconfigs, tmux and vim repositories will
 be checked out. A simple `mr update` run in $HOME will clone or update those
 four repositories listed in config.d.
 
 be checked out. A simple `mr update` run in $HOME will clone or update those
 four repositories listed in config.d.
 

-### ~/.mrconfig ###
+### ~/.mrconfig

 
 Finally, ~/.mrconfig will tie together all those single files which will allow
 you to conveniently run `mr up` etc. to manage all repositories. It looks like
 
 Finally, ~/.mrconfig will tie together all those single files which will allow
 you to conveniently run `mr up` etc. to manage all repositories. It looks like


@@ -139,13 +211,13 @@ this:
     include = cat /usr/share/mr/vcsh
     include = cat ${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-$HOME/.config}/mr/config.d/*
 
     include = cat /usr/share/mr/vcsh
     include = cat ${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-$HOME/.config}/mr/config.d/*
 

-### repo.d ###
+### repo.d

 
 $XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/vcsh/repo.d is the directory where all git repositories which
 are under vcsh's control are located. Since their working trees are configured
 to be in $HOME, the files contained in those repositories will be put in $HOME
 directly.
 
 $XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/vcsh/repo.d is the directory where all git repositories which
 are under vcsh's control are located. Since their working trees are configured
 to be in $HOME, the files contained in those repositories will be put in $HOME
 directly.

-Of course, [mr] [1] will work with this layout if configured according to this
+Of course, [mr] [mr] will work with this layout if configured according to this

 document (see above).
 
 vcsh will check if any file it would want to create exists. If it exists, vcsh
 document (see above).
 
 vcsh will check if any file it would want to create exists. If it exists, vcsh


@@ -153,7 +225,7 @@ will throw a warning and exit. Move away your old config and try again.
 Optionally, merge your local and your global configs afterwards and push with
 `vcsh run foo git push`.
 
 Optionally, merge your local and your global configs afterwards and push with
 `vcsh run foo git push`.
 

-## 3.3 Moving into a New Host ##
+## Moving into a New Host

 
 To illustrate further, the following steps could move your desired
 configuration to a new host.
 
 To illustrate further, the following steps could move your desired
 configuration to a new host.


@@ -175,7 +247,8 @@ Hopefully the above could help explain how this approach saves time by
 
 If you want to give vcsh a try, follow the instructions below.
 
 
 If you want to give vcsh a try, follow the instructions below.
 

-# 4 Getting Started #
+
+# Getting Started

 
 Below, you will find a few different methods for setting up vcsh:
 
 
 Below, you will find a few different methods for setting up vcsh:
 


@@ -183,9 +256,9 @@ Below, you will find a few different methods for setting up vcsh:
 2. The Steal-from-Template Way
 3. The Manual Way
 
 2. The Steal-from-Template Way
 3. The Manual Way
 

-### 4.1 The Template Way ###
+### The Template Way

 
 

-#### 4.1.1 Prerequisites ####
+#### Prerequisites

 
 Make sure none of the following files and directories exist for your test
 (user). If they do, move them away for now:
 
 Make sure none of the following files and directories exist for your test
 (user). If they do, move them away for now:


@@ -202,15 +275,15 @@ the template will be stored.
 
     apt-get install mr
 
 
     apt-get install mr
 

-#### 4.1.2 Install vcsh ####
+#### Install vcsh

 
 

-#### 4.1.2.1 Debian ####
+#### Debian

 
 If you are using Debian Squeeze, you will need to enable backports
 
     apt-get install vcsh
 
 
 If you are using Debian Squeeze, you will need to enable backports
 
     apt-get install vcsh
 

-#### 4.1.2.2 Arch Linux ####
+#### Arch Linux

 
 vcsh is availabe via [AUR](https://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=54164)
 and further documentation about the use of AUR is available
 
 vcsh is availabe via [AUR](https://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=54164)
 and further documentation about the use of AUR is available


@@ -223,7 +296,7 @@ and further documentation about the use of AUR is available
     makepkg -s
     pacman -U vcsh*.pkg.tar.xz
 
     makepkg -s
     pacman -U vcsh*.pkg.tar.xz
 

-#### 4.1.2.3 From source ####
+#### From source

 
 If your version of mr is older than version 1.07, make sure to put
 
 
 If your version of mr is older than version 1.07, make sure to put
 


@@ -239,11 +312,11 @@ into your .mrconfig .
     ln -s vcsh /usr/local/bin                       # or add it to your PATH
     cd
 
     ln -s vcsh /usr/local/bin                       # or add it to your PATH
     cd
 

-#### 4.1.3 Clone the Template ####
+#### Clone the Template

 
     vcsh clone git://github.com/RichiH/vcsh_mr_template.git mr
 
 
     vcsh clone git://github.com/RichiH/vcsh_mr_template.git mr
 

-#### 4.1.4 Enable Your Test Repository ####
+#### Enable Your Test Repository

 
     mv ~/.zsh   ~/zsh.bak
     mv ~/.zshrc ~/zshrc.bak
 
     mv ~/.zsh   ~/zsh.bak
     mv ~/.zshrc ~/zshrc.bak


@@ -252,7 +325,7 @@ into your .mrconfig .
     cd
     mr up
 
     cd
     mr up
 

-#### 4.1.5 Set Up Your Own Repositories ####
+#### Set Up Your Own Repositories

 
 Now, it's time to edit the template config and fill it with your own remotes:
 
 
 Now, it's time to edit the template config and fill it with your own remotes:
 


@@ -272,7 +345,7 @@ And then create your own stuff:
 
 Done!
 
 
 Done!
 

-### 4.2 The Steal-from-Template Way ###
+### The Steal-from-Template Way

 
 You're welcome to clone the example repository:
 
 
 You're welcome to clone the example repository:
 


@@ -284,7 +357,7 @@ Look around in the clone. It should be reasonably simple to understand. If not,
 poke me, RichiH, on Freenode (query) or OFTC (#vcs-home).
 
 
 poke me, RichiH, on Freenode (query) or OFTC (#vcs-home).
 
 

-### 4.3 The Manual Way ###
+### The Manual Way

 
 This is how my old setup procedure looked like. Adapt it to your own style or
 copy mine verbatim, either is fine.
 
 This is how my old setup procedure looked like. Adapt it to your own style or
 copy mine verbatim, either is fine.


@@ -322,9 +395,10 @@ mr is used to actually retrieve configs, etc
     ~ % cd
     ~ % mr -j 5 up
 
     ~ % cd
     ~ % mr -j 5 up
 

-# 5 Usage #

 
 

-### 5.1 Keeping repositories Up-to-Date ###
+# mr usage ; will be factored out & rewritten
+
+### Keeping repositories Up-to-Date

 
 This is the beauty of it all. Once you are set up, just run:
 
 
 This is the beauty of it all. Once you are set up, just run:
 


@@ -333,7 +407,7 @@ This is the beauty of it all. Once you are set up, just run:
 
 Neat.
 
 
 Neat.
 

-### 5.1 Making Changes ###
+### Making Changes

 
 After you have made some changes, for which you would normally use `git add`
 and `git commit`, use the vcsh wrapper (like above):
 
 After you have made some changes, for which you would normally use `git add`
 and `git commit`, use the vcsh wrapper (like above):


@@ -346,14 +420,13 @@ By the way, you'll have to use -f/--force flag with git-add because all files
 will be ignored by default. This is to show you only useful output when running
 git-status. A fix for this problem is being worked on.
 
 will be ignored by default. This is to show you only useful output when running
 git-status. A fix for this problem is being worked on.
 

-### 5.3 Using vcsh without mr ###
+### Using vcsh without mr

 
 

-vcsh encourages you to use [mr] [1]. It helps you manage a large number of
+vcsh encourages you to use [mr][mr]. It helps you manage a large number of

 repositories by running the necessary vcsh commands for you. You may choose not
 to use mr, in which case you will have to run those commands manually or by
 other means.
 
 repositories by running the necessary vcsh commands for you. You may choose not
 to use mr, in which case you will have to run those commands manually or by
 other means.
 

-#### A Few Examples ####

 
 To initialize a new repository: `vcsh init zsh`
 
 
 To initialize a new repository: `vcsh init zsh`
 


@@ -373,8 +446,20 @@ manually. Alternatively, you could try something like this:
         vcsh run $repo git pull;
     done
 
         vcsh run $repo git pull;
     done
 

-----------

 
 

-mr can be found at: [http://kitenet.net/~joey/code/mr/][1]
+# Contact
+
+There are several ways to get in touch with the author and a small but committed
+community around the general idea of version controlling your (digital) life.
+
+* IRC: #vcs-home on irc.oftc.net
+
+* Mailing list: [http://lists.madduck.net/listinfo/vcs-home][vcs-home-list]
+
+* Pull requests or issues on [https://github.com/RichiH/vcsh][vcsh]
+

 
 

-[1]: http://kitenet.net/~joey/code/mr/ (http://kitenet.net/~joey/code/mr/)
+[mr]: http://kitenet.net/~joey/code/mr/
+[talks]: http://richardhartmann.de/talks/
+[vcsh]: https://github.com/RichiH/vcsh
+[vcs-home-list]: http://lists.madduck.net/listinfo/vcs-home