vcsh: do not create .gitignore.d if VCSH_GITIGNORE == none

[code/vcsh.git] / README.md

diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d8afe894731f561932b5f849676a030625bfc353..dc4c4f27ad4d424380d875b756bfa99e859e2ba2 100644 (file)
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -15,51 +15,60 @@ community around the general idea of version controlling your (digital) life.
 
 * IRC: #vcs-home on irc.oftc.net
 
 
 * IRC: #vcs-home on irc.oftc.net
 

-* Mailing list: http://lists.madduck.net/listinfo/vcs-home
+* Mailing list: [http://lists.madduck.net/listinfo/vcs-home][vcs-home-list]

 
 

-* Pull requests or issues on https://github.com/RichiH/vcsh
+* Pull requests or issues on [https://github.com/RichiH/vcsh][vcsh]

 
 # 2 Introduction #
 
 
 # 2 Introduction #
 

-vcsh allows you to have several git repositories, all maintaining their working
-trees in $HOME without clobbering each other. That, in turn, means you can have
-one repository per config set (zsh, vim, ssh, etc), picking and choosing which
-configs you want to use on which machine.
-
-vcsh was designed with [mr] [1] in mind so you might want to install that, as
+[vcsh][vcsh] allows you to maintain several git repositories in one single
+directory. They all maintain their working trees without clobbering each other
+or interfering otherwise. By default, all git repositories maintained via
+`vcsh` are stored in `$HOME` but you can override this setting if you want to.
+All that 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.
+
+`vcsh` was designed with [mr][mr] in mind so you might want to install that, as

 well.
 
 well.
 

-Read INSTALL.md for detailed setup instructions.
+Read `INSTALL.md` and `PACKAGING.md` for instructions specific to your operating
+system.

 
 The following overview will try to give you an idea of the use cases and
 
 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
+advantages of `vcsh`. See sections 3 and 4 for detailed instructions and

 examples.
 
 ## 2.1 Talks ##
 
 examples.
 
 ## 2.1 Talks ##
 

-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/).
+Some people found it useful to look at slides and videos explaining how `vcsh`
+works.
+They can all be found [on the author's talk page][talks].

 
 # 3 Overview
 
 ## 3.1 Comparison to Other Solutions ##
 
 Most people who decide to put their dotfiles under version control start with a
 
 # 3 Overview
 
 ## 3.1 Comparison to Other Solutions ##
 
 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 in $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
 symlinking the individual repositories. It will probably become a nuisance when
 you try to manage more than two hosts.
 
 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.
 

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

-the **actual files right into $HOME**.
+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
 
 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


@@ -202,19 +211,48 @@ the template will be stored.
 
     apt-get install mr
 
 
     apt-get install mr
 

-#### 4.1.2 Clone the Template ####
+#### 4.1.2 Install vcsh ####
+
+#### 4.1.2.1 Debian ####
+
+If you are using Debian Squeeze, you will need to enable backports
+
+    apt-get install vcsh
+
+#### 4.1.2.2 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
+[on Arch's wiki](https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Arch_User_Repository).
+
+    cd /var/abs/local/
+    wget https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/vc/vcsh-git/vcsh-git.tar.gz
+    tar xfz vcsh-git.tar.gz
+    cd vcsh-git
+    makepkg -s
+    pacman -U vcsh*.pkg.tar.xz
+
+#### 4.1.2.3 From source ####
+
+If your version of mr is older than version 1.07, make sure to put

 
 

+    include = cat /usr/share/mr/vcsh
+
+into your .mrconfig .
+
+    # choose a location for your checkout

     cd $HOME
     mkdir -p ~/work/git
     cd $HOME
     mkdir -p ~/work/git

-    git clone git://github.com/RichiH/vcsh.git vcsh
-    # make sure 'include = cat /usr/share/mr/vcsh' points to an exiting file
-    vim .mrconfig
+    git clone git://github.com/RichiH/vcsh.git

     cd vcsh
     ln -s vcsh /usr/local/bin                       # or add it to your PATH
     cd
     cd vcsh
     ln -s vcsh /usr/local/bin                       # or add it to your PATH
     cd

+
+#### 4.1.3 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
 

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

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


@@ -223,7 +261,7 @@ the template will be stored.
     cd
     mr up
 
     cd
     mr up
 

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


@@ -344,8 +382,8 @@ 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]

 
 

-[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