-vcsh - manage and sync config files via git
+vcsh - Version Control System for $HOME - multiple Git repositories in $HOME
-# Introduction #
-vcsh allows you to have several git repositories, all maintaining their working trees in $HOME without clobbering each other.
-That, in turn, means you can have one repository per config set (zsh, vim, ssh, etc), picking and choosing which configs you want to use on which machine.
+# Index
-vcsh was designed with mr [1] in mind so you might want to install that, as well.
+1. [Introduction](#introduction)
+2. [30 second howto](#30-second-howto)
+3. [Overview](#overview)
+4. [Getting Started](#getting-started)
+5. [Usage Exmaples](#usage-examples)
+6. [Contact](#contact)
-Read INSTALL.md for detailed setup instructions.
-Questions? RichiH@{Freenode,OFTC,IRCnet}
+# Introduction
-## Comparison to Other Solutions ##
+[vcsh][vcsh] allows you to maintain several git repositories in one single
+directory. They all maintain their working trees without clobbering each other
+or interfering otherwise. By default, all git repositories maintained via
+`vcsh` are stored in `$HOME` but you can override this setting if you want to.
+All 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.
-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) to it.
-This works, of course, but can become a nuisance as soon as you try to manage more than one host.
+`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
-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 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.
+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.
-**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 $HOME**.
+## Talks
-Furthermore, by making use of mr [1], it makes it very easy to enable/disable and clone a large number of repositories.
-The use of mr is technically optional, but it will be an integral part of the proposed system that follows.
+Some people found it useful to look at slides and videos explaining how `vcsh`
+works instead of working through the docs, first.
+They can all be found [on the author's talk page][talks].
-## Default Directory Layout ##
+
+# 30 second howto
+
+While it may appear that there's an overwhelming amount of documentation and
+while the explanation of the concepts behind `vcsh` needs to touch a few gory
+details of `git` internals, getting started with `vcsh` is extremely simple.
+
+Let's say you want to version control your `vim` configuration:
+
+ vcsh init vim
+ vcsh vim add ~/.vimrc ~/.vim
+ vcsh vim commit -m 'Initial commit of my Vim configuration'
+ # optionally push your files to a remote
+ vcsh vim remote add origin <remote>
+ vcsh vim push -u origin master
+ # from now on you can push additional commits like this
+ vcsh vim push
+
+If all that looks a _lot_ like standard `git`, that's no coincidence; it's
+a design feature.
+
+
+# Overview
+
+## From zero to vcsh
+
+You put a lot of effort into your configuration and want to both protect and
+distribute this configuration.
+
+Most people who decide to put their dotfiles under version control start with a
+single repository in `$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,
+`~/.dotfiles` and to create symbolic links into `$HOME`. This gives you the
+flexibility to check out only certain repositories on different hosts. The
+downsides of this approach are the necessary manual steps of cloning and
+symlinking the individual repositories.
+
+`vcsh` takes this approach one step further. It enables single-purpose
+repositories and stores them in a hidden directory. However, it does not create
+symbolic links in `$HOME`; it puts the actual files right into `$HOME`.
+
+As `vcsh` allows you to put an arbitrary number of distinct repositories into
+your `$HOME`, you will end up with a lot of repositories very quickly.
+
+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.
+
+
+The last logical step is to maintain all those new repositores with an automated
+tool instead of tracking them by hand.
+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.
$HOME
- |-- .config
+ |-- $XDG_CONFIG_HOME (defaults to $HOME/.config)
| |-- mr
| | |-- available.d
| | | |-- zsh.vcsh
| | | |-- vimperator.vcsh
| | | `-- snippets.git
| | `-- config.d
- | | |-- zsh.mrconfig -> ../available.d/zsh.mrconfig
- | | |-- gitconfigs.mrconfig -> ../available.d/gitconfigs.mrconfig
- | | |-- tmux.mrconfig -> ../available.d/tmux.mrconfig
- | | `-- vim.mrconfig -> ../available.d/vim.mrconfig
+ | | |-- zsh.vcsh -> ../available.d/zsh.vcsh
+ | | |-- gitconfigs.vcsh -> ../available.d/gitconfigs.vcsh
+ | | |-- tmux.vcsh -> ../available.d/tmux.vcsh
+ | | `-- vim.vcsh -> ../available.d/vim.vcsh
| `-- vcsh
+ | |-- config
| `-- repo.d
| |-- zsh.git -----------+
| |-- gitconfigs.git |
| `-- vim.git |
|-- [...] |
|-- .zshrc <----------------------+
- |-- .gitignore
+ |-- .gitignore.d
+ | `-- zsh
|-- .mrconfig
`-- .mrtrust
-In this setup, ~/.mrconfig looks like:
+### available.d
- [DEFAULT]
- jobs = 5
- include = cat ~/.config/mr/config.d/*
+The files you see in $XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/mr/available.d are mr configuration files
+that contain the commands to manage (checkout, update etc.) a single
+repository. vcsh repo configs end in .vcsh, git configs end in .git, etc. This
+is optional and your preference. For example, this is what a zsh.vcsh
+with read-only access to my zshrc repo looks likes. I.e. in this specific
+example, push can not work as you will be using the author's repository. This
+is for demonstration, only. Of course, you are more than welcome to clone from
+this repository and fork your own.
+
+ [$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/vcsh/repo.d/zsh.git]
+ checkout = vcsh clone 'git://github.com/RichiH/zshrc.git' zsh
+ update = vcsh run zsh git pull
+ push = vcsh run zsh git push
+ status = vcsh run zsh git status
+ gc = vcsh run zsh git gc
+
+### 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
+that in this example, only the zsh, gitconfigs, tmux and vim repositories will
+be checked out. A simple `mr update` run in $HOME will clone or update those
+four repositories listed in config.d.
-The files you see in ~/.config/mr/available.d are mr configuration files that contain the commands to manage (checkout, update etc.) a single repository.
-vcsh repo configs end in .vcsh, git configs end in .git, etc. This is optional and your preference.
-For example, this is what a zsh.mrconfig with read-only access to my zshrc repo looks likes. I.e. in this specific example, push can not work.
+### ~/.mrconfig
- [$HOME/.config/vcsh/repo.d/zsh.git]
- checkout = vcsh clone 'git://github.com/RichiH/zshrc.git'
- update = vcsh run bash git pull
- push = vcsh run bash git push
- status = vcsh run bash git status
+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
+this:
-~/.config/mr/available.d contains *all available* repositories.
-Only files/links present in mr/config.d, however, will be used by mr.
-That means 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.
+ [DEFAULT]
+ jobs = 5
+ # Use if your mr does not have vcsh support in mainline, yet
+ include = cat /usr/share/mr/vcsh
+ include = cat ${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-$HOME/.config}/mr/config.d/*
-~/.config/vcsh/repo.d is the directory into which vcsh clones the git repositories.
-Since their working trees are configured to be in $HOME, the files contained in those repositories will be put in $HOME directly (see .zshrc above).
+### repo.d
-vcsh will check if any file it would want to create exists. If it exists, vcsh will throw a warning and exit. Move away your old config and try again. Optionally, merge your local and your global configs afterwards and push with `vcsh run foo git push`.
+$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] [mr] will work with this layout if configured according to this
+document (see above).
-## Moving into a New Host ##
+vcsh will check if any file it would want to create exists. If it exists, vcsh
+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`.
-To illustrate further, the following steps could move your desired configuration to a new host.
+## Moving into a New Host
-1. Clone the mr repository (containing available.d, config.d etc.). For example: `vcsh clone git://github.com/RichiH/vcsh_mr_template.git`
-2. Choose your repositories by linking them in config.d (or go with the default you may have already configured by adding symlinks to git).
-3. Run mr to clone the repositories: `cd; mr update`.
-4. Done.
+To illustrate further, the following steps could move your desired
+configuration to a new host.
+
+1. Clone the mr repository (containing available.d, config.d etc.); for
+ example: `vcsh clone git://github.com/RichiH/vcsh_mr_template.git mr`
+2. Choose your repositories by linking them in config.d (or go with the default
+ you may have already configured by adding symlinks to git).
+3. Make sure the line 'include = cat /usr/share/mr/vcsh' in .mrconfig points
+ to an existing file
+4. Run mr to clone the repositories: `cd; mr update`.
+5. Done.
Hopefully the above could help explain how this approach saves time by
-1. making it easy to manage, clone and update a large number of repositories (thanks to mr) and
+1. making it easy to manage, clone and update a large number of repositories
+ (thanks to mr) and
2. making it unnecessary to create symbolic links in $HOME (thanks to vcsh).
-----------
+If you want to give vcsh a try, follow the instructions below.
+
+
+# Getting Started
+
+Below, you will find a few different methods for setting up vcsh:
+
+1. The Template Way
+2. The Steal-from-Template Way
+3. The Manual Way
+
+### The Template Way
+
+#### Prerequisites
+
+Make sure none of the following files and directories exist for your test
+(user). If they do, move them away for now:
+
+* ~/.gitignore.d
+* ~/.mrconfig
+* $XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/mr/available.d/mr.vcsh
+* $XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/mr/available.d/zsh.vcsh
+* $XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/mr/config.d/mr.vcsh
+* $XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/vcsh/repo.d/mr.git/
+
+All of the files are part of the template repository, the directory is where
+the template will be stored.
+
+ apt-get install mr
+
+#### Install vcsh
+
+#### Debian
+
+If you are using Debian Squeeze, you will need to enable backports
+
+ apt-get install vcsh
+
+#### 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
+
+#### 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
+ git clone git://github.com/RichiH/vcsh.git
+ cd vcsh
+ ln -s vcsh /usr/local/bin # or add it to your PATH
+ cd
+
+#### Clone the Template
+
+ vcsh clone git://github.com/RichiH/vcsh_mr_template.git mr
+
+#### Enable Your Test Repository
+
+ mv ~/.zsh ~/zsh.bak
+ mv ~/.zshrc ~/zshrc.bak
+ cd $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/mr/config.d/
+ ln -s ../available.d/zsh.vcsh . # link, and thereby enable, the zsh repository
+ cd
+ mr up
+
+#### Set Up Your Own Repositories
+
+Now, it's time to edit the template config and fill it with your own remotes:
+
+ vim $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/mr/available.d/mr.vcsh
+ vim $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/mr/available.d/zsh.vcsh
+
+And then create your own stuff:
+
+ vcsh init foo
+ vcsh run foo git add -f bar baz quux
+ vcsh run foo git remote add origin git://quuux
+ vcsh run foo git commit
+ vcsh run foo git push
+
+ cp $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/mr/available.d/mr.vcsh $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/mr/available.d/foo.vcsh
+ vim $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/mr/available.d/foo.vcsh # add your own repo
+
+Done!
+
+### The Steal-from-Template Way
+
+You're welcome to clone the example repository:
+
+ vcsh clone git://github.com/RichiH/vcsh_mr_template.git mr
+ # make sure 'include = cat /usr/share/mr/vcsh' points to an exiting file
+ vim .mrconfig
+
+Look around in the clone. It should be reasonably simple to understand. If not,
+poke me, RichiH, on Freenode (query) or OFTC (#vcs-home).
+
+
+### The Manual Way
+
+This is how my old setup procedure looked like. Adapt it to your own style or
+copy mine verbatim, either is fine.
+
+ # Create workspace
+ mkdir -p ~/work/git
+ cd !$
+
+ # Clone vcsh and make it available
+ git clone git://github.com/RichiH/vcsh.git vcsh
+ sudo ln -s ~/work/git/vcsh/vcsh /usr/bin/local
+ hash -r
+
+Grab my mr config. see below for details on how I set this up
+
+ vcsh clone ssh://<remote>/mr.git
+ cd $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/mr/config.d/
+ ln -s ../available.d/* .
+
+
+mr is used to actually retrieve configs, etc
+
+ ~ % cat ~/.mrconfig
+ [DEFAULT]
+ # adapt /usr/share/mr/vcsh to your system if needed
+ include = cat /usr/share/mr/vcsh
+ include = cat $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/mr/config.d/*
+ ~ % echo $XDG_CONFIG_HOME
+ /home/richih/.config
+ ~ % ls $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/mr/available.d # random selection of my repos
+ git-annex gitk.vcsh git.vcsh ikiwiki mr.vcsh reportbug.vcsh snippets.git wget.vcsh zsh.vcsh
+ ~ %
+ # then simply ln -s whatever you want on your local machine from
+ # $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/mr/available.d to $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/mr/config.d
+ ~ % cd
+ ~ % mr -j 5 up
+
+
+# Usage Examples
+
+All examples in this section will use the short form of `vcsh` which is the
+simplest way to interface with it. If you don't know what that means simply
+ignore this fact for now and follow the examples.
+
+## Initialize a new repository "vim"
+
+ vcsh init vim
+
+## Clone an existing repository
+
+ vcsh clone <remote> <repository_name>
+
+## Add files to repository "vim"
+
+ vcsh vim add ~/.vimrc ~/.vim
+ vcsh vim commit -m 'Update Vim configuration'
+
+## Add a remote for repository "vim"
+
+ vcsh vim remote add origin <remote>
+ vcsh vim push origin master:master
+ vcsh vim branch --track master origin/master
+
+## Push to remote of repository "vim"
+
+ vcsh vim push
+
+## Pull from remote of repository "vim"
+
+ vcsh vim pull
+
+
+# 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:
+
+ mr up
+ mr push
+
+Neat.
+
+### 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):
+
+ vcsh run foo git add -f bar baz quux
+ vcsh run foo git commit
+ vcsh run foo git push
+
+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.
+
+### Using vcsh without mr
+
+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.
+
+
+To initialize a new repository: `vcsh init zsh`
+
+To clone a repository: `vcsh clone ssh://<remote>/zsh.git`
+
+To interact with a repository, use the regular Git commands, but prepend them
+with `vcsh run $repository_name`. For example:
+
+ vcsh run zsh git status
+ vcsh run zsh git add -f .zshrc
+ vcsh run zsh git commit
+
+Obviously, without mr keeping repositories up-to-date, it will have to be done
+manually. Alternatively, you could try something like this:
+
+ for repo in `vcsh list`; do
+ vcsh run $repo git pull;
+ done
+
+
+# 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/
+[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
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