X-Git-Url: https://git.madduck.net/code/vcsh.git/blobdiff_plain/c436ac84069261ae1e7aab4db28539019aaee49b..67a1a55913e80ce2e97d4f7b389793f4afb33dc6:/README.md diff --git a/README.md b/README.md index 6a433ff..763b7c4 100644 --- a/README.md +++ b/README.md @@ -3,15 +3,12 @@ vcsh - Version Control System for $HOME - multiple Git repositories in $HOME # Index -1. [30 second howto](#30-second-howto) +1. [30 Second How-to](#30-second-how-to) 2. [Introduction](#introduction) -3. [Usage Exmaples](#usage-examples) -4. [Overview](#overview) -5. [Getting Started](#getting-started) -6. [Contact](#contact) +3. [Contact](#contact) -# 30 second howto +# 30 Second How-to 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 @@ -49,9 +46,10 @@ 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 packages 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. +does not, read [INSTALL.md](doc/INSTALL.md) for install instructions or +[PACKAGING.md](doc/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 @@ -61,403 +59,6 @@ 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 even bother playing with the other two -modes you will still be fine. - -`vcsh enter` and `vcsh run` will be covered in later sections. - - -| Task | Command | -| ----------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------- | -| _Initialize a new repository called "vim"_ | `vcsh init vim` | -| _Clone an existing repository_ | `vcsh clone ` | -| _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 ` | -| | `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` | -| _Show status of changed files in all repositories_ | `vcsh status` | -| _Pull from all repositories_ | `vcsh pull` | -| _Push to all repositories_ | `vcsh push` | - - -# 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. - -`vcsh` was designed with [myrepos][myrepos], a tool to manage Multiple -Repositories, in mind and the two integrate very nicely. The myrepos tool -(`mr`) has native support for `vcsh` repositories and the configuration for -myrepos is just another set of files that you cat track with `vcsh` like any -other. This makes setting up any new machine a breeze. It can take literally -less than five minutes to go from standard installation to fully set up system. - -We suggest using [myrepos][myrepos] to manage both `vcsh` and other -repositories. The `mr` utility takes care of pulling in and pushing -out new data for a variety of version control systems. While the use -of myrepos is technically optional, it will be an integral part of the -proposed system that follows. For instance, you can use -[myrepos][myrepos] to track repositories in home such as `.emacs.d`, -which `mr` can clone and update for you automatically. To do this, -just add a `mr` configuration file to `availabile.d` with a `checkout` -command to clone the repo, and set the [title] to the desired -location, e.g. `$HOME/.emacs.d`. Try the `mr register` command in an -existing repository, then view `~/.mrconfig` for an example. - -## Default Directory Layout - -To illustrate, this is what a possible directory structure looks like. - - $HOME - |-- $XDG_CONFIG_HOME (defaults to $HOME/.config) - | |-- mr - | | |-- available.d - | | | |-- zsh.vcsh - | | | |-- gitconfigs.vcsh - | | | |-- lftp.vcsh - | | | |-- offlineimap.vcsh - | | | |-- s3cmd.vcsh - | | | |-- tmux.vcsh - | | | |-- vim.vcsh - | | | |-- vimperator.vcsh - | | | `-- snippets.git - | | `-- config.d - | | |-- 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 | - | |-- tmux.git | - | `-- vim.git | - |-- [...] | - |-- .zshrc <----------------------+ - |-- .gitignore.d - | `-- zsh - |-- .mrconfig - `-- .mrtrust - -### available.d - -The files you see in $XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/mr/available.d are myrepos -configuration files that contain the commands to manage (checkout, update -etc.) a single repository. vcsh repo configs end in .vcsh, git configs end -in .git, etc. This is optional and your preference. For example, this is -what a zsh.vcsh with read-only access to my zshrc repo looks likes. I.e. in -this specific example, push can not work as you will be using the author's -repository. This is for demonstration, only. Of course, you are more than -welcome to clone from this repository and fork your own. - - [$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/vcsh/repo.d/zsh.git] - checkout = vcsh clone 'git://github.com/RichiH/zshrc.git' 'zsh' - update = vcsh zsh pull - push = vcsh zsh push - status = vcsh zsh status - gc = vcsh zsh gc - - [$HOME/.emacs.d] - checkout = vcsh clone 'git://github.com/andschwa/emacs.git' '.emacs.d' - -### config.d - -$XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/mr/available.d contains *all available* repositories. Only -files/links present in mr/config.d, however, will be used by myrepos. 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. - -### ~/.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 -this: - - [DEFAULT] - include = cat ${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-$HOME/.config}/mr/config.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. - -Of course, [myrepos][myrepos] 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 -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 foo push`. - -## Moving into a New Host - -To illustrate further, the following steps could move your desired -configuration to a new host. - -1. Clone the myrepos 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. Run myrepos to clone the repositories: `cd; mr update`. -4. 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 myrepos) 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. - -### Install vcsh - -#### Debian - -If you are using Debian Squeeze, you will need to enable backports and the -package name for myrepos will be 'mr'. - -From Wheezy onwards, you can install both directly: - - apt-get install myrepos vcsh - -#### Gentoo - -To install vcsh in Gentoo Linux just give the following command as root: - - emerge dev-vcs/vcsh - -Note the portage package for myrepos still has the old project name: - - emerge dev-vcs/mr - -#### Arch Linux - -vcsh is available via this [AUR](https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/vcsh/) -package. Likewise myrepos is available [here](https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/myrepos/). -You may install both useing your favorite AUR helper. e.g. with yaourt: - - yaourt -Sya myrepos vcsh - -Or you can do it yourself manually using the documentation on installing AUR packages -[on Arch's wiki](https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Arch_User_Repository#Installing_packages). - -If you prefer to use the devel package that installs the git HEAD version it -is available [here](https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/vcsh-git/). - -#### Mac OS X - -Formulas are available for vcsh as well as git and myrepos through [homebrew](http://brew.sh). The -vcsh formula is set to depend on myrepos, so you only need one install command: - - brew install vcsh - -#### From source - -To install the latest version from git: - - # choose a location for your checkout - mkdir -p ~/work/git - cd ~/work/git - git clone git://github.com/RichiH/vcsh.git - cd vcsh - sudo ln -s vcsh /usr/local/bin # or add it to your PATH - -For myrepos: - - # use checkout location from above - cd ~/work/git - git clone git://myrepos.branchable.com/ myrepos - cd myrepos - make install - -#### 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 foo add bar baz quux - vcsh foo remote add origin git://quuux - vcsh foo commit - vcsh foo 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 myrepos config. see below for details on how I set this up - - vcsh clone ssh:///mr.git - cd $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/mr/config.d/ - ln -s ../available.d/* . - - -`myrepos` is used to actually retrieve configs, etc - - ~ % cat ~/.mrconfig - [DEFAULT] - 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 - - -# myrepos 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 foo add bar baz quux - vcsh foo commit - vcsh foo push - -### Using vcsh without myrepos - -vcsh encourages you to use [myrepos][myrepos]. It helps you manage a large number of -repositories by running the necessary vcsh commands for you. You may choose not -to use myrepos, 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:///zsh.git` - -To interact with a repository, use the regular Git commands, but prepend them -with `vcsh run $repository_name`. For example: - - vcsh zsh status - vcsh zsh add .zshrc - vcsh zsh commit - -Obviously, without myrepos 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