dotling init

Initialize a new dotfiles repo or adopt an existing one.

Usage

dotling init [PATH|URL]

Default: ~/dotfiles

Description

dotling init sets up a dotfiles repository. Depending on the argument:

• A local path — creates the directory, writes a default dotling.toml, runs git init, and registers the repo root
• A git URL — clones the repo to ~/dotfiles, registers the repo root, and suggests running dotling sync to deploy entries

After initialization, the repo root is stored in ~/.dotling/state.toml so dotling knows where to find it.

What happens

1. Creates the repo directory (or clones from URL)
2. Writes a default dotling.toml with empty sections
3. Runs git init (for new repos)
4. Registers the repo root in ~/.dotling/state.toml
5. Runs the [hooks] init command if defined
6. For cloned repos: suggests running dotling sync to deploy entries

Examples

# Create a new dotfiles repo
dotling init ~/dotfiles

# Create at the default location
dotling init

# Clone an existing repo
dotling init git@github.com:you/dotfiles.git
dotling init https://github.com/you/dotfiles.git