Kirk Lin's Dotfiles

March 14, 2026 ยท View on GitHub

This repository contains my personal dotfiles and automated installation scripts designed to provision a complete, highly-customized development environment on macOS from scratch.

Automated Deployment

To fully bootstrap the macOS environment, simply run the primary setup script. Ensure the scripts have the correct execution permissions before proceeding.

Prerequisites

Before launching the setup scripts, ensure that your system is up to date and that the Xcode Command Line Tools are installed:

xcode-select --install

Running the Setup

# Grant execution permissions
chmod +x setup.sh homebrew-install.sh

# Run the complete setup
./setup.sh

What does setup.sh do?

  1. Zsh Core: Installs Oh My Zsh.
  2. Package Manager: Triggers homebrew-install.sh to install foundational CLI utilities.
  3. Workspace Initialization: Provisions standard developer directories (~/Code/projects, ~/Code/forks, etc.).
  4. Shell Customization: Installs necessary Zsh plugins (e.g., spaceship-prompt, zsh-autosuggestions, zsh-syntax-highlighting).
  5. Configuration Linking: Backs up your existing .zshrc and links the one provided in this repository.
  6. Node.js Environment: Sets up nvm, installs the latest LTS Node.js release, and installs essential global npm packages.

Standalone Homebrew Installer (homebrew-install.sh)

This repository includes a script homebrew-install.sh to automate the installation of Homebrew and various applications.

Usage

The script is controlled via command-line flags. Before running, ensure it has execution permissions:

chmod +x homebrew-install.sh

Then, run the script with the desired options:

./homebrew-install.sh [options]

Options:

FlagDescription
-c, --cliInstall command-line interface (CLI) tools.
-g, --guiInstall graphical user interface (GUI) applications (casks).
-f, --fontsInstall essential developer fonts (Nerd Fonts).
-a, --masInstall Mac App Store apps (requires 'mas' CLI).
-p, --proxyEnable proxy (http://127.0.0.1:7890) for the session.
-m, --mirrorUse Chinese mirror (USTC) for Homebrew for faster downloads.
-h, --helpDisplay the help message.

Example:

To install CLI tools, GUI applications, and developer fonts using the Chinese mirror, run:

./homebrew-install.sh --cli --gui --fonts --mirror

Note: The script will check if Xcode Command Line Tools are installed. If not, it will prompt you to install them first by running xcode-select --install.

Manual Installation Steps

If you prefer to configure your environment manually instead of using the automated scripts, follow these instructions.

1. Install zsh and Oh My Zsh

Run the following command to install Oh My Zsh:

sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/master/tools/install.sh)"

After installation, update Oh My Zsh and reload your configuration:

omz update
source ~/.zshrc

2. Install Starship Prompt

Starship is a fast and highly customizable prompt written in Rust. Install it using Homebrew:

brew install starship

Add the following line to your .zshrc to initialize Starship:

eval "$(starship init zsh)"

3. Install Useful zsh Plugins

I use the following plugins to enhance the zsh experience:

  • zsh-autosuggestions
  • zsh-completions
  • zsh-syntax-highlighting

Clone these plugins into your Oh My Zsh custom plugins directory:

git clone https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-autosuggestions ${ZSH_CUSTOM:-~/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/plugins/zsh-autosuggestions
git clone https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-completions ${ZSH_CUSTOM:-~/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/plugins/zsh-completions
git clone https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-syntax-highlighting ${ZSH_CUSTOM:-~/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/plugins/zsh-syntax-highlighting

Configuration Files

  • View my .zshrc configuration

Check Also

This README outlines the essential steps for setting up zsh, Oh My Zsh, and Starship, as well as installing useful plugins for an enhanced command-line experience.

Feel free to copy and use this markdown content directly!