Quick Setup

Apply your first configurations safely with the backup and testing system.

Before You Start

Make sure you've completed the installation and have DotClaude ready to use.

Step 1: Create Your First Backup

# Backup all existing dotfiles
./scripts/backup.sh

# Verify backup was created
ls -la backups/

Step 2: Apply Git Configuration

The safest configuration to start with - enhances your git workflow:

# Test the git configuration first
./scripts/test-config.sh git

# Apply git configuration
./scripts/stow-package.sh git

# Test your new git log format
git lg

What you get:

• Your preferred git log format with colors
• Delta diff viewer with syntax highlighting
• Difftastic for syntax-aware diffs (git dtl)
• All your existing settings preserved (GPG signing, SSH URLs, etc.)

Step 3: Apply Environment Variables

Set up modern PATH and XDG compliance:

# Test environment configuration
./scripts/test-config.sh environment

# Apply environment configuration  
./scripts/stow-package.sh environment

# Reload your shell
exec $SHELL

Step 4: Apply Centralized Aliases

Get access to modern CLI tools with coexisting aliases:

# Apply alias configuration
./scripts/stow-package.sh aliases

# Reload shell to access new aliases
source ~/.aliases

# Test modern tools
ll2        # Enhanced ls
cat2 --help # Syntax highlighted cat

Step 5: Apply Tmux Configuration (Optional)

If you use tmux and want Claude Code optimization:

# Test tmux configuration
./scripts/test-config.sh tmux

# Apply tmux configuration
./scripts/stow-package.sh tmux

# Test Claude Code workspace
cw test-project feature-1 feature-2

Verification

Verify everything is working:

# Check modern tools are available
ll2
cat2 README.md
git lg

# Test Claude Code workspace (if tmux applied)
cw dotfiles test-feature

# Check configuration status
./scripts/test-config.sh all

Troubleshooting

Commands not found?

# Reload your shell
exec $SHELL

# Or source specific configs
source ~/.zshrc
source ~/.aliases

Want to rollback?

# Interactive restore
./scripts/restore.sh

# Restore specific component
./scripts/restore.sh latest git

Configuration conflicts?

# Check what would be applied
./scripts/stow-package.sh git status

# Remove conflicting package
./scripts/stow-package.sh git remove

Machine-Specific Configuration

DotClaude creates local config files for machine-specific settings that shouldn't be tracked in git.

Git Identity (~/.gitconfig.local)

Set your git identity and signing key:

# Edit the local git config
cat ~/.gitconfig.local

# Add your identity
git config --file ~/.gitconfig.local user.name "Your Name"
git config --file ~/.gitconfig.local user.email "your@email.com"
git config --file ~/.gitconfig.local user.signingkey "~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub"

Shell Customizations (~/.zshrc.local)

Add machine-specific PATH entries or tools:

# Example: Add local tool paths
echo 'export PATH="$PATH:$HOME/.local-tool/bin"' >> ~/.zshrc.local

Secrets (~/.secrets)

Store API keys and tokens securely:

# Edit the secrets file (created during setup)
$EDITOR ~/.secrets

# Example contents:
# export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-..."
# export GITHUB_TOKEN="ghp_..."

Security

The ~/.secrets file has restricted permissions (600). Never commit secrets to git.

What's Next?

Once you have the basic configurations working:

1. Explore Modern Tools - Learn about all the new CLI tools
2. Claude Code Workflows - Set up AI development workflows
3. Safety Guide - Understand backup and restore procedures

Pro Tips

• Start small: Apply one configuration at a time
• Test first: Always use ./scripts/test-config.sh before applying
• Keep backups: The automatic backup system has saved you
• Gradual adoption: Use tools when you're ready, no pressure to change everything

Your dotfiles are now enhanced with modern tools while keeping your existing workflow intact! 🎉