dotfiles
Mathias Bynens's personal macOS shell config files and setup scripts, shared as a starting point.
- Stars
- 31.5k
- Forks
- 8.4k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- Shell
- Last update
- 2.3 years ago
- Type
- Dev tool
No commits in over a year — check for forks or alternatives before adopting.
What it is
This is a collection of shell configuration files (dotfiles) that customize the terminal environment on macOS, plus a script called .macos that sets many system preferences. A bootstrap script copies these files into your home folder. People use it as a reference or starting point for setting up their own Mac and command line.
- Copy the shell aliases and prompt setup into your own dotfiles
- Run ./.macos on a new Mac to apply a set of system defaults
- Use ~/.extra to keep private settings such as Git credentials out of the repository
- Use ~/.path to add extra directories to your PATH
Great for
- Developers on macOS who want to see how someone else sets up their shell
- People setting up a new Mac who want a template to copy from and adapt
- Anyone comfortable reading Bash and reviewing scripts before running them
Not ideal for
- Non-technical users, because the scripts change system settings and shell behavior
- People who want a turnkey tool without reviewing the code, since the author warns against using it blindly
- Linux or Windows users, since the macOS defaults script is specific to macOS
How to get it
- 1
Clone and build from source
You'll need: Git · Bash · macOS for the .macos and brew.sh scripts
Clone the repository and run the bootstrap script
git clone https://github.com/mathiasbynens/dotfiles.git && cd dotfiles && source bootstrap.sh - 2
Run it
- Fork the repository and review the files before installing
- Clone the repository and run source bootstrap.sh
- Open a new terminal window to load the new settings
- Optionally run ./.macos to apply macOS defaults
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Create a ~/.extra file for private settings such as Git identity
- Create a ~/.path file to add directories to your PATH before feature checks
- Run ./brew.sh to install the Homebrew formulae the dotfiles rely on
- Fork the repository and remove the parts you do not want, as the README recommends
Downloads
Strengths
- Clear structure, with separate files for aliases, paths, and macOS defaults
- Supports local overrides through ~/.path and ~/.extra without forking
- Long-running, widely starred project with an MIT license
Trade-offs
- The author explicitly warns that settings are personal and should be reviewed and trimmed before use
- Some features depend on Homebrew formulae, and the README says the dotfiles use a special Bash/Git completion version from Homebrew
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| dotfiles (this) | 31.5k | Dev tool | intermediate | 2.3 years ago | Developers on macOS who want to see how someone else sets up their shell |
| chezmoi | 22.1k | Dev tool | intermediate | 4 days ago | People who use more than one computer and want their settings to match |
| inshellisense | 10.8k | Dev tool | beginner | 7 days ago | Developers who spend a lot of time in the terminal and want suggestions for unfamiliar command options |
| autocomplete | 25.2k | Other | intermediate | 1.5 years ago | macOS developers who use zsh, bash or fish and want suggestions for common CLIs |
| zoxide | 40.4k | Dev tool | beginner | 4 days ago | Developers who move between many project folders in a terminal |
| .tmux | 25.5k | Dev tool | beginner | 15 days ago | Developers who already use tmux and want a better-looking, feature-rich starting config |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.