# Install dotbot with Homebrew, Nix Tool that bootstraps your dotfiles. Version 1.24.1 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:dotbot ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install dotbot ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#dotbot ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/do/dotbot/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:dotbot - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 1.24.1 - **Source summary:** Tool that bootstraps your dotfiles - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** MIT - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T18:08:21+00:00 ## Executables - dotbot (cli) - dotbot (alias) ## Dependencies - libyaml - python@3.14 ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 1.24.1 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/anishathalye/dotbot - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. - info: No cached GitHub release or tag data was available. ## Project history and usage Dotbot is a lightweight dotfiles bootstrapper that lets a dotfiles repository install itself with a small YAML or JSON task list. Its identity is intentionally narrow: version control stores the files, and Dotbot links, creates, cleans, and runs shell commands. ### Project history The README explains the name as a dotfiles bootstrapper and emphasizes a deliberately minimal design: self-contained, no external dependencies, no required installation, and VCS-agnostic operation. Users can vendor it as a Git submodule or subrepo, or install it as a standalone command-line program. Public GitHub release metadata shows active tagged releases through the 2020s, including the v1.22-v1.24 series in 2025. ### Adoption history Dotbot spread through personal dotfiles repositories because it fits the common bootstrap pattern: clone a dotfiles repo, enter it, and run ./install on a fresh machine. The README also notes package availability through Homebrew and Arch Linux, while source facts list Homebrew and Nix. A plugin ecosystem grew around the core, including plugins for secrets management, package managers, OS/application configuration, and other setup tasks. ### How it is used A typical Dotbot setup keeps install.conf.yaml or install.conf.json in the dotfiles repository and runs tasks such as linking files into the home directory, creating directories, cleaning broken symlinks, and executing shell commands. The project is useful when users want a small, repeatable bootstrap without adopting a full configuration-management system. ### Why package nerds care Dotbot is package-nerd significant because it captures the Git-submodule era of dotfiles tooling: tiny tool, vendored into the repo, runnable on a fresh system, and intentionally not a full manager for the dotfiles themselves. For Homebrew users, packaging Dotbot as a CLI offers the same workflow without vendoring, using dotbot -c to point at a configuration file. ### Timeline - 2014: The official README links an Anish Athalye blog post about managing dotfiles as background for Dotbot-style organization. - 2025: GitHub release metadata shows v1.22.0, v1.23.x, and v1.24.0 releases. - 2020s: Dotbot supports both vendored submodule/subrepo workflows and standalone CLI installation. ### Related projects - Dotbot is related to dotfiles_template, init-dotfiles, its wiki/tutorial ecosystem, and community plugins such as dotbot-age, dotbot-gitcrypt, dotbot-brew, dotbot-apt, dotbot-yum, crontab-dotbot, and dotbot-firefox. ### Sources - - - ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Configuration and credential file locations These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval. ## Configuration files - Unix: install.conf.yaml, install.conf.json ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** dotbot - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Nix - dotbot: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/do/dotbot/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Source-control packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/source-control-tools/) - Belongs to a source-control command family. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Text processing packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/text-processing-tools/) - Matched text, document, or structured-data processing metadata. - [Developer build packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/developer-build-tools/) - Matched build, compiler, generator, or developer workflow metadata. - [python@3.14](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/python-3-14/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [dotter](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dotter/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, configuration, developer-tools, dotfiles. - [lnk](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/lnk/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, dotfiles, symlinks. - [punktf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/punktf/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, configuration, developer-tools, dotfiles. - [rcm](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/rcm/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, configuration, developer-tools, dotfiles, symlinks. - [dotdrop](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dotdrop/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, dotfiles. - [homeshick](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/homeshick/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, dotfiles. - [aliae](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/aliae/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, configuration, developer-tools. - [amdatu-bootstrap](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/amdatu-bootstrap/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: bootstrap, cli, developer-tools. - [posting](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/posting/) - Both packages touch the same language runtime or ecosystem. Shared terms: cli, developer, developer-tools, libyaml, python. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/dotbot.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/dotbot.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated configuration and credential file locations - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph