Automic VaultAutomic Vault

brew

Install dotdrop with Homebrew, apt

Save your dotfiles once, deploy them everywhere. Version 1.16.2 via Homebrew; verified 2026-05-21.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install dotdrop

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install dotdrop

Debian stable package indexes · dotdrop · source: deb.debian.org

overview

Package summary

Save your dotfiles once, deploy them everywhere

Commands and aliases

  • dotdrop

history

Project history and usage

dotdrop is a dotfile manager for storing dotfiles once and deploying different versions or sets across hosts by using profiles, templating, variables, and a central config.yaml.

Project history

The official README frames dotdrop around a specific gap in dotfile tools: many can manage files, but fewer can deploy different versions of the same dotfile on different hosts. Its model stores dotfiles in Git, keeps metadata in config.yaml, and uses profiles to choose which files and variables apply on each machine.

GitHub release metadata shows public releases from the v0.10 series in 2018 through the v1.16 series in 2026, indicating a long-lived Python CLI with continued maintenance.

Adoption history

dotdrop adoption comes from users whose dotfiles outgrow simple symlink farms: multiple machines, overlapping file sets, per-host variables, templates, import/update workflows, and optional handling for sensitive content.

The official README advertises distribution through PyPI, Homebrew, AUR, Snapcraft, and Pacstall, while source facts list Homebrew, Debian, and Ubuntu.

How it is used

Users initialize or clone a dotfiles repository, install dotdrop, generate config.yaml, import dotfiles, and deploy selected profiles. Commands such as import and compare are central to the workflow, with dotpath, profiles, variables, templates, actions, and transformations configured in YAML.

The tool is especially useful when a home laptop, work desktop, temporary VM, and other hosts share many dotfiles but need different deployed subsets or template values.

Why package nerds care

dotdrop is package-nerd significant as the profile-and-template-heavy alternative in the dotfiles space. It is more opinionated than a tiny bootstrapper but still lives as a CLI around Git, YAML, and predictable files.

For packagers, its value is in giving users a maintained command-line tool instead of copy-pasted shell glue for multi-host dotfile deployment.

Timeline

  • 2018: GitHub release metadata shows v0.10.x public releases.
  • 2020s: dotdrop is distributed through PyPI, Homebrew, AUR, Snapcraft, and other package channels.
  • 2026: GitHub release metadata shows v1.16.x releases.

Related projects

  • dotdrop is related to other dotfiles managers and bootstrap tools, including Dotbot, GNU Stow-style symlink workflows, chezmoi-like multi-host management, Git-backed dotfiles repositories, and package channels such as PyPI, Homebrew, AUR, and Snapcraft.

security posture

No protected-tool coverage found yet

No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for dotdrop. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL.

Install behavior

  • No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
  • Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
  • Installs with 3 runtime dependencies.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

local files

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

Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.

Unix
config.yaml${XDG_CONFIG_HOME}/dotdrop/config.yaml~/.config/dotdrop/config.yaml/etc/xdg/dotdrop/config.yaml/etc/dotdrop/config.yaml

executables

Installed executables

CommandKindExposureNote
dotdropcliglobal executable

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-07-08
manager version1.16.2
manager updated2026-05-21
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detectedv1.16.2

https://github.com/deadc0de6/dotdrop

  • okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:dotdrop
Version1.16.2
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/dotdrop
Homepagehttps://github.com/deadc0de6/dotdrop
Repositoryhttps://github.com/deadc0de6/dotdrop
Upstream docshttps://dotdrop.readthedocs.io/
LicenseGPL-3.0-or-later
Source archivehttps://github.com/deadc0de6/dotdrop/archive/refs/tags/v1.16.2.tar.gz
Last updated2026-05-21T10:31:28Z
Pulseupdated
Dependenciescertifi, libmagic, python@3.14
Bottleavailable (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-installnot defined
Servicenone declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source DatabaseHomebrew formula API
Taphomebrew/core
Full Namedotdrop
Version Scheme0
Revision1
Bottle Stable Root URLhttps://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecatedno
Disabledno
Keg Onlyno
URL Keys
  • stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Debian apt95%

dotdrop 1.15.0-1

save your dotfiles once deploy them everywhere

https://github.com/deadc0de6/dotdrop

sudo apt install dotdrop
  • Section: misc
  • Architecture: all
  • 11 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Dotdrop
Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: dotdrop from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
Ubuntu apt95%

dotdrop 1.12.9-1

save your dotfiles once deploy them everywhere

https://github.com/deadc0de6/dotdrop

sudo apt install dotdrop
  • Section: universe/misc
  • Architecture: all
  • 9 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Dotdrop
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: dotdrop from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

Related tools

Same workflow

  • homeshickShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, configuration-management, developer-tools, dotfiles.
  • lnkShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, configuration-management, developer-tools, dotfiles.
  • rcmShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, configuration-management, developer-tools, dotfiles.
  • dotbotShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, dotfiles.
  • dotterShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, dotfiles.
  • punktfShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, dotfiles.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Used sources

  • Geiger risk classifier
  • Nucleus package database
  • av.db category and tag curation
  • cross-ecosystem install command graph
  • curated configuration and credential file locations
  • curated package history
  • external package-manager database matches
  • package relationship graph
  • package version freshness
  • package-page enrichment