# Install dotdrop with Homebrew, apt Save your dotfiles once, deploy them everywhere. Version 1.16.2 via Homebrew; verified 2026-05-21. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:dotdrop ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install dotdrop ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install dotdrop ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: dotdrop from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:dotdrop - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 1.16.2 - **Source summary:** Save your dotfiles once, deploy them everywhere - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-3.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-05-21T10:31:28Z - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T18:08:21+00:00 ## Executables - dotdrop (cli) - dotdrop (alias) ## Dependencies - certifi - libmagic - 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: 1.16.2 - Package-manager updated: 2026-05-21 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/deadc0de6/dotdrop - Upstream latest detected: v1.16.2 (current) ## 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. ### Sources - - - - ## Security Notes 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. ## 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: config.yaml, ${XDG_CONFIG_HOME}/dotdrop/config.yaml, ~/.config/dotdrop/config.yaml, /etc/xdg/dotdrop/config.yaml, /etc/dotdrop/config.yaml ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** dotdrop - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 1 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - dotdrop - 1.15.0-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: dotdrop from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | save your dotfiles once deploy them everywhere | https://github.com/deadc0de6/dotdrop - Ubuntu apt - dotdrop - 1.12.9-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: dotdrop from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | save your dotfiles once deploy them everywhere | https://github.com/deadc0de6/dotdrop ## 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. - [homeshick](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/homeshick/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, configuration-management, developer-tools, dotfiles. - [lnk](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/lnk/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, configuration-management, developer-tools, dotfiles. - [rcm](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/rcm/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, configuration-management, developer-tools, dotfiles. - [dotbot](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dotbot/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, dotfiles. - [dotter](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dotter/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, dotfiles. - [punktf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/punktf/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, dotfiles. - [chezmoi](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/chezmoi/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, configuration-management, developer-tools, dotfiles. - [tuckr](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/tuckr/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, configuration-management, developer-tools, dotfiles. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/dotdrop.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/dotdrop.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