# Dotfiles

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Coder offers the `coder dotfiles <repo>` command which simplifies workspace
personalization. Our behavior is consistent with Codespaces, so
[their documentation](https://docs.github.com/en/codespaces/customizing-your-codespace/personalizing-codespaces-for-your-account#dotfiles)
explains how it loads your repo.

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You can read more on dotfiles best practices [here](https://dotfiles.github.io).

## Templates

Templates can prompt users for their dotfiles repo using the following pattern:

```hcl
variable "dotfiles_uri" {
  description = <<-EOF
  Dotfiles repo URI (optional)

  see https://dotfiles.github.io
  EOF
    # The codercom/enterprise-* images are only built for amd64
  default = ""
}

resource "coder_agent" "main" {
  ...
  startup_script = var.dotfiles_uri != "" ? "coder dotfiles -y ${var.dotfiles_uri}" : null
}
```

[Here's a complete example.](https://github.com/coder/coder/tree/main/examples/templates/docker-with-dotfiles#how-it-works)

## Persistent Home

Sometimes you want to support personalization without requiring dotfiles.

In such cases:

- Mount a persistent volume to the `/home` directory
- Set the `startup_script` to call a `~/personalize` script that the user can
  edit

```hcl
resource "coder_agent" "main" {
  ...
  startup_script = "/home/coder/personalize"
}
```

The user can even fill `personalize` with `coder dotfiles <repo>`, but those
looking for a simpler approach can inline commands like so:

```bash
#!/bin/bash
sudo apt update
# Install some of my favorite tools every time my workspace boots
sudo apt install -y neovim fish cargo
```

## Setup script support

User can setup their dotfiles by creating one of the following script files in
their dotfiles repo:

- `install.sh`
- `install`
- `bootstrap.sh`
- `bootstrap`
- `script/bootstrap`
- `setup.sh`
- `setup`
- `script/setup`

If any of the above files are found (in the specified order), Coder will try to
execute the first match. After the first match is found, other files will be
ignored.

The setup script must be executable, otherwise the dotfiles setup will fail. If
you encounter this issue, you can fix it by making the script executable using
the following commands:

```shell
cd <path_to_dotfiles_repo>
chmod +x <script_name>
git commit -m "Make <script_name> executable" <script_name>
git push
```
