lnk

Git-native dotfiles manager. No config files, no templates, no ceremony.

Track dotfiles across machines with one command. Lnk moves files into a Git repo (~/.config/lnk), symlinks them back, and stays out of your way.

lnk init -r git@github.com:you/dotfiles.git   # clone & bootstrap
lnk pull                                       # restore symlinks
lnk add ~/.vimrc ~/.bashrc ~/.gitconfig        # track files
lnk add --host work ~/.ssh/config              # per-machine config
lnk push "done"                                # commit & push

Install

curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/yarlson/lnk/main/install.sh | bash

Or with Homebrew:

brew install lnk

Or grab a binary from releases, or build from source:

go install github.com/yarlson/lnk@latest

How it works

Before: ~/.vimrc (regular file)
After:  ~/.vimrc → ~/.config/lnk/.vimrc (symlink into git repo)

Common files live at the repo root. Host-specific files go in <hostname>.lnk/ subdirectories. A plain text .lnk file tracks what's managed — one path per line, no special format.

~/.config/lnk/
├── .lnk                 # tracked common files
├── .lnk.work            # tracked work-specific files
├── .vimrc               # common
├── .gitconfig            # common
└── work.lnk/            # host-specific storage
    └── .ssh/config

Usage

Add files

lnk add ~/.vimrc ~/.bashrc                # multiple at once
lnk add --recursive ~/.config/nvim        # each file individually
lnk add --host laptop ~/.ssh/config       # host-specific
lnk add --dry-run ~/.tmux.conf            # preview first

Sync

lnk status                                # what changed
lnk diff                                  # uncommitted changes
lnk push "updated vim config"             # commit & push
lnk pull                                  # pull & restore symlinks
lnk pull --host work                      # pull host-specific config

Remove

lnk rm ~/.vimrc                           # moves file back, removes symlink
lnk rm --force ~/.bashrc                  # clean up if symlink already gone

List

lnk list                                  # common files
lnk list --host work                      # host-specific
lnk list --all                            # everything

Health checks

lnk doctor --dry-run                      # preview issues
lnk doctor                                # fix broken symlinks & stale entries

Bootstrap

Drop a bootstrap.sh in your dotfiles repo. Lnk runs it automatically on lnk init -r <url>.

lnk init -r <url> --no-bootstrap          # skip auto-bootstrap
lnk bootstrap                             # run manually

New machine setup

lnk init -r git@github.com:you/dotfiles.git
lnk pull
lnk pull --host $(hostname)

That's it. Bootstrap runs automatically, symlinks get restored, you're working.

Commands

Command	What it does
init [-r url] [--force] [--no-bootstrap]	Create or clone a dotfiles repo
add [--host H] [--recursive] [--dry-run] <files>	Track files (move to repo + symlink)
rm [--host H] [--force] <file>	Untrack file (restore to original location)
list [--host H] [--all]	Show tracked files
status	Git sync status
diff	Uncommitted changes
push [message]	Stage, commit, push
pull [--host H]	Pull and restore symlinks
doctor [--host H] [--dry-run]	Find and fix repo health issues
bootstrap	Run bootstrap.sh from repo

Why lnk over alternatives

	lnk	chezmoi	yadm	stow
Config needed	None	Templates + YAML	Git knowledge	Stow directory structure
Multi-host	Built-in --host flag	Templates	Manual branches	Manual
Bulk ops	add takes multiple files	One at a time	One at a time	Package-based
Bootstrap	Automatic on clone	Separate scripts	Separate	No
Health checks	doctor command	No	No	No
Learning curve	Minutes	Hours	Medium	Low

Contributing

git clone https://github.com/yarlson/lnk.git
cd lnk
make check    # fmt, vet, lint, test

License

MIT