machine-profiles

name	machine-profiles
description	Use dotfile-sync profiles to manage machine-specific configurations. Use when different machines need different subsets of dotfiles, handling OS-specific configs, or setting up work vs personal machine profiles. Triggers include "machine profile", "per-machine config", "dfs profile", "different configs per machine", "work vs home dotfiles".

machine-profiles

Guide to using dotfile-sync profiles for machine-specific configuration.

What Profiles Are

Profiles let different machines use different subsets of your dotfiles. For example:

• Work MacBook: company SSH config, work tool configs
• Home Linux: gaming tools, personal projects
• Both machines: zshrc, gitconfig, nvim config

Creating a Profile

dfs profile create work-mac
dfs profile create home-linux

Adding Files to a Profile

# Files added with --profile are only linked on machines using that profile
dfs add ~/.config/work-vpn/config --profile work-mac
dfs add ~/.config/company-ssh/config --profile work-mac

# Files added without --profile go to 'common' (linked everywhere)
dfs add ~/.zshrc
dfs add ~/.gitconfig

Applying a Profile

On a new machine or when switching profiles:

# Apply profile (links common + this profile's files)
dfs profile apply work-mac

# Bootstrap a new machine with a specific profile
dfs init --clone [e-mail]:user/dotfiles.git --profile work-mac

Profile File Structure

Profiles are stored in the dotfiles repo at profiles/<name>.json:

{
  "name": "work-mac",
  "description": "work MacBook configuration",
  "files": [
    "home/.config/work-vpn/config",
    "home/.config/company-ssh/config"
  ]
}

Listing Profiles

dfs profile list

Output shows all profiles with file counts and marks the currently active profile with *.

Common Profile

All files tracked without a --profile flag belong to the common profile. These files are always linked regardless of which machine profile is active.

Workflow Example

# On work machine: set up profiles
dfs profile create work-mac
dfs add ~/.zshrc                              # common - on all machines
dfs add ~/.gitconfig                          # common
dfs add ~/.config/work-vpn/config --profile work-mac
dfs push

# On home Linux: clone and apply different profile
dfs init --clone [e-mail]:user/dotfiles.git --profile home-linux
# Only common files linked; work-mac files skipped