apply-to-machine

name	apply-to-machine
description	Deploy pending chezmoi source changes from this repo to the live home directory. Use when you've edited files under `home/` and need to render-check templates / modify_ scripts and apply them safely (scoped, verified) to the machine.

Apply to machine

Push source changes from this repo into $HOME. chezmoi is one-directional: chezmoi apply renders home/ → live files and overwrites whatever is there.

The one rule

Edit the source under home/, never the live file. A live edit is untracked and the next apply clobbers it. (chezmoi edit <target> opens the source for you.)

Steps

1. Preview: chezmoi diff [target...] — see exactly what would change.
2. Render-check before applying (a template / modify_ error is invisible until apply):
   • chezmoi cat <target> renders the final content.
   • For JSON, also validate: chezmoi cat <target> | jq -e . >/dev/null && echo OK.
3. Apply scoped, not bare: chezmoi apply ~/.claude/settings.json. Prefer a scoped target over a bare chezmoi apply whenever other paths show expected drift you don't want to touch.
4. Verify: chezmoi status (empty output = source and home in sync).

Gotchas specific to this repo

• ~/.claude/settings.json is a modify_ script (home/private_dot_claude/modify_settings.json), not a static file — it deep-merges managed keys onto the live file and needs jq. chezmoi cat runs the script; if jq is missing it fails loud (by design).
• ~/.claude/skills.txt only lists skills — applying it does not install them. See the sync-skills skill for the install step.
• ~/.claude/plugins/known_marketplaces.json is .chezmoiignored; apply won't touch it.
• Secrets are never in the source tree — apply never manages ~/.claude/.credentials.json, ~/.secrets/*, etc.