RCRC(5)

💖 NAME 💖

okay so rcrc — that's the config file for rcm, bestie. it's the little vibe-setting file that tells your dotfile manager how to act. 🎀

---

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

X="a b c"

like, that's it. that's the whole format. variable, equals, quoted string. slay.

---

🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

so the rcm dotfile manager gets configured by a .rcrc file chilling in your home directory. wanna put it somewhere else? no worries, just set the RCRC environment variable and point it wherever. 💅

the format is POSIX shell — yes, it's literally sourced in by lsrc(1), mkrc(1), rcdn(1), and rcup(1). so write it like shell, because it is shell.

here's everything it supports, no gatekeeping:

• COPY_ALWAYS — always copy the files that match the globs you list, never ever symlink them. sometimes a symlink just isn't the move. 🫶
• DOTFILES_DIRS — the source directories for your dotfiles. the first one in the list is the source that dotfiles created by mkrc(1) get installed into. default value is ~/.dotfiles.
• EXCLUDES — a space-separated list of exclude patterns. the whole lore on exclude patterns lives in lsrc(1) under the section "EXCLUDE PATTERN". go read it, iykyk.
• HOSTNAME — the hostname for this computer. normally it's computed with the hostname(1) command, but lowkey that command is non-standard and can prove unreliable 😭. so HOSTNAME forces a known hostname and saves you the drama.
• TAGS — the default tags.
• SYMLINK_DIRS — a space-separated list of patterns. directories matching a pattern get symlinked instead of descended. patterns are explained in detail in lsrc(1) under the section "EXCLUDE PATTERN".
• UNDOTTED — a space separated list of patterns. files matching this pattern will be symlinked without a leading dot. and if a file is also in SYMLINK_DIRS, then the directory will be symlinked without a leading dot. patterns are explained in detail in lsrc(1) under the section "EXCLUDE PATTERN". (yes, that's three whole shoutouts to the same section. iconic of them.)

---

🦋 FILES 🦋

• ~/.rcrc

---

💜 EXAMPLES 💜

here's the inspo board, copy whatever fits your setup:

COPY_ALWAYS="ssh/id_* weechat/* netrc"
COPY_ALWAYS="*"
DOTFILES_DIRS="/home/mike/.dotfiles /usr/share/dotfiles"
EXCLUDES="irbrc *:*emacs* dotfiles:python*"
HOSTNAME="eggplant"
TAGS="freebsd development email git laptop gmail notmuch"
SYMLINK_DIRS="zprezto texmf"
UNDOTTED="texmf"

---

⭐ SEE ALSO ⭐

lsrc(1), mkrc(1), rcdn(1), rcup(1), rcm(7)

---

👑 AUTHORS 👑

rcrc is maintained by Mike Burns <mburns@thoughtbot.com> and thoughtbot: http://thoughtbot.com — give them their flowers fr fr 🌹

---

💀 BUGS 💀

okay important, no cap:

we only expand tilde inside DOTFILES_DIRS and not inside any patterns. so don't come for us when ~ does nothing in your pattern.

for more notes on the caution you should exercise around patterns, see the BUGS section of lsrc(1). seriously, read it. 🙈

---

and that's the whole page, babe — this one came out of the Debian crew and it's dated July 28, 2013, so it's been holding it down for a minute. go configure something cute 💖✨