`vcsh import` -- Take existing dotfile repos and import them into vcsh with a basic wizard

[RichiH]

This would need to present a list of files and ask what to do with each. Batch mode would help.

• Move gitignore
• Remove any prepending paths
• Any README or similar needs to move into a subdir

[bval]

I was just turned on to @lra's excellent mackup project: https://github.com/lra/mackup/

And in particular it's excellent list of which dotfiles common applications depend on: https://github.com/lra/mackup/tree/master/mackup/applications

Might I suggest working to either depend on these or help factor them out into a common repo so that vcsh could allow repo initialization for specific apps without the user having to already possess the knowledge of what dotfiles are relevant per-app?

Cheers,

Brandon

[RichiH]

Nice concept; I will need to think about a clean way to do this.

As an aside, this is a glaring security hole so I may need to talk to them and/or maintain my own list: https://github.com/lra/mackup/blob/master/mackup/applications/ssh.cfg

[lra]

I would not call this a security hole =) the point of those files is to describe how an application handles its config files. If you think it's dangerous, don't use it for ssh, or apply a more tailored configuration for ssh.

There is an ongoing talk with the homebrew cask guys to come up with a repo dedicated to host those files. But there is no concrete need yet. If you'd use it, I can push this forward, the first step was to make those files pure configuration (.py->.ini), this is done, we just have to isolate those in a separate repo now.

LMK if it interests you.

[bval]

Factoring this out into a common repo is an awesome idea. Bravo, @Ira. I'm also a cask user, so this is all very helpful. It also means that discussions about what belong in a given manifest (i.e. the discussion around the .ssh directory above) can happen in PRs focused on that metadata, and not in the context of a larger project. I've followed your Mackup issue and will wait to see if there's any way I can help.