Design Decisions FAQ

Do I have to use `chezmoi edit` to edit my dotfiles?

No, you don’t have to! chezmoi edit is a convenience command with useful features, but there are multiple ways to edit your dotfiles.Option 1: Use chezmoi edit (recommended for most users)

chezmoi edit ~/.bashrc
chezmoi edit --apply ~/.bashrc  # Apply after editing
chezmoi edit --watch ~/.bashrc  # Auto-apply on save

Benefits:

Automatically handles encryption/decryption
Works with target paths (not source paths)
Syntax highlighting works correctly
Can auto-apply changes with --apply
Integrates with git auto-commit/push

Option 2: Edit in source directory

chezmoi cd  # Open shell in source directory
vim dot_bashrc  # Edit directly
chezmoi diff  # Preview changes
chezmoi apply  # Apply if happy

Option 3: Edit target, then re-add

vim ~/.bashrc  # Edit in place
chezmoi re-add  # Update source state

Option 4: Edit target, then merge

vim ~/.bashrc
chezmoi merge ~/.bashrc  # Resolve differences

Choose the workflow that fits your style!

Why doesn't chezmoi use symlinks like GNU Stow?

chezmoi does support symlinks as first-class citizens - you can create, update, and remove symlinks, and even template them to point to different targets on different machines.However, unlike GNU Stow, chezmoi doesn’t require symlinks as a layer of indirection between your dotfiles and their content.GNU Stow approach:

Home directory files are symlinks pointing to a central directory
Your dotfiles are “special” (they’re actually symlinks)
Changes to the central directory are immediately visible

chezmoi approach:

Home directory files are regular files
Your dotfiles are “normal” (no special symlink behavior)
Provides features impossible with symlinks (encryption, templates, private files)

Why regular files are better for dotfiles:

Advanced features:
- Encrypted files (can’t symlink to ciphertext)
- Template files (can’t symlink to template source)
- Private files (can’t control permissions via symlink)
- Executable files (git doesn’t track executable bit)
Cross-platform compatibility:
- Windows has limited symlink support
- No permission issues on Windows
- Works the same everywhere
Security:
- Encrypted secrets stay encrypted
- Private files have correct permissions
- No accidental exposure via symlink

If you really want symlinks:chezmoi provides a symlink mode:

# ~/.config/chezmoi/chezmoi.toml
mode = "symlink"

However, this has limitations (see limitations below).

What are the limitations of chezmoi's symlink mode?

When you enable symlink mode, chezmoi creates symlinks back to the source directory where possible. However, many features require regular files:Cannot use symlinks for:

Encrypted files - The source contains ciphertext, not plaintext
Executable files - Source files must be regular files for portability
Private files - Git doesn’t persist group/world permission bits
Template files - The source contains the template, not the result
Entire directories - Attributes and exact_ behavior don’t work

Other limitations:

Running chezmoi add doesn’t immediately create symlinks
You must run chezmoi apply to create symlinks
Mixed file types in the same directory can be confusing

When to use symlink mode:

You have simple dotfiles without templates or encryption
You want immediate visibility of changes
You’re transitioning from GNU Stow

When NOT to use symlink mode:

You need encryption
You want machine-specific configurations (templates)
You manage dotfiles on Windows
You need executable or private files

Why does chezmoi use weird filenames?

chezmoi’s filename convention (like dot_bashrc, private_dot_ssh) is a deliberate design choice with important benefits.The criticism:

Filenames are verbose and unusual
Not all file permissions can be represented
Everything is in a single directory

The reasoning:

Metadata in filenames is universal
- Almost all programs store metadata in filenames (the extension)
- chezmoi extends this to prefixes (attributes)
Transparency and clarity
- dot_ makes it obvious which files are managed
- Files starting with . are ignored by chezmoi (for version control)
- No special whitelists needed for .git, .gitignore, etc.
Simplicity and atomicity
- Each file’s metadata is stored with the file
- Adding/removing a file touches only that file
- Changing attributes is a simple rename
- No need to parse/update a central config file
Version control friendly
- Changes to metadata are simple git operations
- Easy to see what changed in git history
- Comments and formatting are never lost

Supported permissions:chezmoi’s attributes support the most common permission combinations:

0o644, 0o755, 0o600, 0o700, 0o444, 0o555, 0o400, 0o500
Directories: 0o755, 0o700, 0o500

In practice, these cover 99% of dotfile use cases.The directory issue:Yes, all root-level dotfiles appear in the source root. Mitigate this with .chezmoiroot:

echo "home" > ~/.local/share/chezmoi/.chezmoiroot

Now your dotfiles live in the home/ subdirectory, keeping the repo root clean.Backwards compatibility:chezmoi has many users, so the filename convention must remain stable. Any changes would need to:

Be fully backwards-compatible
Fix a genuine real-world problem
Work across all operating systems
Not add significant complexity

Can chezmoi support multiple sources or multiple source states?

chezmoi deliberately uses a single source of truth - one branch in one git repo. This is an opinionated design choice to avoid complexity and ambiguity.Why single source?Multiple sources create problems:

Ambiguous user interface:
- chezmoi add ~/.bashrc - which source should this go to?
- How does the user specify their preference?
Overlapping targets:
- What if two sources both want to set $EDITOR in .bashrc?
- How do you handle mutually exclusive configs (vim vs emacs)?
Dependencies between sources:
- Should shell completions be with the app or the shell?
- Hard to maintain clean separation

How chezmoi handles variation:Instead of multiple sources, use:

Templates for minor differences
.chezmoiignore to exclude files on certain machines
Password managers for secrets (not stored in repo)
Externals to pull in third-party dotfiles

If you really need multiple sources:Option 1: Multiple apply commands

chezmoi-apply() {
    chezmoi apply --config ~/.config/chezmoi-home/chezmoi.toml \
                  --source ~/.local/share/chezmoi-home && \
    chezmoi apply --config ~/.config/chezmoi-work/chezmoi.toml \
                  --source ~/.local/share/chezmoi-work
}

Option 2: Combine sources before applying

#!/bin/bash
combined_source="$(mktemp -d)"
trap 'rm -rf -- "${combined_source}"' INT TERM

for source in $HOME/.dotfiles/*; do
    cp -r "${source}"/* "${combined_source}"
done

chezmoi apply --source "${combined_source}"

Option 3: Nested chezmoi Use a run_ script to invoke a second chezmoi instance. See felipecrs/dotfiles for an example.

Why does `chezmoi cd` spawn a shell instead of just changing directory?

This is a technical limitation, not a design choice.The problem: A program cannot change the working directory of its parent process. When you run chezmoi cd, it’s running as a child process of your shell - it can only change its own directory, not your shell’s.The workaround:Create a shell function instead:

# Add to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc
chezmoi-cd() {
    cd $(chezmoi source-path)
}

Or as an alias:

alias ccd='cd $(chezmoi source-path)'

Now typing chezmoi-cd or ccd changes your current shell’s directory.

Why are the `prompt*` functions only available in config file templates?

The promptString, promptBool, and similar functions only work during chezmoi init because prompting during normal operations would be disruptive.The problem:chezmoi executes templates for many commands:

chezmoi apply
chezmoi diff
chezmoi status
Many others

If templates could prompt interactively, you’d have to answer questions every time you run any command. This would quickly become tiresome.The solution:Prompt once during initialization:

.chezmoi.toml.tmpl

{{- $email := promptString "email" -}}
{{- $work := promptBool "work machine" -}}

[data]
    email = {{ $email | quote }}
    work = {{ $work }}

Then use the values in other templates:

dot_gitconfig.tmpl

[user]
    email = {{ .email }}

Re-prompting:If you need to change answers:

chezmoi init  # Prompts again

Why not use Ansible/Chef/Puppet/Salt to manage dotfiles?

You can use full system management tools for dotfiles, but chezmoi is purpose-built for this specific use case.chezmoi advantages:

Simplicity:
- Single binary, no dependencies
- Small, focused feature set
- Easy to learn (not a full configuration management system)
Easy installation:
- Copy one binary - done
- No scripting runtime required
- No packages to install
- No system services needed
- No root access required
Runs everywhere:
- ARM-based Linux systems
- Windows desktops
- Lightweight containers
- FreeBSD VMs
- Any platform with a binary available
User focus:
- Designed for personal configurations
- No need to learn system administration concepts
- Quick to get started

When to use system management tools:Use Ansible/Chef/Puppet/Salt when:

You need to manage system configuration (not just dotfiles)
You’re managing multiple users or servers
You need complex orchestration
You already know these tools

Hybrid approach:You can use both! Let chezmoi manage dotfiles, and call system management tools from scripts:

run_once_configure_system.sh

#!/bin/bash
# Let Ansible handle system configuration
ansible-playbook ~/.local/share/chezmoi/ansible/playbook.yml

Keep your Ansible playbooks in .chezmoiignore so they don’t pollute your home directory.

Can I use chezmoi to manage files outside my home directory?

Technically yes, but this is strongly discouraged for anything beyond simple cases.chezmoi is designed for:

Managing personal dotfiles in your home directory
Running without root access
User-level configuration

chezmoi is NOT designed for:

System-wide configuration files
Managing /etc/
Multi-user setups

Simple cases that work:Use a run_ script to handle a few files:

run_after_copy_system_file.sh

#!/bin/bash
# Copy a file to /etc (requires sudo)
sudo cp ~/.local/etc/hosts /etc/hosts

Or create a symlink:

run_after_link_system_file.sh

#!/bin/bash
sudo ln -sf ~/config/app.conf /etc/app/app.conf

For anything more complex:Use proper system configuration management tools:

These tools are designed for system-wide configuration and handle:

Package management
Service configuration
Multi-user setups
Privilege escalation
System state management

You can call these from chezmoi scripts, keeping your system configs in .chezmoiignore.

What inspired chezmoi?

chezmoi was inspired by Puppet, a powerful system configuration management tool.Why not just use Puppet?Puppet is excellent for its intended use case (system administration), but it’s overkill for personal dotfiles:

Requires Ruby and many dependencies
Needs system services running
Requires root access to install
Has a steep learning curve
Designed for managing servers, not personal configs

What chezmoi borrowed from Puppet:

The concept of desired state vs. current state
Idempotent operations
Declarative configuration
Dry-run mode (diff before apply)

What chezmoi does differently:

Single binary with no dependencies
User-focused (no root required)
Simplified feature set
Cross-platform support
Designed specifically for dotfiles

The future:chezmoi will always focus on personal dotfile management. If your needs grow beyond that (managing multiple machines, system configuration, etc.), switch to a full system configuration management tool like Puppet, Ansible, Chef, or Salt.

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