✧ .dotfiles

Source: Dev.to

How My Setup Became Mine

I didn’t wake up one day deciding to create dotfiles—there was no master plan.
It started with curiosity and a quiet wish to make things feel better.

What Dotfiles Are

Dotfiles are configuration files. They’re called dotfiles because they start with a dot, e.g. ~/.zshrc.

• Quiet – once set up, they just work.
• Plain‑text – everything is editable with any editor, no UI lock‑in.

My Early Motivation

• I only wanted my terminal to look nicer.
• A small color tweak sparked the idea that all these tools were configurable.

That realization changed everything.

The Process

• One small change at a time – I changed one thing, saw the result, and kept iterating.
• If something didn’t feel right, I removed it.
• The magic isn’t being “advanced”; it’s the convenience of having things exactly where I expect them, with no friction.

Areas My Dotfiles Cover

• Terminal & Prompt
• System & Visuals
• Development
• Navigation
• Productivity
• Media & Fun

Nothing fancy—just a collection of plain‑text files that grow naturally as my needs evolve.

Lessons Learned

• You don’t need to overhaul everything at once; a single file can make a big difference.
• Over time, your system stops feeling generic and starts feeling like home.
• Dotfiles grow with you quietly, adapting whenever you add, change, or remove a piece of your workflow.