mauvehed.com
mauvehed's dotfiles for personal and work environments
1# User Applications Usage
2
3This document lists common user (GUI) applications that are part of this development and productivity setup. It also notes if and how their configurations might be managed by `chezmoi`.
4
5## Overview
6
7While `chezmoi` excels at managing command-line tool configurations (dotfiles), it can also help manage settings for some GUI applications, typically by symlinking or templating their preference files (e.g., `.plist` files on macOS, JSON/XML configs).
8
9Many applications are installed via Homebrew Cask on macOS. Check your `Brewfile` (if used with `chezmoi`) or `chezmoi` installation scripts for a list of managed applications.
10
11## Common Application Categories & Examples
12
13Below are categories and examples of applications that might be part of your setup. Add your specific applications to these lists.
14
15### Web Browsers
16
17* **[Google Chrome](https://www.google.com/chrome/)**
18 * **Installation**: Homebrew Cask (`brew install --cask google-chrome`) or manual download.
19 * **Configuration**: User profile settings are complex to manage directly with dotfiles. Consider using Chrome's built-in sync feature.
20* **[Mozilla Firefox](https://www.mozilla.org/firefox/)**
21 * **Installation**: Homebrew Cask (`brew install --cask firefox`) or manual download.
22 * **Configuration**: Profile-based. Some `user.js` customizations can be managed.
23* **[Safari](https://www.apple.com/safari/) (macOS)**
24 * **Installation**: Comes with macOS.
25 * **Configuration**: Some `.plist` files in `~/Library/Preferences/` or `~/Library/Containers/com.apple.Safari/Data/Library/Preferences/` might be manageable, but can be complex.
26
27### Productivity Tools
28
29* **[Rectangle](https://rectangleapp.com/) (macOS Window Manager)**
30 * **Installation**: Homebrew Cask (`brew install --cask rectangle`) or manual download.
31 * **Configuration**: Preferences (`~/Library/Preferences/com.knollsoft.Rectangle.plist`) can often be managed by `chezmoi`.
32* **[Alfred](https://www.alfredapp.com/) (macOS Launcher & Productivity)**
33 * **Installation**: Homebrew Cask (`brew install --cask alfred`) or manual download.
34 * **Configuration**: Alfred preferences can be synced to a folder (e.g., Dropbox, iCloud Drive), and `chezmoi` could potentially manage a symlink to this sync folder or specific non-sensitive parts of its config if exported.
35* **[Obsidian](https://obsidian.md/) (Knowledge Base/Notes)**
36 * **Installation**: Homebrew Cask (`brew install --cask obsidian`) or manual download.
37 * **Configuration**: Vaults are user-managed. Some global configuration files might be linkable.
38* **Password Manager (GUI)**
39 * **1Password**: (Covered in `docs/1password-usage.md` for CLI, GUI is complementary)
40 * **Installation**: Download from [1Password website](https://1password.com/downloads/).
41
42### Development Tools (GUI)
43
44* **[Visual Studio Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/)**: (Covered in detail in `docs/vscode-usage.md`)
45* **[Docker Desktop](https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop/)**: (Covered in `docs/docker-usage.md`)
46* **Database GUI Clients** (e.g., TablePlus, DBeaver, pgAdmin)
47 * **Example: [TablePlus](https://tableplus.com/)**
48 * **Installation**: Homebrew Cask (`brew install --cask tableplus`) or manual download.
49 * **Configuration**: Connection details are typically managed within the app; general preferences might be in a `.plist` file.
50* **API Clients** (e.g., Postman, Insomnia)
51 * **Example: [Postman](https://www.postman.com/)**
52 * **Installation**: Homebrew Cask (`brew install --cask postman`) or manual download.
53 * **Configuration**: Typically uses cloud sync for collections and environments.
54
55### Communication
56
57* **[Slack](https://slack.com/)**
58 * **Installation**: Homebrew Cask (`brew install --cask slack`) or manual download.
59* **[Zoom](https://zoom.us/)**
60 * **Installation**: Homebrew Cask (`brew install --cask zoom`) or manual download.
61
62### Other Utilities
63
64* **[Spotify](https://www.spotify.com/)**
65 * **Installation**: Homebrew Cask (`brew install --cask spotify`) or manual download.
66* **[VLC Media Player](https://www.videolan.org/vlc/)**
67 * **Installation**: Homebrew Cask (`brew install --cask vlc`) or manual download.
68
69## Managing Application Settings with `chezmoi`
70
71If an application stores its settings in a known file path (e.g., a `.plist` file in `~/Library/Preferences/` on macOS, or a JSON/INI/XML file in `~/.config/AppName/` on Linux), `chezmoi` can manage it:
72
731. **Identify the configuration file**.
742. **Copy it to your `chezmoi` source directory** (e.g., as `private_Library/Preferences/com.example.app.plist` for macOS, or `dot_config/AppName/settings.json`).
753. **Add it to `chezmoi`**: `chezmoi add ~/Library/Preferences/com.example.app.plist` (using the original path).
764. `chezmoi` will then create a symlink from the target path to your source directory version, or apply it as a template.
77
78**Caution**: Some applications do not like their preference files being symlinked or modified externally while they are running. Test thoroughly.
79
80## Resources
81
82* **Homebrew Casks**: [https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/](https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/) (Find package names for Homebrew Cask installations)
83* **`chezmoi` Documentation**: [https://www.chezmoi.io/](https://www.chezmoi.io/)
84
85This document is a template. Please populate it with the specific applications you use and how you manage their installation and configuration.