Chezmoi Workflows

This is a comprehensive reference for managing dotfiles with chezmoi across multiple machines. It covers the full workflow from initial setup through daily operations like tracking config changes, syncing via Git, and resolving conflicts. The skill includes 14 documented patterns, from basic status checks to advanced templating with OS-conditional blocks and 1Password integration. Notable sections cover the "forget" command for untracking files without deletion and the safe update workflow that diffs before applying changes. If you're already using chezmoi or considering it for cross-machine config sync, this gives you battle-tested commands with verification steps. The self-evolving approach means it gets updated when edge cases hit, which is the right philosophy for dotfile tooling where small platform differences matter.

skills.sh installs: 305
GitHub stars: 2
last updated: Aug 21, 2026

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Install

$ npx -y skills add terrylica/cc-skills --skill chezmoi-workflows --agent claude-code

Installs into .claude/skills of the current project.

Files

Chezmoi Workflows

Self-Evolving Skill: This skill improves through use. If instructions are wrong, parameters drifted, or a workaround was needed — fix this file immediately, don't defer. Only update for real, reproducible issues.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

Backing up dotfiles to Git repository
Syncing configuration files across machines
Tracking changes to shell configs, editor settings, or other dotfiles
Managing templated configurations with chezmoi
Troubleshooting dotfile drift between source and target

Architecture

Component	Location	Purpose
Source	`$(chezmoi source-path)`	Git repository with dotfile templates
Target	`~/`	Home directory (deployed files)
Remote	GitHub (private recommended)	Cross-machine sync and backup
Config	`~/.config/chezmoi/chezmoi.toml`	User preferences and settings