Holman does dotfiles is a shell configuration framework designed to organize and manage dotfiles through a topic-centric structure.
The project solves the problem of scattered, disorganized dotfiles by grouping related configurations into topic directories. Rather than maintaining monolithic alias files or scattered configuration across the home directory, the framework lets you create topic folders like "ruby" or "git" and automatically processes files based on their extensions. Files ending in .zsh are loaded into your shell environment, files ending in .symlink are symlinked into your home directory during bootstrap, and executable scripts named install.sh run during installation. This approach keeps all configurations version-controlled in a single dotfiles directory while maintaining the expected file locations throughout your system.
You should adopt this if you want a lightweight, fork-friendly way to manage shell configurations across machines. The project explicitly encourages forking and customization—you remove what you don't need and build on what you do. It works well for developers who use zsh and want to organize their setup by functional area rather than by file type. The framework is particularly suited to those who value simplicity and transparency; the bootstrap and installation scripts are straightforward shell code you can read and modify. The README does not compare this approach to alternatives, but it does emphasize that the philosophy is to make dotfiles meant to be forked rather than treated as a finished product.
The project maintains an open stance toward bug reports and issues, with the maintainer explicitly welcoming reports from new users who encounter blockers and committing to fix them. The codebase is actively used as the maintainer's personal dotfiles, which means real-world usage drives changes but also carries the risk that personal workflow adjustments might occasionally break things for others if dependency checks are overlooked.
