Bootstrap Flow

Bootstrap should be boring, visible, and recoverable. A fresh-machine script is useful only if it can be rerun safely after a partial failure.

First Run

Install Homebrew first if the machine does not have it yet:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"

Install ghq, configure the project root, and clone this repository into the canonical checkout path:

brew install ghq
git config --global ghq.root ~/repos
ghq get git@github.com:YunYouJun/workstation.git
cd "$(ghq list -p github.com/YunYouJun/workstation)"

Install packages and runtime tools:

brew bundle --file Brewfile
fnm install --lts
fnm default lts-latest

Optionally install desktop apps from the separate app manifest:

pnpm software:install --apps

Install workspace dependencies and build the CLI:

pnpm install
pnpm build

Preview machine-local init tasks, such as Git includeIf identity routing:

wst init --list
wst init git.include-if --git-profile 'id=github;host=github.com;name=Your Name;email=you@example.com'

Run checks before writing to $HOME:

workstation dotfiles doctor
workstation dotfiles pull --dry-run

After reviewing the dry-run output, apply the dotfiles:

workstation dotfiles pull --force

For more copyable command blocks, see Copyable Commands.

Best Practices

• Start with doctor checks before mutating the machine.
• Use --dry-run for any command that writes to $HOME.
• Back up overwritten files before replacing them.
• Keep bootstrap scripts idempotent.
• Split setup into small phases: packages, dotfiles, secrets, projects, app preferences.
• Print clear next steps when a script cannot complete automatically.

Suggested Phases

1. Install command-line prerequisites.
2. Restore dotfiles.
3. Configure local secrets.
4. Clone common projects.
5. Install editor extensions and language tooling.
6. Run doctor again.

The goal is not a magical one-command setup. The goal is a setup process that can be audited, resumed, and improved over time.