How do I install the Dotfiles Stow skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add timmo001/dotfiles-stow in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Dotfiles Stow safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Dotfiles Stow?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Dotfiles Stow free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Dotfiles Stow?

timmo001 (@timmo001) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Dotfiles Stow by timmo001 — Agent Skill

Name: Dotfiles Stow
Author: timmo001

File contents

Dotfiles Stow Skill

Use this skill for changes to user config managed by GNU Stow through the public ~/.config/dotfiles source or optional private ~/.config/dotfiles-private overlay.

Rules

Resolve every live config path to its owning stow source before editing.
Keep shared non-sensitive config public and machine-specific or private data in the private overlay.
Edit the source repository, never an unmanaged live file.
Run dot stow after stowed source changes.
Create, import, review, and update reusable skills in ~/repos/skills; never edit ~/.agents/skills or agents/.agents/skills directly. Review third-party updates through dot skills updates; normal dot update only stows committed snapshots.
After every committed or upstream-updated ~/repos/skills revision, update and commit the agents/.agents/skills submodule pointer in ~/.config/dotfiles. Do not leave the repositories out of sync.
Update the canonical docs site when user-facing behaviour, paths, commands, or configuration change.

Common Paths

~/.zshrc -> ~/.config/dotfiles/zsh/.zshrc
~/.config/nvim/init.lua -> ~/.config/dotfiles/neovim/.config/nvim/init.lua
~/.agents/skills/dotfiles-stow -> ~/.config/dotfiles/dotfiles-skills/.agents/skills/dotfiles-stow
Shared adapted skills -> ~/repos/skills/<name>
Reviewed third-party snapshots -> ~/repos/skills/<name> plus imports.json

Do not run dot clean unless the user explicitly asks to remove stowed configuration. Preserve unrelated worktree changes and continue with public-safe work when the private overlay is unavailable.

Omarchy Host Overrides

Hyprland config is stowed from hypr/.config/hypr/, with host overrides selected through ~/.config/hypr/host.
The Hypr package is stowed non-destructively: dot stow and dot install never unstow it first, so hyprland.lua cannot disappear during Hyprland's live reload.
Keep the generated Omarchy shell.json, Lua host layout, and canonical docs in sync when their contracts change.

---name: dotfiles-stowdescription: REQUIRED when changing configs managed by ~/.config/dotfiles or ~/.config/dotfiles-private. Enforces editing stow source paths (not ad-hoc live paths) and using the dot command for stow/update/validation workflows.---# Dotfiles Stow SkillUse this skill for changes to user config managed by GNU Stow through the public `~/.config/dotfiles` source or optional private `~/.config/dotfiles-private` overlay.## Rules1. Resolve every live config path to its owning stow source before editing.2. Keep shared non-sensitive config public and machine-specific or private data in the private overlay.3. Edit the source repository, never an unmanaged live file.4. Run `dot stow` after stowed source changes.5. Create, import, review, and update reusable skills in `~/repos/skills`; never edit `~/.agents/skills` or `agents/.agents/skills` directly. Review third-party updates through `dot skills updates`; normal `dot update` only stows committed snapshots.6. After every committed or upstream-updated `~/repos/skills` revision, update and commit the `agents/.agents/skills` submodule pointer in `~/.config/dotfiles`. Do not leave the repositories out of sync.7. Update the canonical docs site when user-facing behaviour, paths, commands, or configuration change.## Common Paths- `~/.zshrc` -> `~/.config/dotfiles/zsh/.zshrc`- `~/.config/nvim/init.lua` -> `~/.config/dotfiles/neovim/.config/nvim/init.lua`- `~/.agents/skills/dotfiles-stow` -> `~/.config/dotfiles/dotfiles-skills/.agents/skills/dotfiles-stow`- Shared adapted skills -> `~/repos/skills/<name>`- Reviewed third-party snapshots -> `~/repos/skills/<name>` plus `imports.json`Do not run `dot clean` unless the user explicitly asks to remove stowed configuration. Preserve unrelated worktree changes and continue with public-safe work when the private overlay is unavailable.## Omarchy Host Overrides- Hyprland config is stowed from `hypr/.config/hypr/`, with host overrides selected through `~/.config/hypr/host`.- The Hypr package is stowed non-destructively: `dot stow` and `dot install` never unstow it first, so `hyprland.lua` cannot disappear during Hyprland's live reload.- Keep the generated Omarchy `shell.json`, Lua host layout, and canonical docs in sync when their contracts change.

Frequently asked questions

Dotfiles Stow