CheatGNU Stow Symlink farm manager
Light · Postcard
102 × 152 mm · PDF
Dark · Postcard
102 × 152 mm · PDF
Ink saver · Postcard
102 × 152 mm · PDF
Light · A4 landscape
297 × 210 mm · PDF
Dark · A4 landscape
297 × 210 mm · PDF
Ink saver · A4 landscape
297 × 210 mm · PDF
Light · A3 landscape
420 × 297 mm · PDF
Dark · A3 landscape
420 × 297 mm · PDF
Ink saver · A3 landscape
420 × 297 mm · PDF
Start here
stow <pkg>
Link a package into the parent dir
stow -n -v <pkg>
Dry run, show what would link
stow -t ~ <pkg>
Link into home
stow -D <pkg>
Remove the links
stow -R <pkg>
Relink after changes
stow -d <dir> <pkg>
Use another stow dir
stow --adopt <pkg>
Pull existing files in
stow --dotfiles <pkg>
dot-bashrc becomes .bashrc
Concepts
- Stow dir ~/dotfiles
- Package vim/.vimrc
- Target dir ~/.vimrc
Stow and unstow
stow <pkg>...
Link packages (default action)
stow -S <pkg>
Explicit stow action
stow -D <pkg>
Delete a package's links
stow -R <pkg>
Restow: unlink then link again
Also cleans up links to files you removed from the package.
stow -n <pkg>
Simulate, change nothing
stow -v <pkg>
Verbose output (repeat up to -vvvvv)
stow --verbose=<n> <pkg>
Set verbosity level 0-5
stow -D <old> -S <new>
Mix actions in one run
Directories
stow -d <dir> <pkg>
Set the stow directory
stow -t <dir> <pkg>
Set the target directory
stow -t ~ <pkg>
Link into your home directory
STOW_DIR=<dir> stow <pkg>
Stow dir from environment
stow --dir=<dir> --target=<dir>
<pkg>
Long form of -d and -t
Dotfiles and conflicts
stow --dotfiles <pkg>
Turn dot- prefix into a leading dot
stow --adopt <pkg>
Move existing target files into package
Overwrites package content with the target's version.
Review with git diff and restore with git checkout.
stow --no-folding <pkg>
Link files, never whole directories
stow --override=<regex> <pkg>
Take over paths owned by another package
stow --defer=<regex> <pkg>
Skip paths already stowed elsewhere
Ignoring and config
stow --ignore=<regex> <pkg>
Skip names ending in a Perl regex
~/.stowrcDefault options, one per line
./.stowrcPer-directory default options
.stow-local-ignore
Per-package ignore patterns file
~/.stow-global-ignore
Ignore patterns for all packages
stow -VPrint version
stow -hShow command syntax
Tree folding
| Situation | Result |
|---|---|
Target dir missing |
One symlink to the whole directory |
Target dir already real |
Links go inside it, file by file |
Second package needs folded dir |
Symlink split into real dir, both linked |
Package removed, one left |
Directory refolded to one symlink |
--no-folding |
Always file-level links |
Recipes
mkdir -p ~/dotfiles/vimmv ~/.vimrc ~/dotfiles/vim/.vimrccd ~/dotfiles && stow -nv vimstow vimgit clone <url> ~/dotfilescd ~/dotfilesstow -nv bash vim git # check conflictsstow bash vim gitcd ~/dotfiles && git status # must be cleanstow --adopt vimgit diff # see what was adoptedgit checkout . # keep repo versioncd /usr/local/stowsudo stow -v <pkg-1.0>sudo stow -D <pkg-1.0>
