Packages

dotts supports multiple package managers, allowing you to define packages in a unified format and have them installed using the appropriate manager for each system.

Supported Package Managers

Manager	Platform	Description
`nix`	Cross-platform	Declarative, reproducible packages
`brew`	macOS	Homebrew formulae
`cask`	macOS	Homebrew casks (GUI apps)
`pacman`	Arch Linux	Official repositories
`yay/paru`	Arch Linux	AUR packages
`apt`	Debian/Ubuntu	APT packages
`dnf`	Fedora	DNF packages

Package Manifest Format

Package manifests are YAML files in the packages/ directory:

# packages/common.yaml - Cross-platform packages

nix:
  - ripgrep
  - fd
  - fzf
  - bat
  - eza
  - delta
  - lazygit
  - btop
  - fastfetch
  - starship
  - zoxide

# packages/arch.yaml - Arch Linux specific

system:
  arch:
    # Core system
    - base-devel
    - git
    - openssh
    
    # Shell
    - fish
    - starship
    - zoxide
    
    # Terminal
    - kitty
    - foot
    
    # Desktop
    - hyprland
    - waybar
    - dunst
    - fuzzel

aur:
  - yay-bin
  - visual-studio-code-bin

# packages/darwin.yaml - macOS specific

brew:
  - fish
  - starship
  - neovim
  - ripgrep
  - fd

cask:
  - kitty
  - visual-studio-code
  - discord
  - spotify

Package Categories

Nix Packages

Cross-platform packages installed via Nix. These work on both Linux and macOS:

nix:
  - ripgrep
  - fd
  - bat

Nix packages are installed using nix profile install (modern) or nix-env (legacy), depending on your Nix installation.

System Packages

Platform-specific packages using the native package manager:

system:
  arch:
    - hyprland
    - waybar
  debian:
    - i3
    - polybar
  ubuntu:
    - gnome-tweaks
  fedora:
    - sway

AUR Packages (Arch Linux)

Packages from the Arch User Repository, installed via yay or paru:

aur:
  - visual-studio-code-bin
  - spotify
  - discord

Homebrew (macOS)

Formulae and casks for macOS:

brew:
  - fish
  - neovim
  - tmux

cask:
  - kitty
  - firefox
  - slack

Profile Integration

Reference package manifests in your profiles:

# profiles/base.yaml
packages:
  - common

# profiles/linux.yaml
packages:
  - arch

# profiles/darwin.yaml
packages:
  - darwin

Install Process

When dotts applies your configuration:

Detection - Identifies available package managers
Planning - Creates an installation plan per manager
Filtering - Skips already-installed packages
Installation - Runs each package manager
Verification - Confirms successful installation

Idempotency

dotts checks if packages are already installed before attempting installation:

Installing packages...
  nix (12 packages)
    ✓ ripgrep (already installed)
    ✓ fd (already installed)
    → installing bat...
    → installing eza...

Best Practices

Use Nix for CLI tools - Maximum portability
Use system packages for desktop apps - Better integration
Group related packages - Create logical manifests
Document unusual packages - Add comments for context

# Catppuccin theme dependencies
system:
  arch:
    - kvantum           # Qt theming
    - qt5ct             # Qt5 configuration
    - nwg-look          # GTK theming

Packages

On this page