Review old WIP setup script refactors to clarify blockers vs 'nice-to-have' tasks for later

[0xdevalias]

Revisit and analyze old WIP refactors of the setup scripts, consolidating ideas and improvements into a cleaner, more maintainable approach.

The immediate focus is on clarifying what the minimum viable product of those refactors looks like. The goal is to determine which pieces are genuine blockers for moving to a new laptop and getting it set up, and which parts can be worked around or deferred. This helps prioritize the essential changes needed for a smooth migration while postponing non-critical improvements until later.

Tasks

• Review existing WIP branches/notes related to setup scripts.
• Identify useful patterns or partial improvements worth salvaging.

Notes

• Identify the minimum needed to move quickly, leaving ‘nice-to-haves’ for later.

See Also

• [script] bootstrap: Add Scoped Link Mode to Bootstrap's install_dotfiles #38

[0xdevalias]

To figure out what needs to be done for this task, I started by prompting codex (v0.39.0 using gpt-5-codex high) with the following:

# Review old WIP setup script refactors to clarify blockers vs 'nice-to-have' tasks for later

Revisit and analyze old WIP refactors of the setup scripts, consolidating ideas and improvements into a cleaner, more maintainable approach.

The immediate focus is on clarifying what the minimum viable product of those refactors looks like. The goal is to determine which pieces are genuine blockers for moving to a new laptop and getting it set up, and which parts can be worked around or deferred. This helps prioritize the essential changes needed for a smooth migration while postponing non-critical improvements until later.

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Can you look at all of the modified files we currently have in our dotfiles git repo, and figure out which are the 'essential setup script refactors', and which are 'nice to have' later things.

Things that are likely related to those refactors (though some of the TODOs/etc in them may not be 'essential'), though there may be others:

osx/install.sh osx/set-defaults.sh script/bootstrap script/install etc

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We basically want to output a markdown summary that tells us what tasks need to be done, the current state they are in, etc. It's probably worth trying to give them a priority, and figuring out which are essential for now. Also if we could manually work around it somehow, that would also be good to note.

As a secondary summary, for anything that doesn't fall into the 'setup script refactor' side of things, it would still be good to note what WIP changes we have, or things we haven't comitted yet; ideally grouped by relevant 'related aspects'; and maybe suggestions for how we can complete it, etc. Basically I want to try and 'reduce the noise' of files with changes in this repo; so I can commit what is already ready to go, and create backlog issues for things that need to be done still, etc.

Which produced the following initial overview (lightly manually reformatted):

Essential (Blockers/High)

• [Blocker] bin/dotfiles-dot:83 comments out the call to script/install, so opting into “run all install scripts” now does nothing. Workaround: run ./script/install manually after dot, but before migrating you’ll want to reinstate the call (or wire the new interactive mode you hinted at).
• [High] Commit signing is enforced (git/gitconfig.symlink:15), yet the bootstrap flow still only prints TODOs around fetching Keybase keys and setting the signing key (script/bootstrap:175, script/bootstrap:367, gpg/install.sh:24, keybase/install.sh:27). Without those steps, git commit will fail on a new machine. Either flesh out the automation or document the manual steps (pull keys, set user.signingkey, verify gpg --list-secret-keys) as part of the migration checklist.

Nice To Have (Refactor Follow‑Ups)

• script/install:13 and the matching prompt in bin/dotfiles-dot:82 still plan for per-installer confirmation/“packs”; decide whether to implement the interactive runner or drop the prompt and run the current bulk installer.
• homebrew/_dot-bootstrap.zsh:1 is a placeholder that never executes; either hook it into the loader plan or remove it to keep find/loader output clean.
• macOS defaults: you’ve noted duti integration and chaining set-defaults from osx/install.sh (osx/install.sh:33, osx/install.sh:36) plus diff/preview tooling in osx/set-defaults.sh:15. These are deferrable, but capture the desired state in issues before they go stale.
• Helper / dependency hygiene: lib/_helpers:23/lib/_helpers:86 (brew detection), python/install.sh:14, python/pyenv.zsh:7, and python/python-versions.zsh:1 are mostly reminders; park them unless the related tooling actually blocks bootstrap.
• system/install.sh:82 and homebrew/brew.zsh:18 list prospective additions (chrome-cli, brew *_sync helpers). These won’t affect migration today, so backlog them.

Other WIP Notes

• Shell loader refactor: zsh/zshrc.symlink:15 now builds path/completion/env lists with lots of debug output and sources .langflow/uv/env (zsh/zshrc.symlink:140). Decide whether to guard the logging behind a flag and ensure the optional env files exist (same for config.symlink/fish/conf.d/uv.env.fish:2).
• Git/GPG tooling: git/install.sh:11 adds extra brew dependencies, and git/gitconfig.symlink:38/git/gitconfig.symlink:296 introduce new difftool aliases and stash helpers. Make sure they align with the signing plan and document any new external prerequisites (WebStorm, VS Code, difftastic limits).
• CLI helper scripts: bin/dotfiles-create-bin:1 received a full rewrite (dependency checks, new flags); several new utilities (bin/brew-upgrade-safe:1, bin/gdrive-audit:1, bin/gh-repo-summary:1, bin/jetbrains-cli-helper, bin/launchpad-restore) are in various WIP states—label them accordingly before committing.
• Config churn: updates span Codex settings (codex.symlink/config.toml:1), Karabiner (config.symlink/karabiner/karabiner.json), Starship (starship.symlink/starship.toml), iTerm (iterm2/iterm2.symlink/com.googlecode.iterm2.plist), Sublime preferences, plus new dirs for binwalk/diffsitter/linearmouse. Consider staging ready-to-ship areas separately and filing TODO issues for the rest.

Natural next steps:

1. restore the installer execution path and validate a dry-run on your current machine
2. script or document the GPG signing bootstrap so commits work day one
3. triage the remaining WIP clusters—stage finished configs and open backlog issues for the experimental helpers.

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Which I then gave a few minor notes and got it to expand into:

Essential

Restore Bulk Installer Execution

• Files: bin/dotfiles-dot:83, script/install:16
• Current state: Choosing “run all install scripts” just echoes TODOs; the real installer loop still runs only via manual ./script/install.
• Required action: Re‑enable the call from dot (or finish the interactive runner) so migration paths get the full installer automatically.
• Workaround: After running dot, execute ./script/install by hand.

Complete GPG/Commit-Signing Bootstrap

• Files: git/gitconfig.symlink:15, script/bootstrap:175, script/bootstrap:367, gpg/install.sh:24, keybase/install.sh:27
• Current state: Git enforces gpgsign = true but bootstrap only prints TODOs for pulling Keybase keys and setting user.signingkey.
• Required action: Script the key retrieval + config updates (or document repeatable manual steps) so commits succeed on a fresh machine.
• Workaround: Manually run Keybase key pulls, import to GPG, and set git config --file ~/.gitconfig.local user.signingkey <KEYID> after bootstrap.

Stabilize Shell Loader Refactor

• Files: zsh/zshrc.symlink:43, zsh/zshrc.symlink:116, zsh/zshrc.symlink:146, config.symlink/fish/conf.d/uv.env.fish:2
• Current state: New loader prints verbose debug output every shell start, sources placeholder _dot-bootstrap hooks, and errors if LangFlow env files are missing.
• Required action: Gate debug logging, exclude unfinished install stubs, and guard optional env sources so bootstrap shells stay clean.
• Workaround: Comment out the debug/placeholder blocks locally and create the expected env files until the loader is finalized.

Nice To Have

Interactive Installer Workflow

• Files: script/install:13, bin/dotfiles-dot:76
• Current state: Prompts mention per-script/interactive runs, but execution still hardcodes the bulk find ... install.sh.
• Required action: Either implement the chooser logic or adjust prompts to match the current behaviour.
• Workaround: Run individual */install.sh scripts manually if granular control is needed.

Homebrew Bootstrap Stub Cleanup

• Files: homebrew/_dot-bootstrap.zsh:1, zsh/zshrc.symlink:93
• Current state: Loader treats _dot-bootstrap like a real module, but the file only echoes TODOs.
• Required action: Integrate actual bootstrap logic or remove/skip the placeholder so the loader stays quiet.
• Workaround: Comment the file out of the loader until it serves a purpose.

macOS Defaults Enhancements

• Files: osx/install.sh:33, osx/install.sh:36, osx/set-defaults.sh:15
• Current state: Notes about duti integration, chaining set-defaults, and broader defaults diffing remain TODOs.
• Required action: Decide whether to automate these or backlog them; implement scripts if they’ll block a fresh laptop setup.
• Workaround: Run duti or set-defaults.sh manually as needed after migration.

Helper/Tooling Improvements

• Files: lib/_helpers:23, lib/_helpers:86, python/install.sh:14, python/pyenv.zsh:7, python/python-versions.zsh:1, system/install.sh:82, homebrew/brew.zsh:18
• Current state: Inline TODOs about brew detection, pipx, conda prompts, chrome-cli, etc., but existing behaviour still works.
• Required action: Convert notes into backlog items and schedule refactors once core bootstrap is stable.
• Workaround: Keep using current scripts; install optional tools manually when needed.

CLI Helper & Config WIP

• Files: bin/dotfiles-create-bin, bin/brew-upgrade-safe, bin/gdrive-audit, bin/gh-repo-summary, config.symlink/karabiner/karabiner.json, starship.symlink/starship.toml, iterm2/iterm2.symlink/com.googlecode.iterm2.plist, codex.symlink/config.toml:1
• Current state: Several utilities/configs are mid-refactor or experimental; readiness is unclear.
• Required action: Tag each script/config with status, split finished pieces into commits, and file backlog tasks for remaining TODOs.
• Workaround: Use the existing stable versions (if available) or treat these as experimental until polished.

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I haven't deeply review the above to see how much of it makes sense, or if its designations of 'essential' vs 'nice to have' are accurate and complete; but at the very least, that should give us a bit more of a focussed 'how to start this task' rather than getting overwhelmed and procrastinating it.