Managing a home folder with version control
Some time ago, I mentioned a process I tried that allowed me to partially recreate my Mac setup on another machine with scripts. As part of that process I attempted to add my home folder configuration to version control so that I could keep track of changes to it, and again, use it on other devices if needed.
To accomplish this, I made use of three tools mostly, plus several symbolic links and aliases.
MAS
Mas lets you install, update, and manage Apple Mac store applications by the command line. Kind of like homebrew for the Apple Mac store. It has some issues, mostly due to the in-transparent way that Apple operates its App stores, meaning that mas can exhibit unexpected behaviour that they can do little about.
For example, often certain applications get stuck on certain versions, constantly wanting to update an application that has no updates. It’s a minor irritation, but annoying, and you’re often unsure if that particular application is actually up to date.
It could also be abandoned, as the project has been quiet recently. So, I may need an alternative here. At worst, the App store does a good job of restoring applications when you move machines, but I like the way I can define them “as code”.
