Glossary Concept
Dotfiles
Dotfiles are user configuration files, usually stored in a home directory and often version-controlled so a workstation can be rebuilt consistently.
Dotfiles are configuration files such as .zshrc, .gitconfig, .vimrc, and tool-specific settings that live in a user’s home directory.
Putting them in Git turns personal setup into something repeatable. A new laptop still takes work, but at least the shell, editor, Git settings, aliases, and helper scripts are not trapped on the old machine.
Dotfiles can get too clever. The best ones save time without making every terminal session depend on a private framework nobody else can debug.