Bois Config

The top-level bois.yml file configures global settings for bois. This file is optional - if it doesn’t exist, bois will use sensible defaults.

Location

Bois looks at the following locatin (in this order) for a bois.yml:

In User Mode:

• ~/.config/dotfiles/bois.yml
• ~/.config/bois/bois.yml
• ~/.dotfiles/bois.yml
• ~/.dots/bois.yml
• ~/.bois/bois.yml

In System Mode:

• /etc/bois/bois.yml

You can also specify a custom config file location using the --config flag.

Example

Here’s a full example of a bois.yml:

# The machine name used to select the host directory.
# If not set, the system hostname is used.
name: my-laptop

# The directory containing your bois configuration (hosts, groups, etc).
# Defaults to the directory where this bois.yml is located.
bois_dir: ~/dotfiles

# The target directory where configuration files are deployed.
# User mode: ~/.config (default)
# System mode: /etc/bois (default)
target_dir: ~/.config

# Cache directory for storing deployment state.
# User mode: ~/.cache/bois (default)
# System mode: /var/lib/bois (default)
cache_dir: ~/.cache/bois

# Runtime directory for temporary files.
# User mode: ~/run/user/$YOUR_USER_ID/bois (default)
# System mode: /var/lib/bois (default)
runtime_dir: /run/user/1000/bois

# Additional environment variables for password managers or other integrations.
envs:
  PASSWORD_STORE_DIR: ~/.password-store
  GOPASS_SESSION: some-session-token

# Operating mode: User or System
# User mode deploys to user directories (~/.config)
# System mode deploys to system directories (/etc)
# Defaults to System when running as root, User otherwise.
mode: User

Configuration Options

All fields are optional:

• name: String - The machine name, used to select which host directory to use. Defaults to the system hostname.
• bois_dir: PathBuf - The directory containing your bois configuration (hosts, groups, etc).
  • By default, it picks the first directory it finds at the following locations:
    • ~/.config/dotfiles
    • ~/.config/bois
    • ~/.dotfiles
    • ~/.dots
    • ~/.bois
  • System mode default:
    • /etc/bois
• target_dir: PathBuf - The target directory where configuration files are deployed.
  • User mode defaults:
    • $XDG_CONFIG_DIR/
    • ~/.config (fallback)
  • System mode default:
    • /etc/bois
• cache_dir: PathBuf - Cache directory for storing deployment state.
  • User mode default:
    • XDG_CACHE_DIR/bois
    • ~/.cache/bois
  • System mode default:
    • /var/lib/bois
• runtime_dir: PathBuf - Runtime directory for temporary files.
  • User mode defaults:
    • $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/bois
    • ~/.cache/bois (fallback)
  • System mode default:
    • /var/lib/bois
• envs: Map<String -> String> This can be used to set additional environment variables that should be loaded into bois environment. That’s useful for password manager integration which often requires special configuration or session variables.
• mode: User | System The mode of operatation. By default, this is detected based on the current user: root users run in System mode while non-root users run in User mode.
  • User: Deploy to user directories and perform actions as user, such as running systemctl with --user flag
  • System: Deploy to system directories and perform actions as root, such as installing packages as root or running systemctl as root.

Modes

Bois operates in two modes that determine default directories and behavior:

User Mode

• Target directory: ~/.config
• Cache directory: ~/.cache/bois
• Runtime directory: $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/bois
• Systemctl: Called with --user flag
• Use case: Managing personal dotfiles

System Mode

• Target directory: /etc/bois
• Cache directory: /var/lib/bois
• Runtime directory: /var/lib/bois
• Systemctl: Called without --user flag
• Use case: Managing system-wide configuration (requires root)