🚀 Introducing a New Era of System Configuration Management – Say hello to DotCtl!

Pankaj Patel (Jackson)Pankaj Patel (Jackson)
2 min read

After months of research, design, and hands-on coding, I’m excited to launch a completely new concept of system automation and dotfile management — one that brings profiling, synchronization, automation, and Git integration into a single powerful CLI tool: DotCtl.

🧠 The Concept

What if you could capture the full configuration of your system as a portable "profile", version it in Git, apply it on any machine with one command, and run pre/post install scripts to bootstrap the whole environment?

DotCtl is not just a dotfile manager. It’s a config profiling system designed for developers, sysadmins, and IT professionals who manage multiple environments — desktops, servers, containers, VMs — and want to keep everything consistent, reproducible, and shareable.

⚙️ What DotCtl Does

  • 🌐 Track your entire system config (dotfiles, services, packages, env vars) as a named profile.

  • 🔄 Sync profiles with Git for reliable versioning and deployment across machines.

  • 🔧 Define pre/post hooks to automate package installations, service restarts, and more.

  • 📤 Export profiles to portable .dtsv files for backup or sharing.

  • 🧪 Apply any profile to configure a fresh system instantly.

🧰 Use Case

DevOps Teams / Remote Onboarding
Imagine onboarding a new developer into your company or project. Instead of handing over a doc with 15+ setup steps, you hand them this:

pip install dotctl
dotctl import company_dev_stack.dtsv
dotctl apply

That’s it — their environment is up and running with exactly the configs, tools, aliases, themes, and services used by the rest of the team.

🔗 Want to explore or contribute?

Check out the full README, command examples, and source on GitHub:
👉 https://github.com/pankajackson/dotctl

I’d love feedback, collaborations, or use-case discussions — especially from fellow infrastructure folks, power users, and open-source enthusiasts.

💬 Curious how DotCtl could simplify your own environment setup or CI workflows? Let’s talk! Drop a comment or message me directly. 🙌

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dotctldotfilesdotfileLinuxArchLinuxOpen SourceDevopsautomationPythonPython 3python projectssysadminconfigurationmanagement Productivitycli

Written by

Pankaj Patel (Jackson)
Pankaj Patel (Jackson)

👋 Hi, I'm Pankaj! A tech enthusiast and Linux power user, I specialize in Linux servers and cloud technologies. I'm passionate about automation, scripting, data science, and open-source tools—constantly refining my workflow and exploring new ways to optimize systems. My interests span system administration, containerization (Docker, Distrobox), and smart home (IoT) integrations. Beyond tech, I have a deep love for music and dance. I used to be a dancer and still enjoy rhythm and movement. You'll often find me vibing to Floor Jansen, Michael Jackson, Linkin Park, Evanescence, and Nightwish. Always curious, always learning—and always happy to share what I know. Let’s connect!