I've ended writing a script which transfers dot files, and after that chowns it all.

Edit:

I re-wrote this script in bash about three years ago. And I had been using this one for some time. However, I haven't used this script in years, and don't maintain this script anymore. I didn't reviewed this script now, but I would imagine it is not of high quality, given that I wrote it long time ago.

The basic idea is to store basic dot files on github, and make script download these and patch the username and assign proper permissions.

#!/bin/bash

# to get description use the -h flag



# You can see the structure of this code in emacs. For that eval the

# following lines:

# (mapc

#  (lambda (language-mode-hook)

#    (add-hook language-mode-hook 

#              (lambda ()

#                (make-local-variable 'outline-regexp)

#                (setq outline-regexp "^## ")

#                (make-local-variable 'outline-heading-end-regexp)

#                (setq outline-heading-end-regexp ":

")

#                (outline-minor-mode 1))))

#    '(shell-script-mode-hook sh-mode-hook))

# this makes use of outline-minor-mode and the default keys are:

# C-c @ C-t    show top level structure

# C-c @ C-a    show all

# for more see the Outline menu.



# TODO:

# update routine documntation?



# exit after a single error:

set -e



# ===========

## preambula:



PROGNAME=${0##*/}

PROGVERSION=4.02

NoColors=false



Dependencies=false

Root=false

Internet=false

Localhost=false

Base=`logname`

Update=false

Source=boris

Autostart=false



usage()

{

cat << EO

Usage: $PROGNAME <user>



This script install bkubuntu kubuntu set of programs and settings. It

assumes the user have x86_64 archeticture.



It does back-up all the configs, but it keeps only the latest back-up

-- so if You'll run this script twice in a row -- You'll lose Your

files. You might want to back up the original thing manually.



All of the options except for -u/--update require root privilages.



Examples

========



To install bkubuntu for Yourself::



    cd /path/to/bkubuntu.bash 

    sudo ./bkubuntu.bash -i



To install Your bkubuntu to root::



    cd /path/to/bkubuntu.bash

    sudo ./bkubuntu.bash -r



To install bkubuntu from other user at localhost::



    cd /path/to/bkubuntu.bash

    sudo ./bkubuntu.bash -l -s <that user>



To update Your bkubuntu::



    bkubuntu.bash -u # provided bkubuntu.bash is in the PATH



Add -a if You want to have emacs, firefox, krusader, libreoffice

quickstart to run at start-up.



Options

=======



EO

cat << EO | column -s& -t



  -i, --internet & fetchs bkubuntu from the internet and installs it for the current user

  -l, --localhost & fetchs bkubuntu from other user (-s)

  -a, --autostart & also turn on the autostart script (starts emacs, firefox, krusader at start up)

 

  -s, --source & source repository user, default to $Source

  -u, --update & updates Your bkubuntu git repos from the internet (should not be done under sudo)

  -r, --root & transfers subset of Your bkubuntu to the root

 

  -h, --help & show this output

  -v, --version & show version information

      --no-colors & disables coloring in output

EO

}





SHORTOPTS="hvars:ilu"

LONGOPTS="help,version,no-colors,autostart,root,source:,internet,localhost,update"



ARGS=$(getopt -s bash --options $SHORTOPTS --longoptions $LONGOPTS --name $PROGNAME -- "$@")

eval set -- "$ARGS"



while true; do

    case $1 in



        -a|--autostart)

            Autostart=true;;

        -r|--root)

            Root=true;;

        -s|--source)

            Source=$2; shift;;

        -i|--internet)

            Internet=true;;

        -l|--localhost)

            Localhost=true;;

        -u|--update)

            Update=true;;



        -h|--help)

            usage; exit 0;;

        -v|--version)

            echo "$PROGVERSION"; exit 0;;

           --no-colors)

            NoColors=true;;

        --)

            shift; break;;

        *)

            shift; break;;

    esac

    shift

done



if $NoColors; then

    BLUE=''

    GREEN=''

    RED=''

    BLACK=''

else

    BLUE='033[94m'

    GREEN='e[0;32m'

    RED='033[91m'

    BLACK='033[0m'

fi





# ===========

## functions:



autostart () {

    if [ -e /home/$Base/.kde/Autostart/bkubuntu_startup_simple.bash ]; then

        rm /home/$Base/.kde/Autostart/bkubuntu_startup_simple.bash

    fi

    if ! [ -d /home/$Base/.kde/Autostart ]; then

        mkdir /home/$Base/.kde/Autostart

    fi

    ln /home/$Base/cmp/devs/bk_automates/bkubuntu/bk_runs_at/bkubuntu_startup_simple.bash /home/$Base/.kde/Autostart/bkubuntu_startup_simple.bash

}





back-up_and_clean () {

    if [ -d "$Base~" ]; then

        rm -rf "$Base~"

    fi

    mkdir "$Base~"



    mv -T $Base "$Base~"

    mkdir $Base

    cd $Base



    echo -e "${RED}${PROGNAME}: ${GREEN}Done with backing up $Base (to $Base~).${BLACK}"

}





rebase () {



    # these files should have ho spaces!

    FILES="

$PWD/.kde/share/config/plasma-desktoprc

$PWD/.kde/share/config/plasma-desktop-appletsrc

$PWD/.kde/share/apps/kfileplaces/bookmarks.xml

$PWD/.kde/share/config/krusaderrc

$PWD/.kde/share/apps/krusader/krbookmarks.xml

$PWD/.kde/share/apps/krusader/useractions.xml

$PWD/.kde/share/apps/krusader/krusaderui.rc

$PWD/.config/libreoffice/3/user/registrymodifications.xcu

$PWD/.kde/share/apps/kfileplaces/bookmarks.xml

$PWD/.kde/share/config/khotkeysrc

$PWD/.thunderbird/n8fe137g.default/secmod.db

$PWD/.thunderbird/n8fe137g.default/prefs.js

$PWD/.thunderbird/n8fe137g.default/extensions.ini

$PWD/.thunderbird/n8fe137g.default/extensions.sqlite

$PWD/.thunderbird/n8fe137g.default/panacea.dat

$PWD/.thunderbird/n8fe137g.default/startupCache/startupCache.8.little

$PWD/.mozilla/firefox/kkhrci0w.default/secmod.db

$PWD/.mozilla/firefox/kkhrci0w.default/prefs.js

$PWD/.mozilla/firefox/kkhrci0w.default/extensions.ini

$PWD/.mozilla/firefox/kkhrci0w.default/search.json

$PWD/.mozilla/firefox/kkhrci0w.default/extensions.sqlite

$PWD/.mozilla/firefox/kkhrci0w.default/startupCache/startupCache.8.little

$PWD/.mozilla/firefox/kkhrci0w.default/zotero/locate/engines.json"



    # root doesn't have all these files:

    if [ $Base = "root" ]; then

        FILES=`echo $FILES | perl -pe 's/ /

/g' | perl -pe 's/.*(emacs|libreoffice|autokey|bkubuntu|mozilla|thunderbird).*//' | perl -pe 's/^

//'`

    fi



    for fileName in $FILES; do

        sed -i "s/$Source/$Base/g" "$fileName"

    done



    echo -e "${RED}${PROGNAME}: ${GREEN}Done with rebasing.${BLACK}"



}





chown_logout () {



    # ------

    # chown:



    chown -R $Base $PWD

    echo -e "${RED}${PROGNAME}: ${GREEN}chown: everything went fine.

    You may wish to restart now.${BLACK}"

    sleep 1



    # ---------------

    # finally logout:



    secsTilLogout=10

    while [ $secsTilLogout -gt 0 ]; do

        sleep 1 &

        clear

        echo -e "${RED}${PROGNAME}: ${GREEN}Done. Documentation for hotkeys is available at:

    ~/bks/computer/HotKeyPoetry/index.html



    Unless You kill me with Ctrl-c --

    I'll logout computer in $secsTilLogout seconds.${BLACK}"

        secsTilLogout=$(( $secsTilLogout - 1 ))

        wait # the point of 'sleep 1 & -- wait' construct is not to take into account the time of `sleep' execution

    done



    qdbus org.kde.ksmserver /KSMServer org.kde.KSMServerInterface.logout 0 0 0



}





# ==========

## internet:



if $Internet; then



    # -------------

    # adding repos:



    echo -e n | sudo add-apt-repository ppa:kubuntu-ppa/ppa

    echo -e n | sudo add-apt-repository ppa:kubuntu-ppa/backports



    echo -e n | add-apt-repository ppa:cassou/emacs



    wget -q http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian/oracle_vbox.asc -O- | sudo apt-key add -

    # perhaps I should add 

    # deb http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian precise contrib

    # to /etc/apt/sources.list



    wget -q "http://deb.playonlinux.com/public.gpg" -O- | apt-key add -

    wget http://deb.playonlinux.com/playonlinux_squeeze.list -O /etc/apt/sources.list.d/playonlinux.list



    apt-get update



    echo -e "${RED}${PROGNAME}: ${GREEN}Done with repos.

    Now the back-up phase...${BLACK}"

    sleep 1



    # -----------

    # installing:



    echo -e n | apt-get install emacs-snapshot konsole krusader okular kolourpaint4 smplayer vlc audacious gwenview k3b synaptic kopete keepassx xclip firefox thunderbird procps tree xsel libreoffice wmctrl git virtualbox playonlinux build-essential kubuntu-restricted-extras gfortran parallel sshfs ssh



    echo -e "${RED}${PROGNAME}: ${GREEN}Done with installing prerequisites.

    Now the cloning stage...${BLACK}"

    sleep 1





    # --------------------

    # preparing the place:



    cd /home

    back-up_and_clean



    # -----------------

    # clonning configs:



    git clone https://github.com/bk322/bk_dots .

    cp -R .bkubuntu/* . # copying dir structure

    git clone https://github.com/bk322/bk_automates /home/$Base/cmp/devs/bk_automates



    echo -e "${RED}${PROGNAME}: ${GREEN}Done with cloning configs.${BLACK}"

    sleep 1



    # parallel:

    # dpkg -i /home/$Base/cmp/repo/parallel*.deb





    # -----------------

    # applying configs:



    # autostart?

    if $Autostart; then

        autostart

    fi



    # ----------

    # XULRunner:



    mv /home/$Base/cmp/repo/.mozilla .

    mv /home/$Base/cmp/repo/.thunderbird .



    rebase

    chown_logout



fi





# =========

## copying:



if $Localhost; then



    cd /home

    back-up_and_clean



    # ----------------------------------

    # cloning configs from user $Source:



    cd /home/$Base

    git clone /home/$Source .

    cp -R .bkubuntu/* . # copying dir structure

    git clone /home/$Source/cmp/devs/bk_automates /home/$Base/cmp/devs/bk_automates



    echo -e "${RED}${PROGNAME}: ${GREEN}Done with cloning configs from $Source.${BLACK}"

    sleep 1



    # -----------------

    # applying configs:



    # autostart?

    if $Autostart; then

        autostart

    fi



    # ----------

    # XULRunner:



    mv /home/$Base/cmp/repo/.mozilla .

    mv /home/$Base/cmp/repo/.thunderbird .



    # -----------------------

    # rebase, chown, restart:



    rebase

    chown_logout



fi





# ==========

## updating:



if $Update; then



    # -------------

    # update repos:



    cd /home/$Base

    git checkout -- . && git pull -u origin master



    cd /home/$Base/cmp/devs

    git checkout -- . && git pull -u origin master



    cd /home/$Base

    echo -e "${RED}${PROGNAME}: ${GREEN}Done with syncing gits.${BLACK}"

    sleep 1



    # ---------

    # rebasing:

    rebase



fi



# ======

## root:



if $Root; then



    cd /

    Base=root

    back-up_and_clean



    Source=`logname`

    cd /home/$Source

    listOfFiles=`git ls-files | perl -pe 's/.*(libreoffice|autokey|bkubuntu|mozilla|thunderbird).*//' | perl -pe 's/^

//'`

    for File in $listOfFiles; do

        Parents=${File#/home/$Source/}

        cp --parents "$Parents" /root

    done





    # -----------------------

    # rebase, chown, restart:



    cd /root

    rebase

    chown_logout



fi