Overview This guide covers the complete installation process for Gentleman.Dots on Linux systems (Ubuntu/Debian). The installation includes terminal emulators, shells, window managers, and Neovim with AI integrations.
Prerequisites Before starting the installation, ensure you have:
Ubuntu or Debian-based Linux distribution Administrator privileges (sudo access) Internet connection for downloading packagesAt least 2GB of free disk space
Installation Methods
Automatic Installation Recommended: Use the automated script for quick setup
Manual Installation Step-by-step manual configuration for advanced users
Automatic Installation The automated installation script handles all dependencies and configurations automatically.
You must install the Iosevka Term Nerd Font before running the script. The font is required for proper terminal display.
Download the Installation Script
Download the automated installation script from the repository: curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Gentleman-Programming/Gentleman.Dots/refs/heads/main/install-linux-mac.sh
Make the Script Executable
Grant execution permissions to the script: sudo chmod +x install-linux-mac.sh
Run the Installation
Execute the script and follow the interactive prompts: bash ./install-linux-mac.sh
The script will:
Install system dependencies (build-essential, curl, file, git)
Install Rust and Homebrew
Configure your chosen terminal emulator
Set up your selected shell (Fish, Zsh, or Nushell)
Install your preferred window manager (Tmux or Zellij)
Configure Neovim with AI integrations
Restart Your Terminal
After installation completes, restart your terminal or computer: # Restart your terminal or run exec $SHELL
Manual Installation
Clone the Repository
First, clone the Gentleman.Dots repository: git clone [email protected] :Gentleman-Programming/Gentleman.Dots.git cd Gentleman.Dots
Install Base Dependencies
Install the required build tools and dependencies: sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install -y build-essential curl file git unzip fontconfig
Install Rust
Install Rust programming language (required for some tools): curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh . $HOME /.cargo/env
Install Homebrew
Install Homebrew package manager: /bin/bash -c "$( curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)" # Add Homebrew to your PATH echo 'eval "$(/home/linuxbrew/.linuxbrew/bin/brew shellenv)"' >> ~/.bashrc echo 'eval "$(/home/linuxbrew/.linuxbrew/bin/brew shellenv)"' >> ~/.zshrc eval "$( /home/linuxbrew/.linuxbrew/bin/brew shellenv)"
Install Iosevka Term Nerd Font
The Iosevka Term Nerd Font is required for proper icon display: mkdir -p ~/.local/share/fonts wget -O ~/.local/share/fonts/Iosevka.zip https://github.com/ryanoasis/nerd-fonts/releases/download/v3.3.0/IosevkaTerm.zip unzip ~/.local/share/fonts/Iosevka.zip -d ~/.local/share/fonts/ fc-cache -fv
Choose and Install a Terminal Emulator
Select one of the following terminal emulators: Alacritty
WezTerm
Ghostty
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:aslatter/ppa sudo apt update sudo apt install alacritty # Copy configuration mkdir -p ~/.config/alacritty cp alacritty.toml ~/.config/alacritty/alacritty.toml
brew tap wez/wezterm-linuxbrew brew install wezterm # Copy configuration mkdir -p ~/.config/wezterm cp .wezterm.lua ~/.config/wezterm/wezterm.lua
# Using community package /bin/bash -c "$( curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mkasberg/ghostty-ubuntu/HEAD/install.sh)" # Copy configuration mkdir -p ~/.config/ghostty cp -r GentlemanGhostty/ * ~/.config/ghostty
Choose and Install a Shell
Select and configure your preferred shell: # Install Nushell and dependencies brew install nushell carapace zoxide atuin jq bash starship fzf # Create directories mkdir -p ~/.cache/starship mkdir -p ~/.cache/carapace mkdir -p ~/.local/share/atuin # Copy configuration files cp -rf bash-env-json ~/.config/ cp -rf bash-env.nu ~/.config/ cp -rf starship.toml ~/.config/ # Copy Nushell config mkdir -p ~/.config/nushell cp -rf GentlemanNushell/ * ~/.config/nushell/
# Install Fish and dependencies brew install fish carapace zoxide atuin starship fzf # Create directories mkdir -p ~/.cache/starship mkdir -p ~/.cache/carapace mkdir -p ~/.local/share/atuin # Copy configuration cp -rf starship.toml ~/.config/ cp -rf GentlemanFish/fish ~/.config
# Install Zsh and dependencies brew install zsh carapace zoxide atuin fzf brew install zsh-autosuggestions zsh-syntax-highlighting zsh-autocomplete # Create directories mkdir -p ~/.cache/carapace mkdir -p ~/.local/share/atuin # Copy configuration cp -rf GentlemanZsh/.zshrc ~/ cp -rf GentlemanZsh/.p10k.zsh ~/ cp -rf GentlemanZsh/.oh-my-zsh ~/ # Install PowerLevel10k brew install powerlevel10k
Choose and Install a Window Manager
Select either Tmux or Zellij: # Install Tmux brew install tmux # Install Tmux Plugin Manager git clone https://github.com/tmux-plugins/tpm ~/.tmux/plugins/tpm # Copy configuration mkdir -p ~/.tmux cp -r GentlemanTmux/.tmux/ * ~/.tmux/ cp GentlemanTmux/.tmux.conf ~/ # Install plugins tmux new-session -d -s plugin-installation 'source ~/.tmux.conf; tmux run-shell ~/.tmux/plugins/tpm/bin/install_plugins' tmux kill-session -t plugin-installation
# Install Zellij cargo install zellij # Copy configuration mkdir -p ~/.config/zellij cp -r GentlemanZellij/zellij/ * ~/.config/zellij/
If using Zellij, update your shell configuration to use it instead of Tmux.
Install Neovim
Install Neovim and all required dependencies: # Install core dependencies brew install nvim node npm git gcc fzf fd ripgrep coreutils bat curl lazygit tree-sitter # Install AI CLI tools curl -fsSL https://opencode.ai/install | bash curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash brew install gemini-cli # Copy Neovim configuration mkdir -p ~/.config/nvim cp -r GentlemanNvim/nvim/ * ~/.config/nvim/ # Configure OpenCode mkdir -p ~/.config/opencode/themes cp GentlemanOpenCode/opencode.json ~/.config/opencode/ cp GentlemanOpenCode/themes/gentleman.json ~/.config/opencode/themes/ # Configure Obsidian path (optional) mkdir -p ~/.config/obsidian/templates nvim ~/.config/nvim/lua/plugins/obsidian.lua # Update the path field to your Obsidian vault location
Set Default Shell
Set your chosen shell as the default: shell_path = $( which fish ) sudo sh -c "grep -Fxq \" $shell_path \" /etc/shells || echo \" $shell_path \" >> /etc/shells" sudo chsh -s " $shell_path " " $USER "
Restart Your System
Restart your terminal or computer for all changes to take effect: # Either restart your terminal or run: exec $SHELL
Linux-Specific Considerations Package Manager Differences : Ubuntu/Debian use apt, while Arch uses pacman. This guide focuses on Ubuntu/Debian. Arch users should see the Arch Linux guide .Display Server Compatibility
Wayland : Some terminal emulators (like Alacritty) work best with Wayland. Ensure your display server is properly configured.X11 : All terminal emulators support X11 by default.
System Requirements
Kernel Version : Linux kernel 5.0 or higher recommendedGPU Drivers : Install proper GPU drivers for best terminal performanceMemory : At least 4GB RAM recommended for full Neovim setup with AI integrations
Troubleshooting
Homebrew installation fails
If Homebrew installation fails, ensure you have all build dependencies: sudo apt-get install build-essential procps curl file git
Then try installing Homebrew again.
Font not displaying correctly
If icons or fonts aren’t displaying properly:
Verify the font is installed:
Clear font cache:
Restart your terminal emulator
Shell doesn't change after installation
If your default shell doesn’t change:
Verify the shell path is in /etc/shells:
Manually change the shell:
chsh -s $( which fish ) # or zsh, nu
Log out and log back in
If you encounter permission errors during installation: # Fix Homebrew permissions sudo chown -R $( whoami ) $( brew --prefix ) / * # Fix config directory permissions sudo chown -R $( whoami ) ~/.config
Neovim plugins not loading
If Neovim plugins fail to load:
Open Neovim and run:
Check for errors:
Ensure Node.js is properly installed:
node --version # Should be 18+
Next Steps
Customize Your Setup Learn how to customize terminal colors, key bindings, and more
Neovim Configuration Explore Neovim features and AI integrations
Shell Tips & Tricks Master your chosen shell with productivity tips
Join the Community Get help and share your setup with the community
After installation, explore the included configurations and customize them to match your workflow. The Gentleman.Dots setup is designed to be a starting point for your perfect development environment!
