COPS (Config OPeratorS)

A no-brainer macOS configuration management system that sets up your Mac and automatically preserves your settings so you never lose your tweaks.

The Problem COPS Solves

"Where are my last 6 months of tweaks?"

You know the scenario:

1. Set up a Mac perfectly with all your apps, preferences, and configurations
2. Tweak settings over months to get everything just right
3. Get a new machine 6 months later
4. Panic: Where are all your customizations? What apps did you install? What were those terminal settings?

COPS prevents this nightmare by automatically saving your configuration every time you run it.

Quick Start

# Fresh Mac setup
git clone https://github.com/shaneholloman/cops.git ~/.cops
cd ~/.cops
./bootstrap.sh    # Prep system dependencies
./cops.sh         # Apply configuration and auto-save your settings

That's it. Your Mac is configured and your settings are automatically saved to git.

Key Benefits

Auto-Save Your Tweaks

• Every time you run COPS, your configuration changes are automatically committed
• Never lose months of careful customization again
• Your config.yaml and system backups are preserved automatically

Safe by Design

• APFS snapshots before making changes (instant rollback)
• Validates everything before applying changes
• Backs up existing configs before overwriting
• Master switches to control what gets modified

No-Brainer Operation

• Single config.yaml file controls everything
• Works perfectly for semi-technical users
• Just run ./cops.sh and everything happens automatically
• No complex setup or configuration required

Complete Mac Setup

• Installs CLI tools and applications via Homebrew
• Sets up development environment (shell, aliases, dotfiles)
• Configures system preferences (keyboard, terminal, etc.)
• Manages file associations and default applications

How It Works

1. Configure once: Edit config.yaml with your preferred apps and settings
2. Run COPS: ./cops.sh applies your configuration
3. Auto-save: Your changes are automatically committed to git
4. New machine: Clone your repo and run ./cops.sh - everything restored perfectly

Configuration

Everything is controlled by a single config.yaml file:

# Enable/disable major features
enable_tools: true        # Install CLI tools and apps
enable_preferences: true  # Configure system settings
enable_aliases: true      # Set up shell aliases
enable_snapshots: true    # Create safety snapshots

# Your applications
tools:
  cli:
    - git
    - jq
    - ripgrep
  cask:
    - claude
    - visual-studio-code
    - docker

# Auto-save your changes (recommended)
git:
  auto_commit: true   # Automatically save configuration changes
  auto_push: false    # Optionally push to remote repo

Advanced Usage

Different Configurations

# Use different configs for different machines
./cops.sh --config-file configs/desktop.yaml
./cops.sh --config-file configs/work.yaml

Auto-Push to Remote

git:
  auto_commit: true
  auto_push: true    # Also push to your remote repository

Set up a private repo and never lose your settings across machines.

Safety Features

• APFS Snapshots: Instant system rollback if needed
• Config Validation: Checks YAML syntax and required tools
• Backup Everything: Existing dotfiles backed up with timestamps
• Master Switches: Granular control over what gets modified
• Dry Run Mode: See what would happen before applying changes

Documentation

• Configuration Guide - Complete config.yaml reference
• System Preferences - Available system settings
• Development Guide - Contributing to COPS

Requirements

• macOS (tested on recent versions)
• Git (for configuration management)
• Basic command line familiarity

Dependencies are automatically installed by bootstrap.sh.

License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details