commit 74d1e2ab0048d8e7c052db7ab4a38fc49dd303c7
Author: Alexander Hess <alexander@webartifex.biz>
Date:   Thu Jun 11 18:28:00 2026 +0200

    Add base configuration
    
    - Follow XDG standard: ~/.config and ~/.local folders
    - Set environment variables and define aliases within ~/.config/shell
    - Add installation script for easy setup
    - Add README.md with info on the installation and general notes

diff --git a/.bashrc b/.bashrc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8e7b6a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.bashrc
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# `bash`-specific configurations
+
+
+# Load configuration files common to all kinds of shells,
+# if not already done by a `bash` login shell
+[ -z "$PROFILE_LOADED" ] && [ -f "$HOME/.profile" ] && . "$HOME/.profile"
diff --git a/.config/shell/README.md b/.config/shell/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bd3a821
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.config/shell/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# Shell-related Configurations
+
+This folder contains files that are sourced by `bash` and `zsh`.
diff --git a/.config/shell/aliases b/.config/shell/aliases
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eaf280d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.config/shell/aliases
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+# Aliases used in all kinds of shells
+
+
+# Manage the bare `git` repository in ~/ holding the dotfiles
+alias dotfiles='git --git-dir=$XDG_DATA_HOME/dotfiles --work-tree=$HOME'
diff --git a/.config/shell/env b/.config/shell/env
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ffe8b25
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.config/shell/env
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+# Environment variables for all kinds of shells
+
+
+# Standard XDG base directories
+# See: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/XDG_Base_Directory
+
+export XDG_CACHE_HOME="$HOME/.cache"
+export XDG_CONFIG_HOME="$HOME/.config"
+export XDG_DATA_HOME="$HOME/.local/share"  # also set in ~/.local/bin/install-dotfiles
+export XDG_STATE_HOME="$HOME/.local/state"
+
+# Make up a XDG directory for binaries (that does not exist in the standard)
+export XDG_BIN_HOME="$HOME/.local/bin"
+
+
+# Convenient names for various places in the system
+
+export DOTFILES_DIR="$XDG_DATA_HOME/dotfiles"  # also set in ~/.local/bin/install-dotfiles
+
+
+# Generic shell configs
+
+export GPG_TTY=$(tty)
+export PAGER="less --chop-long-lines --ignore-case --LONG-PROMPT --no-init --status-column --quit-if-one-screen"
+export TERM=xterm-256color
+export TZ="Europe/Berlin"
+
+
+# Move common tools' config and cache files into XDG directories
+
+export LESSHISTFILE="$XDG_STATE_HOME/less/history"
diff --git a/.local/bin/README.md b/.local/bin/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2fe7197
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.local/bin/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# User-local Executables
+
+This folder contains executable files that are on the `$PATH`.
diff --git a/.local/bin/install-dotfiles b/.local/bin/install-dotfiles
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..6dc2602
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.local/bin/install-dotfiles
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+# Installation script to make the dotfiles available in ~/
+#
+# `git` is the only dependency for this script to run (See: https://git-scm.com)
+#
+# See: https://code.webartifex.biz/alexander/dotfiles#installation
+
+
+set -eu
+
+
+XDG_DATA_HOME="${XDG_DATA_HOME:-$HOME/.local/share}"  # also set in ~/.config/shell/env
+
+DOTFILES_DIR="$XDG_DATA_HOME/dotfiles"  # also set in ~/.config/shell/env
+
+# Defaults to the minimal/server version on the "main" branch
+# => Set DOTFILES_BRANCH=desktop explicitly when installing on a desktop machine
+DOTFILES_BRANCH="${DOTFILES_BRANCH:-main}"
+
+DOTFILES_HTTPS="https://code.webartifex.biz/alexander/dotfiles"
+DOTFILES_SSH="git@git.webartifex.biz:alexander/dotfiles.git"
+
+BACKUP_DIR="$HOME/.dotfiles-backup-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)"
+
+
+if [ -d "$DOTFILES_DIR" ]; then
+
+    if [ "${FORCE_INSTALL:-}" != "1" ]; then
+        echo ""
+        echo "The dotfiles are already installed at: $DOTFILES_DIR"
+        echo ""
+        echo "Options:"
+        echo "  - Set 'export FORCE_INSTALL=1' and run installation again"
+        echo "  - Update with 'dotfiles pull' and continue using them"
+        echo ""
+
+        exit 0
+    fi
+
+    echo "Backing up the existing repository to: $BACKUP_DIR"
+    mkdir -p "$BACKUP_DIR"
+    mv "$DOTFILES_DIR" "$BACKUP_DIR/dotfiles"
+
+fi
+
+
+git clone --bare "$DOTFILES_HTTPS" "$DOTFILES_DIR"
+
+
+_git() {
+    git --git-dir="$DOTFILES_DIR" --work-tree="$HOME" "$@"
+}
+
+
+if ! _git show-ref --verify --quiet "refs/heads/$DOTFILES_BRANCH"; then
+    echo ""
+    echo "Branch '$DOTFILES_BRANCH' does not exist in the repository"
+    echo ""
+    echo "Available branches:"
+    _git branch --format='  %(refname:short)'
+    echo ""
+
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+
+# Do not checkout project documentation intended for web GUIs
+_git config core.sparseCheckout true
+{
+    echo "/*"
+    echo "!LICENSE.txt"
+    echo "!README.md"
+} > "$DOTFILES_DIR/info/sparse-checkout"
+
+# Put the dotfiles in the user's $HOME folder
+_git checkout --force "$DOTFILES_BRANCH"
+
+# Do not show files not tracked in the dotfiles repository because there are simply too many
+_git config --local status.showUntrackedFiles no
+
+# Prefer `ssh` for syncing between the machines
+_git remote set-url origin "$DOTFILES_SSH"
+
+
+echo ""
+echo "The dotfiles were installed successfully (branch: $DOTFILES_BRANCH)"
+echo ""
+echo "Reload your shell to start using them:"
+echo "    exec \$SHELL -l"
+echo ""
diff --git a/.local/state/less/.gitkeep b/.local/state/less/.gitkeep
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/.profile b/.profile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9641b87
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.profile
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+# Main setup file executed for all kinds of shells
+
+
+# Prevent loading ~/.profile twice in `bash`
+export PROFILE_LOADED=1
+
+
+# Basic utilities
+
+_command_exists() {
+    command -v "$1" 1>/dev/null 2>&1
+}
+
+_in_bash() {
+    [ -n "$BASH_VERSION" ]
+}
+
+_in_zsh() {
+    [ -n "$ZSH_VERSION" ]
+}
+
+_prepend_to_path () {
+    if [ -d "$1" ] ; then
+        case :$PATH: in
+            *:$1:*) ;;
+            *) PATH=$1:$PATH ;;
+        esac
+    fi
+}
+
+
+# Load configuration files common to all kinds of shells
+[ -f "$HOME/.config/shell/env" ] && . "$HOME/.config/shell/env"
+[ -f "$HOME/.config/shell/aliases" ] && . "$HOME/.config/shell/aliases"
+
+
+# Source ~/.profile_local, which holds machine-specific ENV variables
+[ -f "$HOME/.profile_local" ] && . "$HOME/.profile_local"
+
+
+# Load `bash`-specific configurations for non-login `bash` shells
+if [ -n "$BASH_VERSION" ] && [ -f "$HOME/.bashrc" ]; then
+    . "$HOME/.bashrc"
+fi
+
+
+# Put local executables on the `$PATH`
+_prepend_to_path "$HOME/.local/bin"
+
+
+# Ensure ~/.profile is loaded each time `bash` starts
+unset PROFILE_LOADED
diff --git a/.zshrc b/.zshrc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3a46429
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.zshrc
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+#!/bin/zsh
+
+# `zsh`-specific configurations
+
+
+# Load configuration files common to all kinds of shells
+[ -f "$HOME/.profile" ] && . "$HOME/.profile"
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..641f4d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+# Dotfiles
+
+This repository contains useful (config) files.
+
+There are two "production" branches:
+- [main](https://code.webartifex.biz/alexander/dotfiles/src/branch/main)
+- [desktop](https://code.webartifex.biz/alexander/dotfiles/src/branch/desktop)
+
+`main` contains dotfiles intended to be used on all kinds of machines
+    and can be thought of as a "minimal" or "server" version.
+`desktop` is (re-)based on top of `main`
+    and adds "desktop" related dotfiles (e.g., GNOME stuff).
+
+
+## Installation
+
+Simply run:
+
+```sh
+curl https://code.webartifex.biz/alexander/dotfiles/raw/branch/main/.local/bin/install-dotfiles > install-dotfiles && sh ./install-dotfiles && rm ./install-dotfiles
+```
+
+or
+
+```sh
+wget https://code.webartifex.biz/alexander/dotfiles/raw/branch/main/.local/bin/install-dotfiles -O install-dotfiles && sh ./install-dotfiles && rm ./install-dotfiles
+```
+
+This downloads a simple [installation script](.local/bin/install-dotfiles)
+    and then executes it.
+The script has only one dependency, namely [git](https://git-scm.com).
+So, it should not be too hard to get this going.
+
+When it finishes, reload your shell to start using the dotfiles:
+
+```sh
+exec $SHELL -l
+```
+
+For the *desktop* variant, run `export DOTFILES_BRANCH=desktop` before installation.
+
+Normally, I advise against executing shell scripts from the internet,
+    but this one is short enough to be read even by beginners.
+So, convince yourself that it is not harmful!
+
+
+## Shells
+
+The config files in this repository are optimized for usage with
+    [GNU's Bourne again shell](https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/bash.1.html),
+    or `bash` for short,
+    and the popular [zsh](https://www.zsh.org/).