dotkeeper

How it works

Initialize

dotkeeper init on your first machine. Generates a Syncthing identity and creates your config.

Join

dotkeeper join <ID> on other machines. Config syncs automatically via Syncthing.

Add repos

dotkeeper add ~/project starts syncing. Files propagate in real-time. Git backs up on schedule.

Features

Zero infrastructure

No cloud server, no VPN, no SSH tunnel. Machines find each other via Syncthing's discovery network and connect peer-to-peer.

Single binary

Syncthing is compiled into the dotkeeper binary. Download, run, done. No separate Syncthing installation, no conflicts with existing setups.

Git history

Scheduled git auto-commit and push. Every change is versioned. Roll back to any point in time. Works with your existing remotes.

Conflict-free by design

Syncthing handles real-time sync. Git timers are staggered per machine (slot offsets) so pushes never collide.

Cross-platform

Linux, macOS, Windows, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD. Platform-native service management: systemd, launchd, Task Scheduler, cron.

Privacy-first

No telemetry, no crash reporting, no usage tracking. Syncthing's full network stack for connectivity, with all reporting disabled.

Architecture

  Machine A                          Machine B
  +-----------------+                +-----------------+
  | dotkeeper       |  Syncthing     | dotkeeper       |
  |   embedded ST --|---(P2P sync)---|--  embedded ST  |
  |   git timer   --|---> remote <---|--  git timer    |
  +-----------------+                +-----------------+
        |                                   |
   ~/.config/dotkeeper/              ~/.config/dotkeeper/
     machine.toml (local)              machine.toml (local)
     config.toml  (synced)             config.toml  (synced)

Isolated Syncthing

Runs on its own ports (API: 18384, sync: 12000, discovery: 11027). Never touches your existing Syncthing installation.

Three-file config

machine.toml — local identity, never synced. config.toml — shared settings, synced via Syncthing. dotkeeper.toml — per-repo breadcrumb, tracked in git.

Smart .stignore

Auto-generated ignore patterns: build artifacts, lockfiles, editor state, SQLite journals. Syncs what matters, skips what doesn't.

Install

Download binary

Grab the latest release for your platform:

Download from GitHub

Arch Linux (AUR)

yay -S dotkeeper-bin

Build from source

git clone https://github.com/julian-corbet/dotkeeper
cd dotkeeper
make install

Requires Go 1.22+ and git.

Commands

`dotkeeper init`	Initialize this machine
`dotkeeper join <ID>`	Join an existing setup
`dotkeeper add <path>`	Add repos to sync
`dotkeeper remove <name>`	Remove a repo from sync
`dotkeeper pair`	Apply config to Syncthing
`dotkeeper sync`	Run git backup now
`dotkeeper status`	Show full status
`dotkeeper install-timer`	Install scheduled git backup
`dotkeeper start`	Start embedded Syncthing
`dotkeeper stop`	Stop Syncthing service