A script to keep your dotfiles in sync using Dropbox. Basically, this script backs your local dotfiles up and replaces them with links to the ones in your dropbox.

dotfiles.sh

#!/bin/bash
# dotfiles.sh - a tiny script to keep your dotfiles in
# sync by using dropbox

# this should be the name of the folder where you keep
# your dotfiles.
dotfiles_folder="$HOME/Dropbox/Dotfiles"

# these are the dotfiles to be kept in sync
dotfiles="bashrc concyrc hnbrc screenrc gitconfig vimrc ssh/config irssi/config"

# these are the folders in which dotfiles are kept (e.g. vim, ssh, gnupg, ...)
dotfolders="ssh irssi"

# shows you how your local dotfiles differ to the 
# ones in your dropbox
function show_diff() {
    for df in $dotfiles; do
        if [ -f "$HOME/.$df" ]; then
            echo "diff for .$df:"
            $dry diff "$dotfiles_folder/$df" "$HOME/.$df"
            echo
        fi
    done
}

# copies the global dotfiles over to your local system
# using a supplied command for installation (cp or ln -s)
function install_files() {
    # make dotfolders
    for df in $dotfolders; do
        if [ ! -d "$HOME/.$df" ]; then
            echo "Creating .$df"
            $dry mkdir "$HOME/.$df"
        fi
    done

    for df in $dotfiles; do
        echo "Installing .$df"

        # if there is already a local version of the
        # dotfile, back it up (unless it's a link)
        if [ -f "$HOME/.$df" ]; then
            if [ ! -L "$HOME/.$df" ]; then
                $dry mv "$HOME/.$df" "$HOME/.$df.bak"
            else
                $dry rm "$HOME/.$df"
            fi
        fi

        # install the global dotfile
        $dry $1 "$dotfiles_folder/$df" "$HOME/.$df"
    done
}

function show_help() {
    echo "Usage: $0 <command> [--dry|-d]"
    echo "commands: "
    echo " diff  Shows how the local and global dotfiles differ"
    echo " copy  Copies the global dotfiles to the local system"
    echo " link  Links the global dotfiles to the local system"
}

if [ "$2" == "--dry" ] || [ "$2" == "-d" ]; then
    dry="echo"
else
    dry=""
fi

case $1 in
    diff) show_diff;;
    copy) install_files "cp";;
    link) install_files "ln -s";;
    *) show_help;;
esac