GNU Stow: - Package-based structure: Requires organizing dotfiles into "packages" (subdirectories) - Symlink-only: Just handles symlinking, no version control integration - Manual Git: You manage Git separately (git clone → stow package-name) - Perl dependency: Requires Perl to be installed - No safety net: No atomic operations or rollback if something goes wrong
lnk: - File-based workflow: Takes your existing dotfiles as-is, moves them to managed location - Git-integrated: Wraps Git commands (lnk push, lnk pull) for seamless workflow - Atomic operations: If something fails, automatically rolls back changes - Single binary: No dependencies, just download and run - New machine workflow: lnk init -r repo && lnk pull handles clone + restore in one step
Key Difference in Workflow:
Stow approach: # Organize files into packages first mkdir -p ~/.dotfiles/vim/.config/nvim mv ~/.config/nvim/init.lua ~/.dotfiles/vim/.config/nvim/ git add . && git commit # On new machine: git clone repo ~/.dotfiles stow vim # Creates symlinks
lnk approach: # Start with files where they are lnk add ~/.config/nvim/init.lua # Moves and links automatically lnk push "added nvim config" # On new machine: lnk init -r repo && lnk pull # Clone + restore in one command
Bottom line: Stow is a pure symlinking tool that you combine with Git manually. lnk is an opinionated workflow that handles the entire dotfiles lifecycle (move → version → sync → restore).