Bootstrap <Badge type="warning" text="experimental" />

packages, git repos, dotfiles, mise shell activation, macOS defaults, macOS LaunchAgents, Linux systemd user services, the user's login shell, tools, and any final project-specific task. You can also add hooks that run at named points in the bootstrap sequence.

Use bootstrap for things that are needed before a project or workstation is ready, but that do not belong in [tools]: native libraries, Homebrew formulae, dotfile repositories, shell rc files, editor config, macOS preferences, user services, and one-time machine setup.

How it runs

mise bootstrap runs these steps in order:

1. mise bootstrap packages apply installs missing [bootstrap.packages].
2. mise bootstrap repos apply clones or updates [bootstrap.repos].
3. mise bootstrap dotfiles apply applies [dotfiles].
4. mise bootstrap mise-shell-activate apply configures shell activation from [bootstrap.mise_shell_activate].
5. mise bootstrap macos defaults apply writes [bootstrap.macos.defaults].
6. mise bootstrap macos launchd-agents apply writes and loads [bootstrap.macos.launchd.agents].
7. mise bootstrap linux systemd-units apply converges [bootstrap.linux.systemd.units] by writing unit files, enabling/disabling them, and starting/stopping them as configured.
8. mise bootstrap user apply applies [bootstrap.user].
9. mise install installs missing [tools].
10. mise run bootstrap runs a task named bootstrap, if one exists.
11. [bootstrap.hooks.final] runs after the bootstrap task, if configured.

Use mise bootstrap --skip <part> to skip specific parts. Supported parts are packages, repos, dotfiles, mise-shell-activate, macos-defaults, macos-launchd-agents, linux-systemd-units, user, tools, task, and final-hook. The old shorter names shell, defaults, launchd, and systemd are still accepted as aliases. The flag can be repeated or comma-separated, for example mise bootstrap --skip tools,task.

Use mise bootstrap --only <part> to run only specific parts. It supports the same part names and can be repeated or comma-separated, for example mise bootstrap --only dotfiles,tools. --only and --skip are mutually exclusive.

Hook phases can also run before and after the built-in steps: pre-packages, post-packages, pre-repos, post-repos, pre-dotfiles, post-dotfiles, pre-defaults, post-defaults, pre-user, post-user, pre-tools, and post-tools.

The declarative steps converge: if a package is already installed, a repo is already at the requested ref, a dotfile already matches, or a default is already set, mise skips it. The bootstrap task runs every time, so keep it idempotent.

Example

[bootstrap.packages]
"apk:build-base" = "latest"
"apt:build-essential" = "latest"
"brew:postgresql@17" = "latest"

[bootstrap.repos]
"~/src/dotfiles" = { url = "[email protected]:jdx/dotfiles.git", ref = "main" }

[dotfiles]
"~/.gitconfig" = { mode = "symlink" }
"~/.config/nvim" = { mode = "symlink" }

[bootstrap.mise_shell_activate]
zprofile = "shims"
zshrc = "activate"
fish = "activate"

[bootstrap.macos.dock]
autohide = true
orientation = "left"
tilesize = 48

[bootstrap.macos.finder]
show_pathbar = true

[bootstrap.macos.keyboard]
key_repeat = 2
initial_key_repeat = 15

[bootstrap.macos.trackpad]
tap_to_click = true

[bootstrap.macos.defaults]
"com.apple.finder" = { AppleShowAllFiles = true }

[bootstrap.macos.launchd.agents.my-sync]
program = "~/.local/bin/my-sync"
args = ["--watch"]
run_at_load = true

[bootstrap.linux.systemd.units.my-sync]
description = "sync files"
exec_start = "~/.local/bin/my-sync --watch"
restart = "on-failure"

[bootstrap.user]
login_shell = "/bin/zsh"

[bootstrap.hooks.pre-packages]
run = "softwareupdate --install-rosetta --agree-to-license"

[bootstrap.hooks.post-defaults]
run = "killall Dock || true"

[tools]
node = "lts"
python = "3.12"

[tasks.bootstrap]
run = "gh auth status || gh auth login"

Then run:

mise bootstrap --yes

For a dry run:

mise bootstrap --dry-run

When mise bootstrap applies or would apply something that needs user follow-up, it prints a final bootstrap: follow-up section after a successful run. Dry runs use bootstrap: follow-up if applied. If a later bootstrap phase fails after earlier phases already produced follow-up items, mise prints those items before returning the error. The section is omitted when there is nothing actionable to report.

By default, bootstrap refuses dotfile conflicts rather than replacing local files. Use mise bootstrap --force-dotfiles when you explicitly want the dotfiles phase to replace conflicting whole-file dotfile targets.

Inspecting State

Use mise bootstrap status to inspect the declarative bootstrap state in one place:

mise bootstrap status
mise bootstrap status --json
mise bootstrap status --missing
mise bootstrap packages status
mise bootstrap repos status
mise bootstrap dotfiles status
mise bootstrap dotfiles apply --dry-run
mise bootstrap dotfiles apply --dry-run --verbose
mise bootstrap mise-shell-activate status
mise bootstrap macos defaults status
mise bootstrap macos launchd-agents status
mise bootstrap linux systemd-units status
mise bootstrap user status

mise bootstrap status --missing checks the whole declarative bootstrap surface in one command. The narrower mise bootstrap packages status --missing and mise bootstrap dotfiles status --missing commands are useful when you only want to check one part without installing anything.

What Goes Where

Use declarative sections when mise can inspect and converge the state. Use [tasks.bootstrap] for imperative setup that does not fit those sections, such as running an auth flow, seeding local data, or other one-off project setup.

Hooks

Hooks run only during explicit mise bootstrap invocations. A hook can be specified as a command string, an array of command strings, or a table with a run field. They use the same default inline shell setting as tasks, stop the bootstrap if they fail, and print the command instead of running it during mise bootstrap --dry-run. Hooks run in the current process environment; use mise exec -- ... inside a hook, or use [tasks.bootstrap], when the command needs tools from [tools] on PATH.

[bootstrap.hooks.pre-packages]
run = "softwareupdate --install-rosetta --agree-to-license"

[bootstrap.hooks.post-tools]
run = [
  "mise exec -- corepack enable",
  "mise exec -- rustup component add rustfmt clippy",
]

[bootstrap.hooks.final]
run = "gh auth status || gh auth login"

As shorthand, a hook phase can also be set directly:

[bootstrap.hooks]
post-defaults = "killall Dock || true"

Hooks merge across the config hierarchy from global to local, so shared config can define broad machine setup while a project adds its own phase commands.

Common Workflows

New Machine

mise trust
mise bootstrap --yes

Add A Package

mise bootstrap packages use apk:zlib-dev apt:libssl-dev

This writes [bootstrap.packages] and installs what is missing.

Capture An Edited Dotfile

$EDITOR ~/.zshrc
mise dotfiles add ~/.zshrc

mise dotfiles add stores the live file under dotfiles.root and writes an explicit [dotfiles] entry with mode.

Edit A Managed Dotfile

mise dotfiles edit ~/.zshrc
mise dotfiles apply ~/.zshrc

For symlinked dotfiles, edit opens the managed source, so it works with the default symlink mode.

Advanced: Self-Managing Config

You can manage the dotfiles repository and the mise global config as dotfiles:

[settings]
dotfiles.root = "~/.dotfiles"

[dotfiles]
"~/.dotfiles" = "~/src/dotfiles"
"~/.config/mise/config.toml" = "~/src/dotfiles/mise/config.toml"

The repo/source must exist before the first apply. Use the real repo path for sources needed during the first run; ~/.dotfiles does not exist until mise creates that symlink. Replacing the active global config affects future mise invocations, so use this pattern carefully.