Mac dev environment backup

Your Mac setup.
Saved. Restored.
In minutes.

skel scans your dev environment - packages, shell configs, editors, dotfiles, language versions - and saves it as a portable profile. Restore it on any Mac with a single command.

$ brew tap kasperbasse/tap && brew install skel
View on GitHub · Commands · Coverage
zsh - skel scan
~ $ skel scan work-2026
✓ Homebrew 142 formulas · 38 casks
✓ Shell - zsh, Starship 4 configs
✓ Editors - VS Code, Cursor 2 editors
✓ Git - config + gitignore global
✓ Languages - node, go, python 3 runtimes
✓ Configs - ~/.config 14 files
✓ System defaults dock · finder
→ Saved as work-2026 247 items

01 · Commands

Everything you need.
Nothing you don't.

Core and extended commands in one table. Tab completion works on the most-used profile commands.

skel scan
Scan your Mac and save a profile. Captures packages, shell, editors, git, languages, configs, and system defaults.
capture
skel doctor
Pre-flight check before you restore. Shows exactly what's missing and how to fix it - nothing gets installed.
inspect
skel restore
Interactive section picker. Skips what's already installed. Supports --dry-run and --only flags.
restore
skel drift
See what's changed on your Mac since the last scan - new tools, removed packages, config changes.
inspect
skel diff
Compare two profiles side-by-side. Useful for tracking differences between machines or environments.
inspect
skel publish
Publish your profile as a GitHub Gist. Git name, email, hostname, and SSH key comments are auto-redacted.
share
skel clone
Clone a profile from a public GitHub Gist. No auth required.
share
skel status
One-line summary - name, last scanned, item count. Fast, no rescan. Useful in shell prompts.
info
skel list
List saved profiles in interactive mode or plain output for scripts and piping.
info
skel show
Show full profile contents section by section before restoring or sharing.
info
skel update
Re-scan your machine and refresh an existing profile with a quick change summary.
capture
skel delete
Delete a saved profile with confirmation.
manage
skel export / import
Export profiles to JSON and import them back safely on another machine.
share
skel brewfile
Import and export standard Brewfiles to move Homebrew packages in or out of profiles.
share

02 · Coverage

If it shapes how
you work, it's saved.

Private keys are never read. Review shell and config content before sharing.

🍺
Homebrew
Taps, formulas, casks, App Store via mas
🐚
Shell
Zsh, Fish, Bash - configs, Oh My Zsh, Starship
💻
Editors
VS Code, Cursor, Neovim, JetBrains IDEs
🔧
Git
.gitconfig, global .gitignore, user identity
🌐
Languages
Node, Python, Go, Ruby, Rust, Java, PHP
📦
Packages
npm, pip, cargo, gems, pnpm, composer
⚙️
Configs
All of ~/.config, auto-discovered
🖥️
System
Dock, Finder, keyboard, trackpad prefs

03 · Share

Your setup.
One link away.

Clone any public profile without authentication.