docs/content/github/developing-online-with-codespaces/personalizing-codespaces-for-your-account.md

title, intro, product, permissions, redirect_from, versions

title	intro	product	permissions	redirect_from	versions
Personalizing Codespaces for your account	{% data variables.product.prodname_codespaces %} uses your `dotfiles` repository on {% data variables.product.product_name %} to personalize every new codespace that you create.	{% data reusables.gated-features.codespaces %}	Anyone can create a `dotfiles` repository to personalize {% data variables.product.prodname_codespaces %} for their user account.	/github/developing-online-with-github-codespaces/personalizing-github-codespaces-for-your-account	free-pro-team *

{% data reusables.codespaces.release-stage %}

Dotfiles are files and folders on Unix-like systems starting with . that control the configuration of applications and shells on your system. You can store and manage your dotfiles in a repository on {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}. For advice and tutorials about what to include in your dotfiles repository, see GitHub does dotfiles.

If your user account on {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} owns a public repository named dotfiles, {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} automatically uses this repository to personalize your codespace environment. Private dotfiles repositories are not currently supported.

Your dotfiles repository might include your shell aliases and preferences, any tools you want to install, or any other codespace personalization you want to make.

Codespace personalization using your dotfiles repository applies to any codespace you create. Project maintainers can also define a default configuration that applies to every codespace for a repository, created by anyone. {% data reusables.codespaces.codespace-config-order %} For more information, see "Configuring {% data variables.product.prodname_codespaces %} for your project."

When you create a new codespace, {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} clones your dotfiles repository to the codespace environment, and looks for one of the following files to set up the environment.

• install.sh
• install
• bootstrap.sh
• bootstrap
• setup.sh
• setup

If none of these files are found, then any files or folders in dotfiles starting with . are symlinked to the codespace's ~ or $HOME directory.

Any changes to your dotfiles repository will apply only to each new codespace, and do not affect any existing codespace.

For more information, see Personalizing in the {% data variables.product.prodname_vscode %} documentation.

{% note %}

Note: Currently, {% data variables.product.prodname_codespaces %} does not support personalizing the User settings for the {% data variables.product.prodname_vscode %} editor with your dotfiles repository. You can set default Workspace and Remote [Codespaces] settings for a specific project in the project's repository. For more information, see "Configuring {% data variables.product.prodname_codespaces %} for your project."

{% endnote %}

You can also configure settings for your user account to add encrypted secrets, enable GPG verification, and allow your codespaces to access other repositories. For more information, see "Managing encrypted secrets for {% data variables.product.prodname_codespaces %}", "Managing GPG verification for {% data variables.product.prodname_codespaces %}", and "Managing access and security for {% data variables.product.prodname_codespaces %}."

Further reading

• "Creating a new repository"