trovl

trovl is a cross-platform CLI for managing symbolic links in a predictable, declarative way.

What it does

  • Creates and manages symlinks across Linux, macOS, Windows, and WSL
  • Uses a JSON manifest to define links in one place
  • Supports platform-specific paths and overrides
  • Provides dry-run and backup options for safer changes

trovl is symlink-first: the existing filesystem is treated as the source of truth, and actions are taken explicitly via commands or manifests.

It’s inspired by GNU stow, but currently uses direct paths instead of directory structure to define links.

Example 

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{
  "$schema": "https://github.com/sneha-afk/trovl/raw/main/docs/trovl_schema.json",
  "links": [
    {
      "target": "~/.config/myapp/config.json",
      "link": "~/myapp.json",
      "platforms": ["linux"]
    }
  ]
}

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trovl apply manifest.json

Getting Started