I frequently reinstall Linux. Is there a tool to say what to install and configure that I can just run once after OS install? Things like
- Install neovim, signal, steam
- Configure firefox, desktop environment
I’m using this for just me, on my personal machine.
I don’t anticipate it’s possible between different distros, so assume I’m reinstalling the same distro.
EDIT: thanks for replies. I’m mostly seeing Ansible and NixOS. I’ll start looking at those.


I think the most optimal way of doing this would be a self-made shell script that expresses your preferences. You could then run it from whatever live-environment you choose and the result would be a familiar setup. The /home directory being on a separate partition from the rest is useful for preserving large-quantities of user-data.
I’ve been impressed with the capacity of microSD cards. The idea of mounting /home to a microSD card and having a materially-portable home has been a novelty I’ve so far resisted.