How to save Atom editor config and list of packages installed

Question

I have recently started using Atom editor. Its pretty great so far. I am planning to install it on several other machines.

How can I replicate the config and list of packages installed on my current machine to other machines. Is there a config that I can use to export and import them on other machines.

Answer 1

Use Git to version control your config file (~/.atom/config.cson), and any other config files (dotfiles) you may have.

You can then host your Git repository for free on somewhere like GitHub, and retrieve it on other computers simply by running git clone https://github.com/{username}/{repo}.

You can then keep it up to date using git push (to upload changes) and git pull (to download changes).

To track installed packages as well, you will need to run:

apm list --installed --bare > ~/.atom/package.list 

And add that file to Git also. To restore, use:

apm install --packages-file ~/.atom/package.list 

Answer 2

You can use the apm command to save/restore installed packages.

To export packages (only packages name):

apm list --installed --bare > ~/Gdrive/backup.txt 

To import packages:

apm install --packages-file ~/Gdrive/backup.txt 

On Linux apm is available if you install Atom from .deb file.

On OSX: open atom -> install shell command

Windows: apm in C:\Users\YOUR_NAME\AppData\Local\atom\bin