System files and directories

[bootstrap.files] and [bootstrap.directories] declaratively manage absolute paths that may require root privileges. They are separate from [dotfiles], which manages files in a user's home directory.

[bootstrap.directories."/opt/example"]
owner = "root"
group = "root"
mode = "0755"

[bootstrap.files."/etc/example.conf"]
source = "./files/example.conf"
owner = "root"
group = "root"
mode = "0644"

File content may come from source or inline content. Relative source paths are resolved from the configuration file that declares them. Present files must declare exactly one content source. Targets must be absolute paths, and mise refuses to manage / itself.

Mise creates only directories that are explicitly declared. If multiple missing levels are needed, declare each directory so its ownership and mode are intentional; mise never creates undeclared ancestors with process defaults.

By default, a target with the wrong node type is reported as unknown and apply refuses to destroy it. Set replace = true on that file or directory to replace the conflicting type. Replacing a directory with a file only removes an empty directory; recursive destruction still requires an explicit state = "absent" directory declaration with recursive = true.

Set template = true to render file content with mise's template engine. This is explicit so literal {{ ... }} content remains untouched by default. A template can consume a declared bootstrap secret input with {{ secret(name="logical_name") }}. Secret values are never included in plans, dry-run descriptions, status output, or privileged helper output.

Mise compares content, type, mode, owner, and group before applying changes. Writes use a temporary file in the target directory followed by an atomic rename. If the current user cannot inspect a target or search one of its parent directories, mise compares its metadata and content in one privileged batch. Plans and file content are sent to narrowly scoped mise helpers over stdin, so file content does not appear in process arguments or logs.

Removing resources

Removal is always explicit:

[bootstrap.files."/etc/obsolete.conf"]
state = "absent"

[bootstrap.directories."/opt/obsolete"]
state = "absent"

Directories must be empty before removal. Recursively deleting a directory requires the additional recursive = true setting and is shown as a destructive operation in the plan.

Removing a declaration from configuration does not remove its target.

Commands

mise bootstrap files status
mise bootstrap files status --json
mise bootstrap files apply --dry-run
mise bootstrap files apply --yes

Files and directories may notify configured [bootstrap.services] after they change:

[bootstrap.files."/etc/example/config.toml"]
content = "enabled = true"
notify = ["example"]

Notifications are applied by the full mise bootstrap flow after all managed files converge. The dedicated mise bootstrap files apply command also runs handlers after its file changes succeed. mise bootstrap services apply converges lifecycle state only and never fires a handler before the causal file change.

mise bootstrap plan includes these resources and automatically orders a managed file after its managed parent directory. Removal reverses that dependency so children are removed before their parent.