Files are tracked by a bare git repository, e.g. `~/.dotfiles`.

The trick is to use the combination of --git-dir and --work-tree git options. An alias can be defined to simplify the process: `alias dotfiles='/usr/bin/git --git-dir=$HOME/.dotfiles/ --work-tree=$HOME'`.

`dotfiles` can be used as you would use `git`, e.g.:

- `dotfiles add <file>`

- `dotfiles commit [options]`

By telling git to use `--work-tree=$HOME`, they tell git to directly work on the files in their home directory; no symlinks needed.