Only gitignore properties.yml in template repos; real repos get it committed

modules/setup/README.md

@@ -7,10 +7,14 @@ uv run --no-sync invoke setup.properties
 ```
 
 ## What It Does
-`properties.yml` is gitignored. **A no-op if it already exists** — `modules/setup/properties.py`
-only ever creates the file, it never rewrites an existing one. To regenerate it (e.g. after moving
-the repo, renaming it, or pointing it at a new fork), delete or rename `properties.yml` first, then
-run again.
+`properties.yml` is gitignored **only in template repos** (this one and its siblings — anything
+named `template_*`), since it would otherwise leak this machine's local paths into the template's
+own history. In a real repo forked from a template, setup strips the ignore line from `.gitignore`
+the first time it runs there, so `properties.yml` is committed like any other repo config — see
+`_sync_gitignore_tracking()`. Creating the file itself is **a no-op if it already exists** —
+`modules/setup/properties.py` only ever creates the file, it never rewrites an existing one (the
+gitignore check still runs every time, though). To regenerate the file (e.g. after moving the repo,
+renaming it, or pointing it at a new fork), delete or rename `properties.yml` first, then run again.
 
 On first run, assembles it from every tier fragment under `modules/setup/templates/properties/*.yml`
 — one file per repo in the lineage, each named after itself. This repo (template_python) is the

modules/setup/properties.py

@@ -6,7 +6,11 @@
 moving the repo, renaming it, or forking it to a new remote), delete or rename properties.yml
 first, then run again.
 
-properties.yml is gitignored. It's assembled from every tier fragment under
+properties.yml is gitignored in template repos (this one and its siblings — anything named
+`template_*`) since it would otherwise leak this machine's local paths into the template's own
+history. A real repo forked from a template gets the ignore line stripped from .gitignore the
+first time setup runs there instead, so properties.yml is committed like any other repo config
+(see `_sync_gitignore_tracking()` below). It's assembled from every tier fragment under
 `modules/setup/templates/properties/*.yml` — one file per repo in the lineage, each named after
 itself. This repo (template_python) is the root: its own fragment, `template_python.yml`, holds
 just `repo`, `template`, and its own `repos` entry (no lineage edge, since it has no parent).
@@ -237,6 +241,47 @@ def _has_section(lines: list[str], section: str) -> bool:
     return any(line.rstrip("\n") == f"{section}:" for line in lines)
 
 
+def _is_template_repo(repo_remote: str | None) -> bool:
+    """Return whether this repo is itself a template (vs. a real repo forked from one).
+
+    Every template repo in this family is named `template_*` (template_python, template_ai_python,
+    template_ai_vault, template_shopify, ...) — checked against the git remote when available,
+    falling back to the local folder name so it still works before a remote is set.
+    """
+    name = repo_remote.rsplit("/", 1)[-1] if repo_remote else _REPO_ROOT.name
+    return name.startswith("template_")
+
+
+def _sync_gitignore_tracking(repo_remote: str | None) -> None:
+    """Strip properties.yml's ignore line from .gitignore for a real (non-template) repo.
+
+    Template repos always keep properties.yml gitignored — see the module docstring. A repo forked
+    from one should commit it instead, so this removes the ignore line (and its explanatory
+    comment) the first time setup runs there. Idempotent: a repo that's already had the line
+    removed, or never had it, is left untouched.
+    """
+    gitignore = _REPO_ROOT / ".gitignore"
+    if not gitignore.exists() or _is_template_repo(repo_remote):
+        return
+
+    text = gitignore.read_text()
+    if "/properties.yml" not in text:
+        return
+
+    kept = [
+        line
+        for line in text.splitlines()
+        if line.strip() != "/properties.yml" and "generated by `inv setup.properties`" not in line
+    ]
+    collapsed: list[str] = []
+    for line in kept:
+        if line == "" and collapsed and collapsed[-1] == "":
+            continue  # the removal above left two blank lines in a row — keep just one
+        collapsed.append(line)
+    gitignore.write_text("\n".join(collapsed) + "\n")
+    success("properties.yml is no longer gitignored — commit it along with the rest of setup")
+
+
 def _prompt_icloud_enabled(lines: list[str]) -> None:
     """Ask (interactively) whether to turn on iCloud sync for a freshly created properties.yml."""
     enabled = cli.confirm(
@@ -283,6 +328,7 @@ def main() -> None:
     """Create properties.yml from every tier fragment; a no-op if it already exists."""
     if _PROPERTIES_FILE.exists():
         info("properties.yml already exists — leaving it untouched (delete or rename it to regenerate)")
+        _sync_gitignore_tracking(_detect_repo_remote())
         return
 
     _PROPERTIES_FILE.write_text(_build_initial_content())
@@ -302,6 +348,7 @@ def main() -> None:
     if _has_section(lines, "icloud"):
         _prompt_icloud_enabled(lines)
     _PROPERTIES_FILE.write_text("".join(lines))
+    _sync_gitignore_tracking(repo_remote)
 
     success(f"properties.yml: repo.local = {repo_local}")
     if repo_remote:

tests/setup/test_setup_properties.py

@@ -65,3 +65,55 @@ def test_prompted_parent_stamped_when_confirmed(self, monkeypatch: pytest.Monkey
         monkeypatch.setattr(setup_props.cli, "prompt", lambda *_a, **_k: "github.com/user/template_my_vault")
         _stamp(lines, "$HOME/dev/my_vault", monkeypatch, detected=None, confirm=True)
         assert 'remote: "github.com/user/template_my_vault"' in "".join(lines)
+
+
+class TestIsTemplateRepo:
+    """Tests for _is_template_repo()."""
+
+    def test_template_remote_is_a_template(self):
+        assert setup_props._is_template_repo("github.com/LevonBecker/template_python")  # pylint: disable=protected-access
+
+    def test_real_repo_remote_is_not_a_template(self):
+        assert not setup_props._is_template_repo("github.com/user/my_vault")  # pylint: disable=protected-access
+
+    def test_falls_back_to_local_folder_name_when_no_remote(self, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch):
+        monkeypatch.setattr(setup_props, "_REPO_ROOT", setup_props._REPO_ROOT.parent / "template_shopify")  # pylint: disable=protected-access
+        assert setup_props._is_template_repo(None)  # pylint: disable=protected-access
+
+
+class TestSyncGitignoreTracking:
+    """Tests for _sync_gitignore_tracking()."""
+
+    _BLOCK = (
+        "node_modules/\n"
+        "\n"
+        "# Machine-specific config — generated by `inv setup.properties` (see modules/setup/properties.py)\n"
+        "/properties.yml\n"
+        "\n"
+        ".DS_Store\n"
+    )
+
+    def test_template_repo_leaves_gitignore_untouched(self, tmp_path, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch):
+        gitignore = tmp_path / ".gitignore"
+        gitignore.write_text(self._BLOCK)
+        monkeypatch.setattr(setup_props, "_REPO_ROOT", tmp_path)
+        setup_props._sync_gitignore_tracking("github.com/LevonBecker/template_python")  # pylint: disable=protected-access
+        assert gitignore.read_text() == self._BLOCK
+
+    def test_real_repo_strips_ignore_line_and_comment(self, tmp_path, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch):
+        gitignore = tmp_path / ".gitignore"
+        gitignore.write_text(self._BLOCK)
+        monkeypatch.setattr(setup_props, "_REPO_ROOT", tmp_path)
+        setup_props._sync_gitignore_tracking("github.com/user/my_vault")  # pylint: disable=protected-access
+        content = gitignore.read_text()
+        assert "/properties.yml" not in content
+        assert "generated by `inv setup.properties`" not in content
+        assert "\n\n\n" not in content
+        assert "node_modules/" in content and ".DS_Store" in content
+
+    def test_already_stripped_gitignore_is_idempotent(self, tmp_path, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch):
+        gitignore = tmp_path / ".gitignore"
+        gitignore.write_text("node_modules/\n\n.DS_Store\n")
+        monkeypatch.setattr(setup_props, "_REPO_ROOT", tmp_path)
+        setup_props._sync_gitignore_tracking("github.com/user/my_vault")  # pylint: disable=protected-access
+        assert gitignore.read_text() == "node_modules/\n\n.DS_Store\n"