you have to symlink the layer into ~/.emacs.d/private/
then add the name of the layer into `~/.spacemacs` in `dotspacemacs-configuration-layers`
like this:
```
   dotspacemacs-configuration-layers
   '(
     personal-layer
    ... a bunch of stuff already here and comments
    )
```
NOTE: we do not sync the .spacemacs file with vcs cause it's a pain in the ass and stores a lot of state.
Just init emacs for the first time, choose the basic normal settings, add the layer then restart emacs.

# -*- mode: snippet -*-
# name: new react component
# key: new react comonent
# --
import React from "react";
import PropTypes from "prop-types";
const ${1:ComponentName} = props => {
  return (
    <div>hello</div>
  );
}
$1.defaultProps = {};
$1.propTypes = {};

# -*- mode: snippet -*-
# name: react new component test
# key: react new component test
# --
import PropTypes from "prop-types";
import { runAllComponentSmokeTests } from "../componentTestHelpers.js";
import ${1} from "./${2}.js";
const requiredProps = {$0};
runAllComponentSmokeTests($1, requiredProps);

# -*- mode: snippet -*-
# name: def
# key: def
# expand-env: ((yas-indent-line 'fixed))
# --
def $1($2):
    """
    $3.
    Params:
        $2 -
    Returns:
        None
    """
    ${4:pass}

# -*- mode: snippet -*-
# name: ifname
# key: ifname
# --
if __name__ == "__main__":
    $0

# -*- mode: snippet -*-
# name: exc
# key: exc
# expand-env: ((yas-indent-line 'fixed))
# --
class $1(${2:Exception}):
    ${3:pass}

# -*- mode: snippet -*-
# name: strptime
# key: strptime
# --
datetime.strptime("%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ")

;; Use this as a template for new dir locals
;;; Directory Local Variables
;;; For more information see (info "(emacs) Directory Variables")
  (fill-column . 120)
  (python-auto-set-local-pyenv-version . 'on-project-switch)
  ;; toggle for running black on save if non nil
  (personal-layer-use-black-formater . t)
  (blacken-executable . "full path to black")
  (flycheck-python-mypy-executable . "full path to mypy")
  ;; useful for very django-y projects, or projects with local dependencies
  (python-shell-process-environment. "DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE=full path to settings module")
  (eval . (progn
            (add-to-list 'python-shell-extra-pythonpaths "full path to extra dependencies (or django apps)")
            (add-to-list 'python-shell-extra-pythonpaths "more full path to extra dependencies (or django apps)")))
  ))
  ;; these are useful when the project is python 2 virtualenv
 ;; python project examples
 (python-mode
(

(defvar personal-layer-use-black-formater nil "Toggle for running black on saving a buffer.")
;; default emacs overrides
(setq tramp-default-method "ssh")
;; default spacemacs overrides
(setq-default dotspacemacs-themes '(spacemacs-light spacemacs-dark leuven))
(setq
 dotspacemacs-helm-resize t
 dotspacemacs-maximized-at-startup t
 dotspacemacs-whitespace-cleanup 'trailing
 dotspacemacs-maximized-at-startup t
 dotspacemacs-fullscreen-at-startup nil)
 dotspacemacs-search-tools '("rg" "grep")

          (funcall (cdr pattern-and-minor-mode)))))
  (let ((word-pattern  "-_A-Za-z0-9")
        (start-pnt nil)
        (end-pnt nil))
    (skip-chars-forward word-pattern)
    (setq end-pnt (point))
    (skip-chars-backward word-pattern)
    (setq start-pnt (point))
    (cons start-pnt end-pnt)))
  (interactive)
  (defun personal-layer/to-public-event-id ()
    "Multiply the number by 1003."
    (interactive)
    (progn
      (personal-layer/multiply-at-pt 1003)
      (personal-layer/remove-leading "0")))
  (defun personal-layer/to-private-event-id ()
    "Divide the number by 1003."
    (interactive)
    (progn
      (personal-layer/multiply-at-pt (/ 1.0 1003))
      (personal-layer/remove-leading "0")))
  (defun personal-layer/to-public-user-id ()
    "Multiply the number by 1007."
    (interactive)
    (personal-layer/multiply-at-pt 1007))
  (defun personal-layer/to-private-user-id ()
    "Divide the number by 1007."
    (interactive)
    (progn
      (personal-layer/multiply-at-pt (/ 1.0 1007))
      (personal-layer/remove-leading "0"))))
  (defun personal-layer/multiply-at-pt (&optional amount)
    "Multiply the number currently under the cursor by amount."
    (interactive)
    (evil-numbers/inc-at-pt
      (*
        (string-to-number (current-word))
        (-
         (if amount amount (read-number "number to mulitiply by: "))
         1))))
(when (configuration-layer/package-usedp 'evil-numbers)
  ;; These functions depend on evil-numbers
  (let ((start-point (car (personal-layer/start-end-points-current-word)))
        (char (if char char (read-string "character to remove: ")))
        (end-point nil))
    (goto-char start-point)
    (skip-chars-forward char)
    (setq end-point (point))
    (delete-region start-point end-point)))
(defun personal-layer/remove-leading (&optional char)
  "Remove the leading char from the current-word."
(defun personal-layer/start-end-points-current-word ()
  "Return start and end points of the current-word."
(defun personal-layer-maybe-format-buffer-with-black ()
  "If \"personal-layer-use-black-formater\" is non nil, call \"blacken-buffer\"."
  (when (or personal-layer-use-black-formater)
    (blacken-buffer)))
(defun personal-layer/toggle-python-breakpoint ()
  "Add a breakpoint for python"
  (interactive)
  (progn
    (back-to-indentation)
    (insert "import ipdb; ipdb.set_trace(context=20)\n")
    (python-indent-line)))
(defun personal-layer/enable-minor-mode (pattern-and-minor-mode)
  "Enable minor mode if filename match the regexp. (regexp . minor-mode)."
  (when (buffer-file-name)
      (when (string-match (car pattern-and-minor-mode) buffer-file-name)

(configuration-layer/declare-layers
 '(
   ansible
   better-defaults
   common-lisp
   csv
   emacs-lisp
   emoji
   git
   gtags
   helm
   html
   javascript
   markdown
   mu4e
   org
   php
   react
   rust
   shell
   shell-scripts
   spell-checking
   sql
   syntax-checking
   version-control
   vimscript
   yaml
   (auto-completion :variables
                    auto-completion-enable-sort-by-usage t
                    auto-completion-enable-snippets-in-popup t)))
   (ruby :variables
         ruby-version-manager 'rbenv)
   ruby-on-rails
   (python :variables
           python-backend 'lsp
           python-lsp-server 'pyls
           python-formatter 'black
           python-sort-imports-on-save t)
   (lsp :variables
        lsp-rust-server 'rust-analyzer)

;;; packages.el --- personal-layer layer packages file for Spacemacs.
;;
;; Copyright (c) 2012-2017 Sylvain Benner & Contributors
;;
;; Author: Chris Cummings <chris@thesogu.com>
;; URL: https://github.com/syl20bnr/spacemacs
;;
;; This file is not part of GNU Emacs.
;;
;;; License: GPLv3
;;; Commentary:
;; - Otherwise, PACKAGE is already referenced by another Spacemacs layer, so
;;   define the functions `personal-layer/pre-init-PACKAGE' and/or
;;   `personal-layer/post-init-PACKAGE' to customize the package as it is loaded.
;;; Code:
(defconst personal-layer-packages
  '(
    docker-tramp
    git-commit
    git-gutter+
    python
    seq
    smtpmail-multi
    web-mode
   ))
(defun personal-layer/init-smtpmail-multi ()
(defun personal-layer/post-init-git-commit ()
  "Configure git-commit."
  (global-git-commit-mode t))
(defun personal-layer/post-init-git-gutter+ ()
  "Configure get-gutter+."
  ;; https://github.com/nonsequitur/git-gutter-plus/pull/39
  (defun git-gutter+-remote-default-directory (dir file)
    (let* ((vec (tramp-dissect-file-name file))
           (method (tramp-file-name-method vec))
           (user (tramp-file-name-user vec))
           (domain (tramp-file-name-domain vec))
           (host (tramp-file-name-host vec))
           (port (tramp-file-name-port vec)))
      (tramp-make-tramp-file-name method user domain host port dir)))
  (defun git-gutter+-remote-file-path (dir file)
    (let ((file (tramp-file-name-localname (tramp-dissect-file-name file))))
      (replace-regexp-in-string (concat "\\`" dir) "" file))))
  ;; use rg instead of ag, ag must still be installed
(defun personal-layer/post-init-web-mode ()
  "Enable prettier-js-mode if using .js or .jsx buffer."
  (add-to-list 'auto-mode-alist '("\\.js\\'" . web-mode))
  (add-hook
   'web-mode-hook
;;; packages.el ends here
(defun personal-layer/post-init-yassnippet-snippets ()
  "Configure yasnippet-snippets."
  (append yas-snippet-dirs yassnippet-snippets-dir))
   #'(lambda () (personal-layer/enable-minor-mode '("\\.js\\'" . prettier-js-mode)))))
;; (defun personal-layer/post-init-yasnippet ()
;;   "Configure yasnippet."
;;   ;; add snippet dirs not in VCS to yas-snippet-dirs
;;   (progn
;;     (setq
;;     yas-snippet-dirs
;;     (append yas-snippet-dirs
;;             (seq-filter
;;               'file-directory-p
;;               '("~/Google Drive File Stream/My Drive/config_backups/snippets"
;;                 "~/Library/Mobile Documents/com~apple~CloudDocs/config_backups/snippets"))))
;;     ;; TODO: could this be moved somewhere earlier in the init process
;;     ;; so that we don't have to call `yas-reload-all`?
;;     (yas-reload-all)))
  ;; (setq helm-ag-base-command "rg --no-heading")
  ;; )
;; NOTE: not needed for develop branch
;; (defun personal-layer/post-init-helm-ag ()
  ;; "Configure helm-ag package."
  "Own smtpmail-multi package."
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;; post inits for configuration of any packages
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
(defun personal-layer/post-init-anaconda-mode ()
  "Configure anaconda-mode."
  (setq anaconda-mode-localhost-address "localhost"))
(defun personal-layer/post-init-blacken ()
  "Configure blacken."
  (define-minor-mode blacken-mode
    "Optionally run black before saving."
    :lighter " Black"
    (if blacken-mode
        (add-hook 'before-save-hook 'personal-layer-maybe-format-buffer-with-black nil t)
      (remove-hook 'before-save-hook 'personal-layer-maybe-format-buffer-with-black t))))
(defun personal-layer/post-init-python ()
  "Configure python."
  (progn
    (spacemacs|use-package-add-hook python
      :post-config
      (spacemacs/set-leader-keys-for-major-mode 'python-mode
        "dB" 'personal-layer/toggle-python-breakpoint))))
  (use-package smtpmail-multi :defer t))
(defun personal-layer/init-docker-tramp ()
(defun personal-layer/init-seq ()
  "Own seq package."
  (use-package seq :defer t))
  "Own docker-tramp package."
  (use-package docker-tramp :defer t))
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;; inits for ownership
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
    (blacken :location (recipe
                        :fetcher github
                        :repo "proofit404/blacken"))
    anaconda-mode

(spacemacs/declare-prefix "o" "personal-layer")
(when (configuration-layer/package-usedp 'evil-numbers)
  (spacemacs/set-leader-keys
    "op" 'personal-layer/to-private-event-id
    "oP" 'personal-layer/to-public-event-id
    "ou" 'personal-layer/to-private-user-id
    "oU" 'personal-layer/to-public-user-id))
    "o*" 'personal-layer/multiply-at-pt