diff --git a/tests-ng/dry.sh b/tests-ng/dry.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..5707f08
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests-ng/dry.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,319 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# author: deadc0de6 (https://github.com/deadc0de6)
+# Copyright (c) 2020, deadc0de6
+#
+# test dry
+#
+
+# exit on first error
+set -e
+
+# all this crap to get current path
+rl="readlink -f"
+if ! ${rl} "${0}" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  rl="realpath"
+
+  if ! hash ${rl}; then
+    echo "\"${rl}\" not found !" && exit 1
+  fi
+fi
+cur=$(dirname "$(${rl} "${0}")")
+
+#hash dotdrop >/dev/null 2>&1
+#[ "$?" != "0" ] && echo "install dotdrop to run tests" && exit 1
+
+#echo "called with ${1}"
+
+# dotdrop path can be pass as argument
+ddpath="${cur}/../"
+[ "${1}" != "" ] && ddpath="${1}"
+[ ! -d ${ddpath} ] && echo "ddpath \"${ddpath}\" is not a directory" && exit 1
+
+export PYTHONPATH="${ddpath}:${PYTHONPATH}"
+bin="python3 -m dotdrop.dotdrop"
+hash coverage 2>/dev/null && bin="coverage run -a --source=dotdrop -m dotdrop.dotdrop" || true
+
+echo "dotdrop path: ${ddpath}"
+echo "pythonpath: ${PYTHONPATH}"
+
+# get the helpers
+source ${cur}/helpers
+
+echo -e "$(tput setaf 6)==> RUNNING $(basename $BASH_SOURCE) <==$(tput sgr0)"
+
+################################################################
+# this is the test
+################################################################
+# the dotfile source
+tmps=`mktemp -d --suffix='-dotdrop-tests' || mktemp -d`
+mkdir -p ${tmps}/dotfiles
+# the dotfile destination
+tmpd=`mktemp -d --suffix='-dotdrop-tests' || mktemp -d`
+#echo "dotfile destination: ${tmpd}"
+# workdir
+tmpw=`mktemp -d --suffix='-dotdrop-tests' || mktemp -d`
+# temp
+tmpa=`mktemp -d --suffix='-dotdrop-tests' || mktemp -d`
+
+# -----------------------------
+# test install
+# -----------------------------
+# cleaning
+rm -rf ${tmps}/*
+mkdir -p ${tmps}/dotfiles
+rm -rf ${tmpw}/*
+rm -rf ${tmpd}/*
+rm -rf ${tmpa}/*
+# create the config file
+cfg="${tmps}/config.yaml"
+
+echo '{{@@ profile @@}}' > ${tmps}/dotfiles/file
+echo '{{@@ profile @@}}' > ${tmps}/dotfiles/link
+mkdir -p ${tmps}/dotfiles/dir
+echo "{{@@ profile @@}}" > ${tmps}/dotfiles/dir/f1
+mkdir -p ${tmps}/dotfiles/dirchildren
+echo "{{@@ profile @@}}" > ${tmps}/dotfiles/dirchildren/f1
+echo "{{@@ profile @@}}" > ${tmps}/dotfiles/dirchildren/f2
+
+cat > ${cfg} << _EOF
+config:
+  backup: true
+  create: true
+  dotpath: dotfiles
+  workdir: ${tmpw}
+actions:
+  pre:
+    preaction: echo 'pre' > ${tmpa}/pre
+  post:
+    postaction: echo 'post' > ${tmpa}/post
+dotfiles:
+  f_file:
+    src: file
+    dst: ${tmpd}/file
+    actions:
+      - preaction
+      - postaction
+  f_link:
+    src: link
+    dst: ${tmpd}/link
+    link: link
+    actions:
+      - preaction
+      - postaction
+  d_dir:
+    src: dir
+    dst: ${tmpd}/dir
+    actions:
+      - preaction
+      - postaction
+  d_dirchildren:
+    src: dirchildren
+    dst: ${tmpd}/dirchildren
+    link: link_children
+    actions:
+      - preaction
+      - postaction
+profiles:
+  p1:
+    dotfiles:
+    - f_file
+    - f_link
+    - d_dir
+    - d_dirchildren
+_EOF
+
+# install
+echo "dry install"
+cd ${ddpath} | ${bin} install -c ${cfg} -f -p p1 -V --dry
+
+cnt=`ls -1 ${tmpd} | wc -l`
+ls -1 ${tmpd}
+[ "${cnt}" != "0" ] && echo "dry install failed (1)" && exit 1
+
+cnt=`ls -1 ${tmpw} | wc -l`
+ls -1 ${tmpw}
+[ "${cnt}" != "0" ] && echo "dry install failed (2)" && exit 1
+
+cnt=`ls -1 ${tmpa} | wc -l`
+ls -1 ${tmpa}
+[ "${cnt}" != "0" ] && echo "dry install failed (3)" && exit 1
+
+# -----------------------------
+# test import
+# -----------------------------
+# cleaning
+rm -rf ${tmps}/*
+mkdir -p ${tmps}/dotfiles
+rm -rf ${tmpw}/*
+rm -rf ${tmpd}/*
+rm -rf ${tmpa}/*
+
+# create the config file
+cfg="${tmps}/config.yaml"
+cat > ${cfg} << _EOF
+config:
+  backup: true
+  create: true
+  dotpath: dotfiles
+  workdir: ${tmpw}
+dotfiles:
+profiles:
+_EOF
+cp ${cfg} ${tmpa}/config.yaml
+
+echo 'content' > ${tmpd}/file
+echo 'content' > ${tmpd}/link
+mkdir -p ${tmpd}/dir
+echo "content" > ${tmpd}/dir/f1
+mkdir -p ${tmpd}/dirchildren
+echo "content" > ${tmpd}/dirchildren/f1
+echo "content" > ${tmpd}/dirchildren/f2
+
+dotfiles="${tmpd}/file ${tmpd}/link ${tmpd}/dir ${tmpd}/dirchildren"
+
+echo "dry import"
+cd ${ddpath} | ${bin} import -c ${cfg} -f -p p1 -V --dry ${dotfiles}
+
+cnt=`ls -1 ${tmps}/dotfiles | wc -l`
+ls -1 ${tmps}/dotfiles
+[ "${cnt}" != "0" ] && echo "dry import failed (1)" && exit 1
+
+diff ${cfg} ${tmpa}/config.yaml || (echo "dry import failed (2)" && exit 1)
+
+# -----------------------------
+# test update
+# -----------------------------
+# cleaning
+rm -rf ${tmps}/*
+mkdir -p ${tmps}/dotfiles
+rm -rf ${tmpw}/*
+rm -rf ${tmpd}/*
+rm -rf ${tmpa}/*
+
+echo 'original' > ${tmps}/dotfiles/file
+echo 'original' > ${tmps}/dotfiles/link
+mkdir -p ${tmps}/dotfiles/dir
+echo "original" > ${tmps}/dotfiles/dir/f1
+mkdir -p ${tmps}/dotfiles/dirchildren
+echo "original" > ${tmps}/dotfiles/dirchildren/f1
+echo "original" > ${tmps}/dotfiles/dirchildren/f2
+
+echo 'modified' > ${tmpd}/file
+echo 'modified' > ${tmpd}/link
+mkdir -p ${tmpd}/dir
+echo "modified" > ${tmpd}/dir/f1
+mkdir -p ${tmpd}/dirchildren
+echo "modified" > ${tmpd}/dirchildren/f1
+echo "modified" > ${tmpd}/dirchildren/f2
+
+cat > ${cfg} << _EOF
+config:
+  backup: true
+  create: true
+  dotpath: dotfiles
+  workdir: ${tmpw}
+dotfiles:
+  f_file:
+    src: file
+    dst: ${tmpd}/file
+  f_link:
+    src: link
+    dst: ${tmpd}/link
+    link: link
+  d_dir:
+    src: dir
+    dst: ${tmpd}/dir
+  d_dirchildren:
+    src: dirchildren
+    dst: ${tmpd}/dirchildren
+    link: link_children
+profiles:
+  p1:
+    dotfiles:
+    - f_file
+    - f_link
+    - d_dir
+    - d_dirchildren
+_EOF
+cp ${cfg} ${tmpa}/config.yaml
+
+echo "dry update"
+dotfiles="${tmpd}/file ${tmpd}/link ${tmpd}/dir ${tmpd}/dirchildren"
+cd ${ddpath} | ${bin} update -c ${cfg} -f -p p1 -V --dry ${dotfiles}
+
+grep 'modified' ${tmps}/dotfiles/file   && echo "dry update failed (1)" && exit 1
+grep 'modified' ${tmps}/dotfiles/link   && echo "dry update failed (2)" && exit 1
+grep "modified" ${tmps}/dotfiles/dir/f1 && echo "dry update failed (3)" && exit 1
+grep "modified" ${tmps}/dotfiles/dirchildren/f1 && echo "dry update failed (4)" && exit 1
+grep "modified" ${tmps}/dotfiles/dirchildren/f2 && echo "dry update failed (5)" && exit 1
+
+diff ${cfg} ${tmpa}/config.yaml || (echo "dry update failed (6)" && exit 1)
+
+# -----------------------------
+# test remove
+# -----------------------------
+# cleaning
+rm -rf ${tmps}/*
+mkdir -p ${tmps}/dotfiles
+rm -rf ${tmpw}/*
+rm -rf ${tmpd}/*
+rm -rf ${tmpa}/*
+
+echo '{{@@ profile @@}}' > ${tmps}/dotfiles/file
+echo '{{@@ profile @@}}' > ${tmps}/dotfiles/link
+mkdir -p ${tmps}/dotfiles/dir
+echo "{{@@ profile @@}}" > ${tmps}/dotfiles/dir/f1
+mkdir -p ${tmps}/dotfiles/dirchildren
+echo "{{@@ profile @@}}" > ${tmps}/dotfiles/dirchildren/f1
+echo "{{@@ profile @@}}" > ${tmps}/dotfiles/dirchildren/f2
+
+cat > ${cfg} << _EOF
+config:
+  backup: true
+  create: true
+  dotpath: dotfiles
+  workdir: ${tmpw}
+dotfiles:
+  f_file:
+    src: file
+    dst: ${tmpd}/file
+  f_link:
+    src: link
+    dst: ${tmpd}/link
+    link: link
+  d_dir:
+    src: dir
+    dst: ${tmpd}/dir
+  d_dirchildren:
+    src: dirchildren
+    dst: ${tmpd}/dirchildren
+    link: link_children
+profiles:
+  p1:
+    dotfiles:
+    - f_file
+    - f_link
+    - d_dir
+    - d_dirchildren
+_EOF
+cp ${cfg} ${tmpa}/config.yaml
+
+echo "dry remove"
+dotfiles="${tmpd}/file ${tmpd}/link ${tmpd}/dir ${tmpd}/dirchildren"
+cd ${ddpath} | ${bin} remove -c ${cfg} -f -p p1 -V --dry ${dotfiles}
+
+[ ! -e ${tmps}/dotfiles/file ] && echo "dry remove failed (1)" && exit 1
+[ ! -e ${tmps}/dotfiles/link ] && echo "dry remove failed (2)" && exit 1
+[ ! -d ${tmps}/dotfiles/dir ] && echo "dry remove failed (3)" && exit 1
+[ ! -e ${tmps}/dotfiles/dir/f1 ] && echo "dry remove failed (4)" && exit 1
+[ ! -d ${tmps}/dotfiles/dirchildren ] && echo "dry remove failed (5)" && exit 1
+[ ! -e ${tmps}/dotfiles/dirchildren/f1 ] && echo "dry remove failed (6)" && exit 1
+[ ! -e ${tmps}/dotfiles/dirchildren/f2 ] && echo "dry remove failed (7)" && exit 1
+
+diff ${cfg} ${tmpa}/config.yaml || (echo "dry remove failed (8)" && exit 1)
+
+## CLEANING
+rm -rf ${tmps} ${tmpd} ${tmpw} ${tmpa}
+
+echo "OK"
+exit 0