According to https://laravel.com/docs/5.4/homestead I can install Laravel Homestead by doing vagrant box add laravel/homestead. Installing by cloning the git repo is another way but it's not the only way listed nor is it even the first method listed.
Anyway, the next section of the documentation is Configuring Homestead. It talks about homestead.yaml a lot but idk where that file lives. Maybe there are additional steps in the install process that https://laravel.com/docs/5.4/homestead neglects to mention?
no its not one or the other, but the 2 steps are necessary
install the vagrant box running vagrant box add laravel/homestead
install homestead from cloning the git repo
$ cd ~
$ git clone https://github.com/laravel/homestead.git Homestead
$ cd Homestead
$ bash init.sh
Review the Homestead configuration
open the Homestead.yaml file and check all the configuration
boot the VM once you have configured your homestead file
$ vagrant up