README

pathmaster

Table of Contents

• README
• pathmaster
  • Table of Contents
  • Introduction
  • Features
  • Installation
    • Prerequisites
    • Building from Source
  • Usage
    • Command Overview
    • Commands
      • add
      • remove
      • list
      • history
      • restore
    • Examples
  • Configuration
  • Backup Management
  • Contributing
  • License

Introduction

pathmaster is a powerful command-line tool written in Rust for managing your system's PATH environment variable. It simplifies the process of adding and removing directories from your PATH, ensures backups are created automatically, and provides tools to restore previous configurations.

Managing the PATH variable is crucial for system performance and command execution. pathmaster provides a safe and efficient way to handle PATH modifications, with features designed to prevent errors and maintain system stability.

Features

• Effortless Management: Easily add or remove directories from your PATH.
• Automatic Backups: Creates time-stamped backups of your PATH before any changes.
• Restoration: Restore your PATH from any previous backup.
• Listing: View all current entries in your PATH.
• Cross-Platform: Compatible with Unix/Linux and macOS systems.
• Safe Modifications: Validates directories before adding them to prevent errors.
• Persistent Changes: Updates your shell configuration to make changes permanent.

Installation

Prerequisites

• Rust Toolchain: Ensure you have Rust installed. You can install Rust using rustup:

  curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh
  

Building from Source

1. Clone the Repository

   git clone https://github.com/jwliles/pathmaster.git
   cd pathmaster
   

2. Build the Project

   cargo build --release
   

   This command compiles the project in release mode, producing an optimized binary.

3. Install the Binary

   Optionally, you can install the binary system-wide:

   sudo cp target/release/pathmaster /usr/local/bin/
   

   Or add it to your PATH:

   export PATH="$PATH:$(pwd)/target/release"
   

Usage

Command Overview

pathmaster [COMMAND] [OPTIONS]

Commands

add

Add a directory to your PATH.

Usage:

pathmaster add <directory>

Options:

• <directory>: The directory path to add to your PATH.

remove

Remove a directory from your PATH.

Usage:

pathmaster remove <directory>

Options:

• <directory>: The directory path to remove from your PATH.

list

List all current entries in your PATH.

Usage:

pathmaster list

history

Show the backup history of your PATH.

Usage:

pathmaster history

restore

Restore your PATH from a previous backup.

Usage:

pathmaster restore [--timestamp <timestamp>]

Options:

• --timestamp <timestamp>: (Optional) The timestamp of the backup to restore. If not provided, the most recent backup is used.

Examples

• Add a Directory to PATH

  pathmaster add ~/my/custom/bin
  

• Remove a Directory from PATH

  pathmaster remove ~/my/old/bin
  

• List PATH Entries

  pathmaster list
  

  Sample Output:

  Current PATH entries:
  - /usr/local/bin
  - /usr/bin
  - /bin
  - /usr/local/sbin
  - /usr/sbin
  - /sbin
  - ~/my/custom/bin
  

• Show Backup History

  pathmaster history
  

  Sample Output:

  Available backups:
  - backup_20231007_120000.json
  - backup_20231008_090000.json
  

• Restore PATH from a Specific Backup

  pathmaster restore --timestamp 20231007_120000
  

• Restore PATH from the Most Recent Backup

  pathmaster restore
  

Configuration

pathmaster modifies your shell configuration file to make changes to PATH persistent across sessions.

• Supported Shells: Bash (.bashrc), Zsh (.zshrc), or a generic .profile if the shell is not recognized.
• Backup Directory: Backups are stored in ~/.pathmaster_backups.

Note: Always review changes made to your shell configuration files. pathmaster adds an export command to update your PATH.

Backup Management

• Automatic Backups: Before any modification, pathmaster creates a backup of your current PATH with a timestamp.
• Backup Files: Stored as JSON files in ~/.pathmaster_backups.
• Restoration: Use the restore command to revert to a previous PATH configuration.

Backup File Format Example (backup_20231008_090000.json):

{
  "timestamp": "20231008_090000",
  "path": "/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:~/my/custom/bin"
}

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please follow these steps:

1. Fork the Repository

2. Create a Feature Branch

   git checkout -b feature/your-feature
   

3. Commit Your Changes

   git commit -am 'Add your feature'
   

4. Push to the Branch

   git push origin feature/your-feature
   

5. Create a Pull Request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.