Configuration Options

Pathmaster provides several configuration options to customize its behavior. This page documents all available options and how to use them.

Command-Line Options

Global Options

These options can be used with any command:

| Option | Description | |——–|————-| | --help | Display help information about pathmaster and its commands | | --version | Display version information | | --backup-mode MODE | Control what gets backed up when modifying PATH |

Backup Mode Options

The --backup-mode flag accepts the following values:

| Mode | Description | |——|————-| | default | Back up both PATH and shell configuration (default) | | path | Back up only PATH entries | | shell | Back up only shell configuration | | switch | Toggle between PATH-only and shell-only backups |

Example usage:

# Back up only PATH when adding a directory
pathmaster --backup-mode path add ~/bin

# Back up only shell config when flushing invalid paths
pathmaster --backup-mode shell flush

# Reset to backing up both
pathmaster --backup-mode default add ~/other/bin

# Toggle between modes
pathmaster --backup-mode switch

Command-Specific Options

Restore Command

| Option | Description | |——–|————-| | --timestamp, -t | Timestamp of the backup to restore |

Example usage:

# Restore from a specific backup
pathmaster restore --timestamp 20250401120000

Environment Variables

Pathmaster respects the following environment variables:

| Variable | Description | |———-|————-| | PATH | The main environment variable being managed | | SHELL | Used to identify the appropriate configuration file | | HOME | Used for expanding tildes (~) and locating config files |

Configuration Files

Pathmaster does not use a dedicated configuration file, but it does interact with the following files:

| File | Purpose | |——|———| | Shell configuration files | Modified to make PATH changes persistent | | ~/.pathmaster/backups/ | Directory where backups are stored |

Planned Future Options

In future versions, the following configuration options are planned:

  • Custom backup location

  • Configurable backup retention policy

  • Integration with system package managers

  • Custom path validation rules

Best Practices

  1. Use Consistent Backup Modes: Choose a backup mode that fits your workflow and stick with it

  2. Keep Backups Organized: Periodically clean old backups you no longer need

  3. Use Version Control: For critical systems, consider keeping shell config files in version control

  4. Document Custom Setups: If you have a complex PATH setup, document your customizations

Default Behaviors

When no explicit configuration is provided, pathmaster follows these defaults:

  • Creates backups of both PATH and shell configurations before modifications

  • Stores backups in ~/.pathmaster/backups/

  • Detects shell type from $SHELL environment variable

  • Validates directories before adding them to PATH

  • Keeps PATH entries unique (no duplicates)

  • Expands tilde (~) to the user’s home directory automatically