path_helper

WHAT?

A replacement for Apple's /usr/libexec/path_helper.

WHAT DOES THAT DO?

It helps set the PATH environment variable, among other things.

WHY REPLACE IT?

Because Apple's one loads the system libraries to the front, which almost certainly isn't what you want. Have a look:

$ /usr/libexec/path_helper
PATH="/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin:/bin:/sbin
<snip!>

WHAT ELSE DOES IT DO?

I'm glad you asked. Apple has some good ideas (lots of them, actually) that developers overlook for whatever reason. One of them is the framework bundle structures, but more on that in a moment.

Apple's path_helper helps organise the PATH and MANPATH by listing things you want added to the path in text files in well known locations (e.g. /etc/paths and /etc/paths.d/*) it's easy to create a PATH that works for you. Where the Apple path_helper falls down is:

It puts them in /etc meaning you need elevated permissions
Being in /etc also makes them system wide
It's only for PATH and MANPATH but development and administration often need new installs' headers and libraries accessible in the same way too
The string it returns is designed to be eval'd. I know that eval isn't always evil but why not just return the PATH string and allow it to be set to a variable - maybe there's more to be added? Just a thought.

This library fixes those problems by extending that to:

C_INCLUDE_PATH  
DYLD_FALLBACK_FRAMEWORK_PATH  
DYLD_FALLBACK_LIBRARY_PATH

and of course, PATH and MANPATH.

DO I NEED TO BE ON APPLE TO USE IT?

No, it should work on any unix-like system.

HOW DOES PATH_HELPER KNOW WHAT TO PUT IN THE PATH?

Apple has put paths in /etc/paths and further files are there for the user or apps to add under /etc/paths.d/. If you want to order them then prefixing a number works well, e.g.

$ tree /etc/paths.d
/etc/paths.d
├── 10-pkgsrc
└── MacGPG2
└── ImageMagick

The format of the file is simply a path per line, e.g.

$ cat /etc/paths.d/10-pkgsrc
/opt/pkg/bin
/opt/pkg/sbin

$ cat /etc/paths            
/usr/local/bin
/usr/local/sbin
/usr/bin
/usr/sbin
/bin
/sbin

The order within the file matters as well as the order the files are read/concatenated.

Note:

The /etc/paths file in Apple isn't set out fully or in the order I'd want so I changed mine, you may want to do the same.

Per user paths

This is the bit I like best.

There's not really any help made for paths that might be local to the user, like ~/.rubies or something like that so I've added two places the Ruby script will check for further paths:

~/Library/Paths/paths.d and ~/Library/Paths/paths, and
~/.config/paths.d/ and ~/.config/paths

You can use the --setup to have the path_helper set up the directory layout and files, you just have to fill them!

The Ruby script will also allow use of the tilde ~ character in a path by replacing it with the HOME env variable. For example, if I install Haskell and want to put it in my path I can do the following.

Way 1, Use the paths, Luke

$ echo '~/Library/Haskell/bin' > ~/Library/Paths/paths

$ tree ~/Library/Paths 
/Users/iainb/Library/Paths
├── paths
└── paths.d

$ cat ~/Library/Paths/paths                          
~/Library/Haskell/bin

That puts /Users/iainb/Library/Haskell/bin at the front of my path and will only apply to my account's PATH.

Way 2, paths.d/

$ touch ~/Library/Paths/paths.d/60-Haskell

$ tree ~/Library/Paths 
/Users/iainb/Library/Paths
├── paths
└── paths.d
    └── 60-Haskell

Why use the paths.d sub directory?

If I show you my actual set up it'll become clearer:

$ tree ~/Library/Paths 
/Users/iainb/Library/Paths
├── paths
└── paths.d
    ├── 05-pkgsrc
    ├── 08-homebrew
    ├── 10-keybase
    ├── 30-oh-my-zshell
    ├── 50-ngrok
    ├── 55-Crystal-opt
    ├── 60-Crystal
    ├── 61-Opam
    ├── 62-Haskell
    ├── 63-Erlang
    ├── 63-Go
    ├── 64-Pyenv
    ├── 65-Rust
    └── 66-Antigen

Once you start installing various things it make sense to keep their paths in their own file, it's easier to organise (and remove).

The order

Library/Paths/paths.d ordered as the file system does
Library/Paths/paths
.config/paths.d (same again)
.config/paths
/etc/paths.d (same again)
/etc/paths

Why Library/Paths/paths and not Library/paths ?

Because this is such a useful pattern that I've extended it for headers and includes, read on!

Man paths and DYLD and C_INCLUDE

Manpaths

Apple has already dictated that /etc/manpaths and /etc/manpaths.d/ are the default paths for setting MANPATH, so the same pattern has been followed for that as with PATH, so just add ~/Library/Paths/manpaths or ~/.config/manpaths along with the manpaths.d sub directory if you wish.

~/Library/Paths/manpaths.d/
~/.config/manpaths
~/Library/Paths/manpaths.d/
~/.config/manpaths
/etc/manpaths.d/
/etc/manpaths

DYLD

Same goes for DYLD_FALLBACK_LIBRARY_PATH and DYLD_FALLBACK_FRAMEWORK_PATH (if using the Ruby script):

~/Library/Paths/dyld_library_paths.d/
~/.config/dyld_library_paths
~/Library/Paths/dyld_library_paths.d/
~/.config/dyld_library_paths
/etc/dyld_library_paths.d/
/etc/dyld_library_paths

and:

~/Library/Paths/dyld_framework_paths.d/
~/.config/dyld_framework_paths
~/Library/Paths/dyld_framework_paths.d/
~/.config/dyld_framework_paths
/etc/dyld_framework_paths.d/
/etc/dyld_framework_paths

C_INCLUDE

Same again for C_INCLUDE:

~/Library/Paths/include_paths.d/
~/Library/Paths/include_paths
~/.config/include_paths.d/
~/.config/include_paths
/etc/include_paths.d/
/etc/include_paths

(and the include_paths.d sub dir too, for the last two if you wish).

HOW DO I GET THIS WONDERFUL JOYFUL EVENT MAKER INTO MY LIFE?

I was going to make this into a Ruby gem but that is such a faff. Here's the gist of it:

Download it (use git clone or a download link, you can even just copy and past the script)
Make sure it has the correct permissions (chmod +x)
Run the --setup
Copy and paste the bit setup tells you to, and put it in your ~/.zshenv or ~/.bashenv
Find your life is so much better now it's easy to manage your paths

For example:

I put my path_helper in `/usr/local/libexec` because I'm the only person using this machine

and I want my other accounts to be able to access its goodness.

sudo mkdir -p /usr/local/libexec cd /usr/local/libexec

~/Projects/path_helper is where I keep the project

ln ~/Projects/path_helper/exe/path_helper . chmod +x path_helper

Look at the help because you're not like everyone else, you read instructions ;-)

path_helper --help

You need sudo to add the folders in /etc, see the --help if you don't want that

sudo path_helper --setup

See what's already there

path_helper --debug

Apple's path_helper is in /usr/libexec, this install won't touch it, you can always use it or return to it if you wish.

And checking its output:

$ path_helper
PATH="/opt/pkg/sbin:/opt/pkg/bin:/opt/X11/bin:/opt/ImageMagick/bin:/usr/local/MacGPG2/bin:/usr/local/git/bin:/opt/puppetlabs/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin"; export PATH;

NOTE!

The script doesn't set the PATH, it returns a path, you have to set the path with it e.g. PATH=$(/usr/local/libexec/path_helper.rb -p ""). Call /usr/local/libexec/path_helper -h to see all the options.

My actual system

$ tree ~/Library/Paths 
/Users/iainb/Library/Paths
├── include_paths
├── manpaths.d
│   └── 30-oh-my-zshell
├── paths
└── paths.d
    ├── 05-pkgsrc
    ├── 08-homebrew
    ├── 10-keybase
    ├── 30-oh-my-zshell
    ├── 50-ngrok
    ├── 55-Crystal-opt
    ├── 60-Crystal
    ├── 61-Opam
    ├── 62-Haskell
    ├── 63-Erlang
    ├── 63-Go
    ├── 64-Pyenv
    ├── 65-Rust
    └── 66-Antigen

$ tree /etc/paths.d/
/etc/paths.d/
├── 10-pkgsrc
├── 15-macports
├── 20-XCode
├── MacGPG2
├── go
└── mono-commands

You know what else is helpful?

The --debug flag. For example:

$ exe/path_helper --debug           


                                                                  Path | Found in                                 | Ignored duplicate                                           
                                                                  ---- | --------                                 | -----------------                                           
                                                          /opt/pkg/bin | ~/Library/Paths/paths.d/05-pkgsrc        | 
                                                                       | /etc/paths.d/10-pkgsrc                   |   ✗                   
                                                         /opt/pkg/sbin | ~/Library/Paths/paths.d/05-pkgsrc        | 
                                                                       | /etc/paths.d/10-pkgsrc                   |   ✗                   
                                                      /opt/pkg/gnu/bin | ~/Library/Paths/paths.d/05-pkgsrc        | 
                                                        ~/homebrew/bin | ~/Library/Paths/paths.d/08-homebrew      | 
                                                          $HOME/gopath | ~/Library/Paths/paths.d/10-keybase       | 
                                                      $HOME/gopath/bin | ~/Library/Paths/paths.d/10-keybase       | 
                                   ~/.oh-my-zsh/custom/plugins/fzf/bin | ~/Library/Paths/paths.d/30-oh-my-zshell  | 
                                                  ~/Applications/ngrok | ~/Library/Paths/paths.d/50-ngrok         | 
                                                      /opt/crystal/bin | ~/Library/Paths/paths.d/55-Crystal-opt   | 
                                             /opt/crystal/embedded/bin | ~/Library/Paths/paths.d/55-Crystal-opt   | 
           ~/Library/Frameworks/Crystal.framework/Versions/Current/bin | ~/Library/Paths/paths.d/60-Crystal       | 
  ~/Library/Frameworks/Crystal.framework/Versions/Current/embedded/bin | ~/Library/Paths/paths.d/60-Crystal       | 
                          ~/Library/Frameworks/Opam.framework/Programs | ~/Library/Paths/paths.d/61-Opam          | 
                                                 ~/Library/Haskell/bin | ~/Library/Paths/paths.d/62-Haskell       | 
                        ~/Library/Frameworks/Erlang.framework/Programs | ~/Library/Paths/paths.d/63-Erlang        | 
                                                              ~/go/bin | ~/Library/Paths/paths.d/63-Go            | 
                                                          ~/.pyenv/bin | ~/Library/Paths/paths.d/64-Pyenv         | 
                                                          ~/.cargo/bin | ~/Library/Paths/paths.d/65-Rust          | 
                                                                 ~/bin | ~/Library/Paths/paths.d/66-Antigen       | 
                                                        /opt/local/bin | /etc/paths.d/15-macports                 | 
                           /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/usr/bin | /etc/paths.d/20-XCode                    | 
                                                                       | /etc/paths.d/20-XCode                    | 
                                                /usr/local/MacGPG2/bin | /etc/paths.d/MacGPG2                     | 
                                                     /usr/local/go/bin | /etc/paths.d/go                          | 
          /Library/Frameworks/Mono.framework/Versions/Current/Commands | /etc/paths.d/mono-commands               | 
                                                        /usr/local/bin | /etc/paths                               | 
                                                       /usr/local/sbin | /etc/paths                               | 
                                                              /usr/bin | /etc/paths                               | 
                                                             /usr/sbin | /etc/paths                               | 
                                                                  /bin | /etc/paths                               | 
                                                                 /sbin | /etc/paths                               | 


Current:
/Users/iainb/.gem/ruby/2.6.3/bin:/Users/iainb/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/2.6.3/lib/ruby/gems/2.6.0/bin:/Users/iainb/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/2.6.3/bin:/Users/iainb/.opam/4.06.1/bin:/Users/iainb/perl5/bin:/opt/pkg/bin:/opt/pkg/sbin:/opt/pkg/gnu/bin:/Users/iainb/homebrew/bin:$HOME/gopath:$HOME/gopath/bin:/Users/iainb/.oh-my-zsh/custom/plugins/fzf/bin:/Users/iainb/Applications/ngrok:/Users/iainb/Library/Frameworks/Crystal.framework/Versions/Current/bin:/Users/iainb/Library/Frameworks/Crystal.framework/Versions/Current/embedded/bin:/Users/iainb/Library/Frameworks/Opam.framework/Programs:/Users/iainb/Library/Haskell/bin:/Users/iainb/Library/Frameworks/Erlang.framework/Programs:/Users/iainb/go/bin:/Users/iainb/.pyenv/bin:/Users/iainb/.cargo/bin:/Users/iainb/bin:/opt/local/bin:/usr/local/MacGPG2/bin:/usr/local/go/bin:/Library/Frameworks/Mono.framework/Versions/Current/Commands:/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin:/bin:/sbin


If you expected items you'd inserted in the path manually to
show up earlier then either clear the path before running this
and reinsert or add paths via:
  (~/Library/Paths|~/config)/paths.d
  (~/Library/Paths|~/config)/paths/*)


/opt/pkg/bin:/opt/pkg/sbin:/opt/pkg/gnu/bin:/Users/iainb/homebrew/bin:$HOME/gopath:$HOME/gopath/bin:/Users/iainb/.oh-my-zsh/custom/plugins/fzf/bin:/Users/iainb/Applications/ngrok:/opt/crystal/bin:/opt/crystal/embedded/bin:/Users/iainb/Library/Frameworks/Crystal.framework/Versions/Current/bin:/Users/iainb/Library/Frameworks/Crystal.framework/Versions/Current/embedded/bin:/Users/iainb/Library/Frameworks/Opam.framework/Programs:/Users/iainb/Library/Haskell/bin:/Users/iainb/Library/Frameworks/Erlang.framework/Programs:/Users/iainb/go/bin:/Users/iainb/.pyenv/bin:/Users/iainb/.cargo/bin:/Users/iainb/bin:/opt/local/bin:/Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/usr/bin:/usr/local/MacGPG2/bin:/usr/local/go/bin:/Library/Frameworks/Mono.framework/Versions/Current/Commands:/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin:/bin:/sbin%

Everything you need to know! Very useful for working out when other things are manipulating the path too.

Development

I'm happy to hear from you, email me or open an issue. Pull requests are fine too, try to bring me a spec or an example if you want a feature or find a bug.

Sorry the current specs aren't in such good shape, I hope to improve that.

Licence

See the LICENCE file.

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 43 Commits
exe		exe
spec		spec
.gitignore		.gitignore
.ruby-version		.ruby-version
.travis.yml		.travis.yml
CHANGES.md		CHANGES.md
Dockerfile		Dockerfile
Gemfile		Gemfile
LICENCE		LICENCE
Makefile		Makefile
README.md		README.md
path_helper.gemspec		path_helper.gemspec

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path_helper

WHAT?

WHAT DOES THAT DO?

WHY REPLACE IT?

WHAT ELSE DOES IT DO?

DO I NEED TO BE ON APPLE TO USE IT?

HOW DOES PATH_HELPER KNOW WHAT TO PUT IN THE PATH?

Note:

Per user paths

Way 1, Use the paths, Luke

Way 2, paths.d/

Why use the paths.d sub directory?

The order

Why Library/Paths/paths and not Library/paths ?

Man paths and DYLD and C_INCLUDE

Manpaths

DYLD

C_INCLUDE

HOW DO I GET THIS WONDERFUL JOYFUL EVENT MAKER INTO MY LIFE?

I put my path_helper in `/usr/local/libexec` because I'm the only person using this machine

and I want my other accounts to be able to access its goodness.

~/Projects/path_helper is where I keep the project

Look at the help because you're not like everyone else, you read instructions ;-)

You need sudo to add the folders in /etc, see the --help if you don't want that

See what's already there

NOTE!

My actual system

You know what else is helpful?

Development

Licence

About

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townsen/path_helper

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path_helper

WHAT?

WHAT DOES THAT DO?

WHY REPLACE IT?

WHAT ELSE DOES IT DO?

DO I NEED TO BE ON APPLE TO USE IT?

HOW DOES PATH_HELPER KNOW WHAT TO PUT IN THE PATH?

Note:

Per user paths

Way 1, Use the paths, Luke

Way 2, paths.d/

Why use the paths.d sub directory?

The order

Why Library/Paths/paths and not Library/paths ?

Man paths and DYLD and C_INCLUDE

Manpaths

DYLD

C_INCLUDE

HOW DO I GET THIS WONDERFUL JOYFUL EVENT MAKER INTO MY LIFE?

I put my path_helper in /usr/local/libexec because I'm the only person using this machine

and I want my other accounts to be able to access its goodness.

~/Projects/path_helper is where I keep the project

Look at the help because you're not like everyone else, you read instructions ;-)

You need sudo to add the folders in /etc, see the --help if you don't want that

See what's already there

NOTE!

My actual system

You know what else is helpful?

Development

Licence

About

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I put my path_helper in `/usr/local/libexec` because I'm the only person using this machine

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