https://github.com/arouanet/path-helper

Emacs Lisp package to set PATH environment variables from configuration files
https://github.com/arouanet/path-helper

emacs emacs-lisp environment macos

Last synced: 3 months ago
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Emacs Lisp package to set PATH environment variables from configuration files

• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/arouanet/path-helper
• Owner: arouanet
• License: gpl-3.0
• Created: 2018-10-31T12:37:00.000Z (over 7 years ago)
• Default Branch: master
• Last Pushed: 2018-12-12T08:49:22.000Z (over 7 years ago)
• Last Synced: 2026-03-27T00:40:15.176Z (3 months ago)
• Topics: emacs, emacs-lisp, environment, macos
• Language: Emacs Lisp
• Homepage:
• Size: 38.1 KB
• Stars: 3
• Watchers: 2
• Forks: 1
• Open Issues: 0
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: README.md
  • License: LICENSE

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README

          
# path-helper

[![MELPA](https://melpa.org/packages/path-helper-badge.svg)](https://melpa.org/#/path-helper)

[![MELPA Stable](https://stable.melpa.org/packages/path-helper-badge.svg)](https://stable.melpa.org/#/path-helper)

This package replicates the behavior of the

[path_helper](https://opensource.apple.com/source/shell_cmds/shell_cmds-203/path_helper/)

utility shipped with macOS, used to augment the `PATH` and `MANPATH` environment

variables with path elements read respectively from `/etc/paths` and

`/etc/paths.d/` for `PATH`, and from `/etc/manpaths` and `/etc/manpaths.d/` for

`MANPATH`.

This is needed because macOS GUI applications are launched with a limited

default environment which is not set from the user's login shell. While it is

possible to configure `launchd` to use a different `PATH` variable (using

`launchctl config user path`), another solution is to set the PATH after the

fact during Emacs initialization, which is what this package is doing.

This is similar to what the

[exec-path-from-shell](https://github.com/purcell/exec-path-from-shell) package

does, but because path-helper does not need to spawn a shell to read the

environment, it is much faster.

An obvious downside of this approach is that if the PATH is manually set

elsewhere, such as in the user `.profile` file, it will not be visible to

path-helper. But properly configured macOS packages such as

[MacTeX](http://www.tug.org/mactex/), which contribute to the PATH by adding

a file in `/etc/paths.d/`, will work as expected.

## Installation

Path-helper is available from [MELPA](https://melpa.org/#/path-helper) and

[MELPA Stable](https://stable.melpa.org/#/path-helper). Once MELPA is

[configured](https://melpa.org/#/getting-started), simply run:

    M-x package-install RET path-helper RET

## Usage

To set all environment variables listed in `path-helper-variables`, add the

following to your init file:

    (when (memq window-system '(ns mac))

      (path-helper-setenv-all))

Or, if using [use-package](https://github.com/jwiegley/use-package):

    (use-package path-helper

      :if (memq window-system '(mac ns))

      :ensure t

      :config

      (path-helper-setenv-all))

If `path-helper-skip-undefined-variables` is non-nil (default), environment

variables are only set to a new value when they were previously set. This is

because `MANPATH` is generally unset by default, and it is preferable to leave

it unset and let `man` use its more sophisticated method of finding manual page

files.

You can also call `path-helper-setenv` directly to set a single environment

variable, e.g.:

    (path-helper-setenv "PATH")